That's a question that we get asked all the time. We want to retire and Ecuador seems like a great place to start looking as it has been ranked as #2 by International Living. You see we have lived the main part of our lives in Australia. However, we both have travelled to different parts of the world and love the adventure of new places and people.

John, at almost 57, is old enough to retire early. His research into Ecuador, which goes back 10 years, has now led us down the path of wanting to find out more. Initially John's interest in Ecuador was for health, lifestyle and environment just to mention a few.

As for myself, Dixie, I am a few years younger than John but also do think about our retirement and how will we survive on superannuation and any other savings and investments. I also became interested in Ecuador and decided to do some researching of my own.

To my amazement I found that real estate is extremely cheap and we would be able to buy a beautiful property with everything we need and be left with plenty of money to live on and start some part-time income activities like import-export, internet marketing and perhaps even start a health retreat in "the valley of longevity". Many other visitors to Ecuador have decided to stay after experiencing its delights, so we won't be the first - although maybe one of the small minority of Australians.

Our timing is right because our children

See Tarantino's next movie right now (sort of)
Eager to catch the ultraviolent WWII shootout "Inglorious Bastards," loaded with blaxploitation beefcake and naked chicks? Come on over! <div class='nifad'><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=78fbcf6d84a5470dac0e03fca480ff36&u=301605980"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=78fbcf6d84a5470dac0e03fca480ff36&u=301605980" border="0"/></a></div>
"Tropic Thunder"
Robert Downey Jr. gives the most enjoyable performance of the year in this near-genius satire of Hollywood excess and vanity. <div class='nifad'><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=78fbcf6d84a5470dac0e03fca480ff36&u=301591651"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=78fbcf6d84a5470dac0e03fca480ff36&u=301591651" border="0"/></a></div>
Do you suffer from blockbuster fatigue?
As the summer movie season drags on, it's time to ask whether there's a limit to how much hype we can take. <div class='nifad'><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=78fbcf6d84a5470dac0e03fca480ff36&u=301353210"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=78fbcf6d84a5470dac0e03fca480ff36&u=301353210" border="0"/></a></div>
The 1960s' gayest show
As a kid, "The Wild Wild West" taught me about sexiness and desire -- and how two men could live together and love each other. <div class='nifad'><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=78fbcf6d84a5470dac0e03fca480ff36&u=301353208"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=78fbcf6d84a5470dac0e03fca480ff36&u=301353208" border="0"/></a></div>
Is torture an Olympic event?
After 33 years of abuse and imprisonment, one Tibetan monk says no to the Beijing Olympics -- and to the Dalai Lama's accommodation with tyranny. <div class='nifad'><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=78fbcf6d84a5470dac0e03fca480ff36&u=301299773"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=78fbcf6d84a5470dac0e03fca480ff36&u=301299773" border="0"/></a></div>
Big Think: "Often, I felt I was actually overstepping boundaries"
Ceridwen Dovey reflects on filming her documentary in South Africa and her generation's relationship with apartheid. <div class='nifad'><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=78fbcf6d84a5470dac0e03fca480ff36&u=301128393"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=78fbcf6d84a5470dac0e03fca480ff36&u=301128393" border="0"/></a></div>
Critics' Picks
What you need to see, read, do this week: Tiger attacks, young Arab Brooklynites and a couple of guys named Corey. <div class='nifad'><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=78fbcf6d84a5470dac0e03fca480ff36&u=300832838"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=78fbcf6d84a5470dac0e03fca480ff36&u=300832838" border="0"/></a></div>
"Elegy" for a topless bombshell
Penélope Cruz gets art-history naked and Ben Kingsley is diamond-brilliant in an overly pretty film adaptation of Philip Roth's "Dying Animal." <div class='nifad'><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=78fbcf6d84a5470dac0e03fca480ff36&u=300789964"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=78fbcf6d84a5470dac0e03fca480ff36&u=300789964" border="0"/></a></div>
Olympic torch song
Some love the Games for the competition. I love them for the Opening Ceremony kitsch. Bring on the belting divas, plush bears and dancing cows! <div class='nifad'><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=78fbcf6d84a5470dac0e03fca480ff36&u=300606305"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=78fbcf6d84a5470dac0e03fca480ff36&u=300606305" border="0"/></a></div>
The art world's Pepsi Generation
"Beautiful Losers" chronicles the art rebels of the '90s, fueled by punk, skateboarding, graffiti and trash culture. Now brought to you by Nike! <div class='nifad'><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=78fbcf6d84a5470dac0e03fca480ff36&u=300519111"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=78fbcf6d84a5470dac0e03fca480ff36&u=300519111" border="0"/></a></div>

are old enough to live their lives without us all the time. They all have jobs or are at university. So now we are taking the plunge and taking a exploratory trip to Ecuador for around 7 weeks to see and feel for ourselves.

This is the first of many pages for our new site as we will be adding to it as we travel, hopefully with lots of our own photos. We are very excited and looking forward to this new adventure and phase of our lives.

Hopefully we will bring you only happy and interesting news. While in Ecuador we will be doing a few courses on import/export, multi-currency investing and a couple of real estate tours.

Have a great day, week, month and year and hopefully you will enjoy our journey which starts on Sunday January 27th 2008.