Originally published May 11 2009
Guiding Principles for People Looking for Vilcabamba, Ecuador Real Estate
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
(NaturalNews) As news of Vilcabamba (the "Valley of Longevity") has spread, more and more people have expressed interest in potentially buying land in the valley, moving there and living in this natural paradise. Perhaps due to my own enthusiasm about the area, I am emerged as the key person attracting new potential residents to the area. In fact, I'm hosting a real estate tour in three days, plus another one in June that's already so booked up that I'm preparing for a third one in early August.
As an advocate of this area (and Ecuador in general), I've watched and learned a tremendous amount about how gringos (that's a polite term for "foreigners") interact with locals, shop for land, build communities and build their own homes. I've seen huge successes and big mistakes, too, but the most important thing I've noticed is that the kind of people being attracted to Vilcabamba are truly among the most amazing individuals on our planet.
These are people who have the wisdom, experience and intelligence to literally reinvent what it means to live in community. Living here, interacting with these people, I am getting a very strong sense that the Valley of Longevity is situated to become a very important "knowledge center" for the world. People routinely discuss advance ideas here about recycling, sustainable living, local food production, barter system economies and revolutionary approaches to money, medicine and all-important happiness.
Part of the success of this process is, I believe, the valley-wide realization that we are all interdependent. We need each other's skills, contributions and voices, and the more we can recognize and leverage each other's contributions, the more successful, abundant and happy we will all be. (This simple realization is often lost in large-scale cities or nations, where an individual can often feel "lost" in the masses.)
Along these lines of interdependence, I have been pondering for some time the creation of a statement of guiding principles for newcomers to Vilcabamba, Ecuador. This isn't a binding legal document, but rather a simple guide to the important principles that the vast majority of the gringos in Vilcabamba adhere to in one way or another.
I am now distributing this document to each person I take on a real estate tour in Vilcabamba, and I'm encouraging people to share this document with others. If you are considering coming to Vilcabamba for buying land or even just visiting, please read these guiding principles. If they don't click with you, Vilcabamba is probably not a good fit for you. But if these make good sense to you, you may indeed find yourself falling in love with this Andean paradise of Southern Ecuador.
Guiding Principles for Gringos Coming to Ecuador
#1) REMEMBER THAT WE ARE GUESTS IN THIS COUNTRY
Remember this at all times: We are the guests here, and we are only welcomed in Vilcabamba by the grace of the Ecuadorian locals and the Ecuadorian government. If we are bad guests, we will likely be asked to stop coming. But if we are good guests who contribute something valuable to the region, we will always be welcomed.
#2) TREAT LOCAL PEOPLE WITH RESPECT
As guests, we must always remember to treat the local people with great respect and humility. Even though we may bring far more money to the valley than the local people are capable of earning, we must not let money reduce us to economic "classes" of people. Give 'em rides in your truck if they need a ride. Help out the locals who are living in extreme poverty. Give money to expand the local library, or just buy more books for the children to read! Do something that shows your respect for the lives of the people who live here.
#3) LEARN THE LOCAL LANGUAGE
Speaking Spanish with the locals is a compliment to them and their culture. It shows you are willing to invest some of your own time to speak their language instead of insisting everybody speak yours. It also shows you are more "worldly" than a one-language gringo. You don't have to be fluent or anything (I'm not), but I've found that you can get by with quite good Spanish after just 100 hours of studying the language. And the locals greatly appreciate your efforts to speak with them in Spanish.
#4) CONSERVE NATURE, DON'T DESTROY IT
Vilcabamba is a gorgeous valley full of natural life. Help keep it that way by avoiding the destruction of nature. Do NOT cut trees just to "clear" a piece of land after buying it. Only build with consideration for the trees already present on your property. Or if you have to remove one, compensate by planting ten new ones (at least!).
