Λ Introduction
V Previous

Vilcabamba Glimpse #44

Cafe Mural

At the Equestrian and Hiking Center at Hacienda San Joaquin, we have an organic ranch store and outdoor cafe, among other facilities mentioned in previous Glimpses.

An Ecuadorian artist, Wilson Abad, just completed a mural (40 feet wide by 12 feet high) on the wall of the outdoor cafe. The attached photos show the artist in progress as well as his wonderful completed work. Notice how Wilson incorporated the existing service window into his mural as barn doors.

...and Ecuador Named #2 in the World

In a piece titled "The world's top retirement havens in 2007", International Living named Ecuador the second best place in the world for retirement living.

Excerpts:

"It's hard to pinpoint the best reason for retiring to Ecuador, but one thing's for sure: this is an affordable-and beautiful-retirement destination. Ecuador also offers a high quality of life. This is no isolated backwater. It's a land of opportunity, where a middle class is forming. After waking from a long economic slumber, Ecuador is preparing to join the global economy."

"Ecuador is one place where the U.S. dollar is not losing value, which makes an Ecuadorian retirement especially appealing. Following the late-1990s' debt default, Ecuador decided to adopt the U.S. dollar as its official currency, which eliminates currency risk. Inflation is less than 3% and most economic indicators are positive." Full article is at http://www.internationalliving.com/retire/paid/09-01-07-top-heavens.html

A related piece by International Living: "Vilcabamba: Most International Living Readers Move to This Perfect Valley" http://www.internationalliving.com/ecuador/free/05-14-07-vilcabamba.html

The photos:

Best, Joe

Joe Simonetta
Owner/Architect
Hacienda San Joaquin
Vilcabamba, Ecuador


P.S. International Living named Ecuador "The Best Place in the World to Retire" http://www.haciendasanjoaquin.com/best_in_the_world.html