Don! Great to see you! Ayampe sounds like a paradise! Sounds like a place we need to visit next time down there. Thanks for the video! Wear your life preserver when you go out!
Thanks Don, another useful video. I may check out Ayampe and probably Olon on my visit in February. Watched the narco video, reminds me of Columbia in the 80s. Pretty scary stuff. Not enough to keep me away though.
Don, I can hardly wait for your videos from the quiet land of Uruguay..... Alot of folks justifiably comment on how hard it us to get to Montevideo. Especially people with family back home! Even harder than Manta.
We live less than 300 yards from the big mercado in Cuenca. I hear you about the chicken feet sticking up in the air. Raw meat is piled high here! I avoid that part, I must admit. I went shopping for a new mop the other day and never could find one. I told my spouse, "Well, that explains why the floor always looks dirty!" I'm not sure when it's last seen a cleaning, but it can't be often. Still, we like to go there and except for our prohibition on meat and seafood, we enjoy it.
Don excessive noise bothers me too, so it’s nice to know there’s potential places in Ecuador that are quieter. Continue to look forward to noise updates.And dumb drivers are an annoyance! Also, thanks for the narco link. Very informative.
I’ve been to the mercado’s in Cuenca. The sanitary standards for meat are at least transparent. Do you know what goes on in meat processing plants in the U.S? I bet if you tried to take a tour to see how your meat is handled you wouldn’t be able to. Contaminated meat causing illness and death in the U.S. is not uncommon. The people of Ecuador have been eating meat from the Mercados for a long time and probable have little problem with it. After all, they cook the meat which kills most of the bacteria. I don’t eat meat so it’s not a concern for me. I’ve bought produce from the mercado’s which was cheap and delicious!
I feel like it’s a never ending fight when it comes to giving an opinion about what things are like. If you say something is bad there’ll be the comments that say it’s good (sometimes by Ecuadorians sometimes not) and if you say it’s good someone will point out the bad and say that you’re saying something wrong. The reality is that we all experience things differently and we all have different starting points as well. What’s dangerous for one might be relatively safe for another and in that same way a person can go out and have nothing happen to them while another goes out and gets robbed. But no matter what happens or doesn’t happen, the person coming has to make a choice to come and see it themselves or just go with what they’ve seen/heard and probably make the choice to go elsewhere. I know that you’re only trying to help brother so keep doing what you do. I’ll leave the narco stuff for another day but the Mercado was an interesting thing that you mentioned because my dad has talked about it too. Of course it’s cheaper but sometimes the food/stuff is fly-ridden and you just don’t know if it’s completely sanitary. The only good thing I’ll say about it now is that it’s in better shape than it was before (in Portoviejo) because before they would sell the food LITERALLY next to the street. So aside from it being ridden with insects there was the exhaust from cars that would hit the raw meat/chicken (produce) as well. It was nightmarish.
Thank you Sir, you bring up a good point. This is why I say, "it doesn't necessarily work for ME". That doesn't mean it wouldn't be a problem for anyone else.
I'm starting to think that the expats and Ecuadorians who say everything is fine have a financial interest in the tourism industry in Ecuador. Either that or they live in their own little bubble. Just follow Ecuadorian news accounts and journalists on Twitter and you can see the frequency of kidnappings, disappearances, extortion, bombings, robberies, etc.
Mercados and feiras throughout Latin America are mostly just like that. To me it`s another example of the difference between personal safety in North America and Latin America. In all of Latin America, people have to take a lot more responsibility for their own personal safety, as pertains to the crimes aspect of it. Food safety is very similar. You and I look at the conditions in which meat and dairy are sold in those mercados, like you said the flies, and the dirt and the terrible stench, and we are horrified because we just never saw that in North America. Latinos are comfortable with it because they are used to it, and they have the experience to inspect the various products and be able to tell which ones are safe to buy, and which ones are already spoiled or near spoiled. In other words they take the responsibility for their food safety also, whereas you and I grew up with fresh food like that being in coolers, and when you buy it they put it on styrofoam and wrap it tight with clean plastic food wrap. Just one more example of how North America and Latin America are in so many ways very different worlds!