#5) DEAL WITH YOUR OWN SH!T
Literally. Septic systems in Vilcabamba are often not constructed according to standards you might find in the U.S. If you build in Vilcabamba, consider a composting toilet. Design your home with a grey water system so that grey water goes out to your garden or marsh area. Don't use toxic chemicals that get flushed down the drain. (Skin care products, pharmaceuticals, etc.) All that stuff ends up in somebody else's water sooner or later. Or perhaps even your own water!
Deal with your sewage in an environmentally responsible way, even if it costs you a bit extra to build it. Your (downstream) neighbors will greatly appreciate it.
#6) CONTRIBUTE TO THE COMMUNITY
Most of the progressive-minded gringos living in Vilcabamba make regular donations to important causes in either Vilcabamba or the town of San Pedro. In fact, through the cooperation of gringos here, I've now been able to raise more than $15,000 that's being spent right now on student scholarships for local students who are literally dirt poor. We are buying them books, clothes and paying their school tuition.
And that's just the beginning: One group in town, led by gringos, is teaching recycling and organic gardening. Another property developer helped build a school classroom. My own organic garden has been a source of free vegetables for the locals in town, and as our fruit trees start producing, we'll be making regular donations to the local version of a "food bank."
If you live in Vilcabamba, you owe it to the community to give something back, in my opinion. We all do. This valley gives us so much, it's not asking much to give something back to the locals.
#7) DON'T USE CHEMICALS ON THE LAND
There's no need to use pesticides to grow abundant gardens in Vilcabamba. I've never used a single chemical on my organic garden, and it is fast becoming one of the most renowned private gardens in Southern Ecuador, producing huge quantities of vegetables. It's now even starting to produce quantities of berries, papayas and babaco fruits. This required no chemicals whatsoever. I've used neem oil, seaweed extracts, organic fertilizers and my own worm-enabled composting (vermiculture). Works like a charm.
Remember this: Any chemicals you use ultimately get washed into your own water system. Essentially, everything you dump onto the land comes back around to your own doorstep.
#8) DON'T ASSIGN YOUR HOME COUNTRY EXPECTATIONS TO LIFE IN VILCABAMBA
Life in Vilcabamba is slower than what you might be used to. That's not a defect. It's a bonus. Learn to go with the flow and your heart will thank you. Don't expect a drive-through Starbucks on every street corner (thank goodness!). Don't expect a Wal-Mart in town. They aren't there. Don't expect perfect carpentry. It's very good, and quite artistic, but it's not perfect down to the millimeter.
Ecuador is a whole different country. It's not modeled on America or Canada. It has its own culture, driving habits, fascinating fiestas and food safety standards. This is not America, and the sooner you let go of any expectation that it should be, the happier you'll be here.
#9) BE NICE TO YOUR FELLOW GRINGOS
Getting along with your gringo neighbors is just as important as getting along with the locals. If you have a disagreement, don't leap to threatening a lawsuit. Make an effort to work things out, face to face. If you make a mistake, apologize for it and make amends. Treat people the way you wish to be treated yourself. Because in Vilcabamba, like in any small town, whatever you put out comes right back to you.
#10) BE THE KIND OF NEIGHBOR YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE
Gandhi said we should be the change we wish to see in the world. The same is true in the Valley of Longevity: Be the neighbor you wish to see in the valley! If you're a greedy-assed bastard river polluter who rips people off and lies to everybody, then that's exactly the same kind of energy you'll receive in return. On the other hand, if you honor your word, and treat people with respect, and make the long-term community impact a higher priority than your own short-term benefit, then you'll be part of a growing paradise that will pay you back with rich rewards for many years to come.
Nobody's perfect, but it's the pattern of behavior you set that will determine how people ultimately treat you in the long run.
All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing LLC takes sole responsibility for all content. Truth Publishing sells no hard products and earns no money from the recommendation of products. NaturalNews.com is presented for educational and commentary purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice from any licensed practitioner. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. For the full terms of usage of this material, visit www.NaturalNews.com/terms.shtml