Hey there my Steemit friends! Mercado Este is one of my favorite markets in Guayaquil Ecuador. The food is fresh and they keep the place organized and clean. The vendors are very friendly and are always happy to give you a little something extra and with a smile as well.
Here with me in the photo is Luise. I got into a long conversation with him in Spanish. Real nice guy. He's from the city of Loja high in the Andes but has been working at this market for the past dozen years. He says he likes his life. He has family in the United States and has had the opportunity to move there himself but he says he prefers the laid back life he has here Ecuador.
He went on to explain that even though Ecuador is a poor country most people including himself have everything they need if they simply work. He said that there are other countries that are much poorer than Ecuador, he is proud to be Ecuadorian and he enjoys his life selling chickens at the market. His friends are all here and he doesn't need fancy things to be happy.
Luise asked me what I do for work I told him that I used to teach English but now I'm a travel writer. He went on to explain that the high school down the road is looking for an English teacher and that I should apply for the job, and he was sure they'd hire me in a heart beat.
I thanked him for the info, as I didn't want to get into how that would be the most Un-Travel Pro thing I could do at this point in my Travel Pro Life! Besides that I know Ecuador is one of the worst places on the planet to teach ESL. They pay horribly and the kids are not interested in learning, the classes have too many students, and it's next to impossible to maintain order in the classroom.
Compared to most Asian countries it's an awful deal. As far as I'm concerned South Korea is really the best place to teach English as a Second Language (ESL). Teaching here would be one big horrible job of stress and taking orders from a boss for like $400 dollars a month! I'm sure this has a lot to do with why they can't fill the position.
I've met several ESL teachers from the United States working here in Ecuador. They were all miserable, over worked, and getting paid so little they didn't know how to survive on their measly income. Things were so bad for this one girl her parents would send her money so she could eat once her $350 a month ran out. This was in Quito, the capital. I asked her why she took the job. "I wanted to teach ESL in Ecuador." Kind of fails to answer the question, but I guess some people are less thought out than others.
Not only is teaching Guayaquil stressful and pay very little. If you are forced to live off this small bit of money you will have no choice but to live in a rather poor part of the city. This is very dangerous for a "gringo". As your immediate neighbors may accept you after a while but just being in and around these parts of town on a daily basis is very dangerous.
If you are white, or just have a western appearance this instantly makes you a target to gang members, thieves, and criminals. This city has plenty of that. So spending much of your time in these areas totally raises your risk of getting robbed if not worse. You may be a humble English teacher, poor, living on your $400 dollars a month salary teaching English at the high school. But in their eyes, you are a rich "Gringo" and a prime target to rob or kidnap and hold for ransom.
That sounds like a nightmare. If you are kidnapped they will demand your family sends them thousands of dollars, and they'll take the money and still likely kill you and dump your body in the river. This is no joke. I've heard stories of this happening. I've met people who have taught here in Guayaquil, and spent a lot of time commuting to and from not the best areas. They have all been robbed! All of them, several multiple times.
One person I met has been living here for years and just thinks of it as no big deal. "This year I only god robbed twice, last year it was three times." Like it's to be expected and part of life. So I highly recommend not teaching English in this city. Quite frankly I would never live here in Guayaquil and I'm surprised how much time I've spent here. But I've just been in my hotel for the most part working on my computer and I'll soon be in the Galapagos then down to Peru.
As you can see it was probably best I didn't get into the details of why I wasn't interested in the job what so ever. However Luis is a real nice guy and we have become friends. We chat several times a week when I visit the market. Now come along and let's take a look at where Luise has made a career for himself over the last twelve years here at Mercado Este in Guayaquil Ecuador!
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