I think our sensitivities are often heightened when we are actively in the process of evaluating a place - especially when we are comparing it to other places. And while perhaps to some degree this is only natural and logical, we should be on the alert to the possibility that we might tend to amplify the annoyances of our current situation and romanticize any new prospects. This dynamic hearkens to an axiom in U.S. football which is that the most popular player on a losing team is always the backup quarterback (i.e., the one who doesn't actually play on the field). In other words, the starting quarterback is a "bum" while the next one in line is the "savior." And we might well have a similar attitude when it comes to places - our current home is a "sewer" while a new place is the "Garden of Eden." Obviously I overstate the difference just for the sake of making the point - but I think the point is valid all the same. So, Don, this is why I appreciate your admonitions that there is no substitute for going to a new country and city and seeing it for yourself. This is not to say that preliminary research from reputable sources can't be helpful - whether they may be RUclipsrs, expat groups online, or government sites - but we can compile all the data and statistics in the world and still not know what it's like to live in a place until we go there and absorb the vibe.
Uruguay is a good place a little expensive with a solid economy, can't say the same about Argentina. It's a beautiful country with everything but the economy is a total disaster, they are running into an uncontrolled inflation that will be even worse when the new President starts this December. Hopefully they will elect someone who wants to save the country so we can moved there😊
Regarding mercados, I wouldn't rule out shopping there occasionally, but I would likely confine my purchases to fruit and vegetables. I would not assume that all mercados are unsanitary. Surely some are better than others, just as some conventional grocery stores are better than others; and as a discriminating consumer, I would have my eyes open for this. As for the meat, presumably it's brought out fresh daily and not allowed to sit in the heat and open air for days on end. Regardless, though, I would probably buy meat only from more established vendors where safeguards are in place. Here in the Twin Cities, I shop at farmer's markets from time to time, and by definition these are open-air venues with booths of foods of various kinds. Usually the quality is superb because they are fresh and direct from farms.
My problem is this in regard to the fruits and vegetables in the Mercados. While I'm not as well off financially as many other expats, I can afford to shop in the major super markets and I just don't see the need to risk illness from buying contaminated foods just to save a few cents.
@@DonShader, you make a good point. I have something of a romantic notion of supporting mercados and family-owned businesses, but at the same time my health and peace of mind must always be paramount; and I would feel more secure about buying groceries from established supermarkets such as SuperMaxi. I know that lots of expats buy fruit and vegetables from mercados and suffer no ill effects, and more power to them. But I'm no spring chicken anymore and so if I err, I want to err on the safe side. Thanks for elaborating on this. You have brought me back to sanity.
@@RJMincey My one episode of food poisoning taught a valuable lesson, one I'll never forget, I don't ever want to go through that again. Even when buying fruits and vegies from the Mega and Super Maxis, one must use precaution and thoroughly wash and sanitize them before consumption. Thanks for your feedback.
@@DonShader, I make a practice of thoroughly rinsing even the organic fruit and vegetables I buy here in Minnesota, in spite of the fact they contain no residue of chemical pesticides and herbicides. However, in Ecuador, I would have to take care to use only filtered water for this. That's one of the down sides to life in Latin America, namely how meticulous we have to be with regard to using water. But I know I would quickly grow accustomed to it and after a time I would scarcely give it a thought because it would just be baked into my normal routines.
@@DonShader, oh incidentally, in the course of my life I have had a couple episodes of food poisoning myself, and I agree that it's brutal. So anything that would prevent that experience I will most certainly do.
Haha, how about when they stop in the middle of the road to pee.😂 We only purchase fruits and veggies at mercados. I agree about the meats. Due to el niño, since June 1, in Riobamba, we have only received 2" of rain. It's very dusty. When the wind blows, the sky is hazy from the dust.
Don...I've watched you for quite sometime. I really like your vids. However I've noticed you gettn a little hot under the collar lately lol....just a suggestion....take a shot or two of tequilla before you do the videos...luv to see your "funny side" :)
Always sad to hear an "American" say, "as long as you are not involved in politics". If you want to surrender your rights for a "nice pool", you are a sad, sad soul.
Love that the rose glasses are off and we are gEtting the honesty so rare in this world
Hi Don, thanks for sharing your experience, and for publishing this with Spanish subtitles.
I'm like # 317 for this video.
Hi Don! Ayampe sounds like a wonderful place. Keep safe and away from El Cartel and El Niño. Abrazos
Best opening Ever. Never change!
Thank you for your insights Don
Always a pleasure to watch and listen.
Nice light setting
You are very welcome.
Don! Great to see you! Ayampe sounds like a paradise! Sounds like a place we need to visit next time down there. Thanks for the video! Wear your life preserver when you go out!
I haven't had a television in seven years and I couldn't be happier.
Just curious, how do you keep up with current affairs? Or do you?
Great video. Adding Ayampe to my travel itinerary now. It looks like a great tourist destination. I really enjoy the gifts at the end of your videos.
