As Mike Tyson said, “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” Ours remained valid until a magnitude 7.8 destroyed much of the coast.

The lot we purchased from Hola Ecuador was a first real step toward retirement. In two years, we would have a villa on the Pacific coast of Ecuador.

That evening, we watched Manta retreat behind us as the sun set over the ocean. I felt a sincere pang of regret for leaving too soon.

We saw the colonial city from a bus window. The rest is a haze of roadside trash, black belches of diesel exhaust, and dour-looking barrios.

Our excursion guide told us we were in luck: we had arrived at the very end of their rainy season. Otherwise, it poured all the time.