Roaming South America

Tosagua, Ecuador

December 7, 2022

Tosagua, Ecuador: a nothing-special, completely forgettable agricultural town of around 11,000 people. The area has been inhabited since long before the Spanish conquistadors arrived in 1534, but the town didn't become an official town until the 20th century. A little more of its history: in 1917 there was an outbreak of bubonic plague that decimated the population. Then in 1935 a giant fire just about wiped out the whole place. 1984 the city was finally founded. Then in 1998 there was a 5.7 earthquake on August 4 at 12:35pm which was followed by a 7.1 earthquake at 2pm. The city was hugely effected by those, as were just about every town and city in the western Ecuador. As for the weather: average daily highs are 31° C (87° F) and average nightly lows are 23° C (73° F).

So, my impressions: Totally and completely forgettable. Nothing of interest here. Don't bother staying any longer than it takes to eat a meal or use a cash machine. Just pass this town by.

This is my goal: to find a new place to live. So to reach that goal I am traveling most of South America, visiting the countries of Ecuador, Perú, Bolivia, Chile, passing through Argentina, visiting Paraguay, passing through a bit of Brazil, and finally visiting Uruguay. I have a list of towns, about 70 towns, that meet these qualifications: Cities with average day temperatures of 22-28°C (72-83°F) and night temps of 14°C (57°F) and higher; and a population between 28,000-300,000 (preferably under 100,000). I analyzed climage and population data of around 700 towns in the above mentioned countries then pulled out the ones that meet the previously mentioned criteria, which leaves about 70. My preference leans towards towns of less than 100,000 people. Of the 70 towns about 20 have populations of 100,000 - 300,000. And, now that I've been here on the coast for a few days I've decided I will probably want a town more inland. I love the beach and walking in the warm water, but, getting sunburned is just too easy, even on a cloudy day. At least, here in Ecuador.

Next up: Portoviejo.