Thanks Don, another useful video. I may check out Ayampe and probably Olon on my visit in February. Watched the narco video, reminds me of Columbia in the 80s. Pretty scary stuff. Not enough to keep me away though.
Don, I can hardly wait for your videos from the quiet land of Uruguay..... Alot of folks justifiably comment on how hard it us to get to Montevideo. Especially people with family back home! Even harder than Manta.
Thanks for sharing Don! 🥳🥳
You are very welcome.
Thanks for this video, Don. You are a very level headed and balanced man 👍🏾
We live less than 300 yards from the big mercado in Cuenca. I hear you about the chicken feet sticking up in the air. Raw meat is piled high here! I avoid that part, I must admit. I went shopping for a new mop the other day and never could find one. I told my spouse, "Well, that explains why the floor always looks dirty!" I'm not sure when it's last seen a cleaning, but it can't be often. Still, we like to go there and except for our prohibition on meat and seafood, we enjoy it.
Don excessive noise bothers me too, so it’s nice to know there’s potential places in Ecuador that are quieter. Continue to look forward to noise updates.And dumb drivers are an annoyance! Also, thanks for the narco link. Very informative.
Im glad to hear u like Cotacochie & Cuenca. Im hoping I can tolerate altitudes!
IMHO that will be the only way to tolerate Ecuador.
I’ve been to the mercado’s in Cuenca. The sanitary standards for meat are at least transparent. Do you know what goes on in meat processing plants in the U.S? I bet if you tried to take a tour to see how your meat is handled you wouldn’t be able to. Contaminated meat causing illness and death in the U.S. is not uncommon. The people of Ecuador have been eating meat from the Mercados for a long time and probable have little problem with it. After all, they cook the meat which kills most of the bacteria. I don’t eat meat so it’s not a concern for me. I’ve bought produce from the mercado’s which was cheap and delicious!
Here in Cuenca there are virtually no flies, so much more sanitary to hang meat in the open here than it would be at the coast.
I feel like it’s a never ending fight when it comes to giving an opinion about what things are like. If you say something is bad there’ll be the comments that say it’s good (sometimes by Ecuadorians sometimes not) and if you say it’s good someone will point out the bad and say that you’re saying something wrong. The reality is that we all experience things differently and we all have different starting points as well. What’s dangerous for one might be relatively safe for another and in that same way a person can go out and have nothing happen to them while another goes out and gets robbed. But no matter what happens or doesn’t happen, the person coming has to make a choice to come and see it themselves or just go with what they’ve seen/heard and probably make the choice to go elsewhere. I know that you’re only trying to help brother so keep doing what you do.
I’ll leave the narco stuff for another day but the Mercado was an interesting thing that you mentioned because my dad has talked about it too. Of course it’s cheaper but sometimes the food/stuff is fly-ridden and you just don’t know if it’s completely sanitary. The only good thing I’ll say about it now is that it’s in better shape than it was before (in Portoviejo) because before they would sell the food LITERALLY next to the street. So aside from it being ridden with insects there was the exhaust from cars that would hit the raw meat/chicken (produce) as well. It was nightmarish.
Thank you Sir, you bring up a good point. This is why I say, "it doesn't necessarily work for ME". That doesn't mean it wouldn't be a problem for anyone else.
I'm starting to think that the expats and Ecuadorians who say everything is fine have a financial interest in the tourism industry in Ecuador. Either that or they live in their own little bubble. Just follow Ecuadorian news accounts and journalists on Twitter and you can see the frequency of kidnappings, disappearances, extortion, bombings, robberies, etc.
You make me laugh, thank you.
Mercados and feiras throughout Latin America are mostly just like that. To me it`s another example of the difference between personal safety in North America and Latin America. In all of Latin America, people have to take a lot more responsibility for their own personal safety, as pertains to the crimes aspect of it. Food safety is very similar. You and I look at the conditions in which meat and dairy are sold in those mercados, like you said the flies, and the dirt and the terrible stench, and we are horrified because we just never saw that in North America. Latinos are comfortable with it because they are used to it, and they have the experience to inspect the various products and be able to tell which ones are safe to buy, and which ones are already spoiled or near spoiled. In other words they take the responsibility for their food safety also, whereas you and I grew up with fresh food like that being in coolers, and when you buy it they put it on styrofoam and wrap it tight with clean plastic food wrap. Just one more example of how North America and Latin America are in so many ways very different worlds!
QQQ Where was Stella shopping when she and friend shopped for doing seafood dish ?(Manta)
At MegaMaxi. They didn't buy anything from the Mercado. We were just smelling.
I think our sensitivities are often heightened when we are actively in the process of evaluating a place - especially when we are comparing it to other places. And while perhaps to some degree this is only natural and logical, we should be on the alert to the possibility that we might tend to amplify the annoyances of our current situation and romanticize any new prospects.
This dynamic hearkens to an axiom in U.S. football which is that the most popular player on a losing team is always the backup quarterback (i.e., the one who doesn't actually play on the field). In other words, the starting quarterback is a "bum" while the next one in line is the "savior." And we might well have a similar attitude when it comes to places - our current home is a "sewer" while a new place is the "Garden of Eden."
Obviously I overstate the difference just for the sake of making the point - but I think the point is valid all the same.
So, Don, this is why I appreciate your admonitions that there is no substitute for going to a new country and city and seeing it for yourself. This is not to say that preliminary research from reputable sources can't be helpful - whether they may be RUclipsrs, expat groups online, or government sites - but we can compile all the data and statistics in the world and still not know what it's like to live in a place until we go there and absorb the vibe.
I like Argentina and Uruguay.
Uruguay is a good place a little expensive with a solid economy, can't say the same about Argentina. It's a beautiful country with everything but the economy is a total disaster, they are running into an uncontrolled inflation that will be even worse when the new President starts this December. Hopefully they will elect someone who wants to save the country so we can moved there😊
And does anyone know just how he can save that country?
I love Ayampe!!
Regarding mercados, I wouldn't rule out shopping there occasionally, but I would likely confine my purchases to fruit and vegetables. I would not assume that all mercados are unsanitary. Surely some are better than others, just as some conventional grocery stores are better than others; and as a discriminating consumer, I would have my eyes open for this.
As for the meat, presumably it's brought out fresh daily and not allowed to sit in the heat and open air for days on end. Regardless, though, I would probably buy meat only from more established vendors where safeguards are in place.
Here in the Twin Cities, I shop at farmer's markets from time to time, and by definition these are open-air venues with booths of foods of various kinds. Usually the quality is superb because they are fresh and direct from farms.
My problem is this in regard to the fruits and vegetables in the Mercados. While I'm not as well off financially as many other expats, I can afford to shop in the major super markets and I just don't see the need to risk illness from buying contaminated foods just to save a few cents.
@@DonShader, you make a good point. I have something of a romantic notion of supporting mercados and family-owned businesses, but at the same time my health and peace of mind must always be paramount; and I would feel more secure about buying groceries from established supermarkets such as SuperMaxi.
I know that lots of expats buy fruit and vegetables from mercados and suffer no ill effects, and more power to them. But I'm no spring chicken anymore and so if I err, I want to err on the safe side.
Thanks for elaborating on this. You have brought me back to sanity.
@@RJMincey My one episode of food poisoning taught a valuable lesson, one I'll never forget, I don't ever want to go through that again. Even when buying fruits and vegies from the Mega and Super Maxis, one must use precaution and thoroughly wash and sanitize them before consumption. Thanks for your feedback.
@@DonShader, I make a practice of thoroughly rinsing even the organic fruit and vegetables I buy here in Minnesota, in spite of the fact they contain no residue of chemical pesticides and herbicides. However, in Ecuador, I would have to take care to use only filtered water for this.
That's one of the down sides to life in Latin America, namely how meticulous we have to be with regard to using water. But I know I would quickly grow accustomed to it and after a time I would scarcely give it a thought because it would just be baked into my normal routines.
@@DonShader, oh incidentally, in the course of my life I have had a couple episodes of food poisoning myself, and I agree that it's brutal. So anything that would prevent that experience I will most certainly do.
Haha, how about when they stop in the middle of the road to pee.😂 We only purchase fruits and veggies at mercados. I agree about the meats. Due to el niño, since June 1, in Riobamba, we have only received 2" of rain. It's very dusty. When the wind blows, the sky is hazy from the dust.
Don...I've watched you for quite sometime. I really like your vids. However I've noticed you gettn a little hot under the collar lately lol....just a suggestion....take a shot or two of tequilla before you do the videos...luv to see your "funny side" :)
Hi Mike,
Now you know why I call myself grumpy old gringo.
I'd take Cotacachi over any American City. I'll never visit my hometown of NYC again. It's become a cesspool!
Always sad to hear an "American" say, "as long as you are not involved in politics".
If you want to surrender your rights for a "nice pool", you are a sad, sad soul.
Why? WTF do you care?
@@DonShader
It's called "free thought".
Try it out one day!
And yes, I do "care" how other people think!
It is Not your country. Accept for what it is Or get the helk out.
Really!?