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The question was posed: OK, turn about is fair play! I have seen this same question about the Ecuador women asked, in one form or another, a few times, what about the men? I know they are of a macho culture, but how do they behave around women who are alone? For instance, as an example, my daughter and I feel that the men in the Bahamas are too ‘fresh’. They look at you too personally and make you feel a little uncomfortable.

My response:

It seems to be the same in all Latin American countries I think. For younger women, you might as well be a bitch in heat with a pack in pursuit, especially gringas. If you are 40 or over, it’s different in that the attention is far more courteous. You will get asked out all the time because Ecuadorian men seem to have a preference for gringas. Just find out if they’re married or not because that to them does not seem to interfere too much with flirting or sometimes even dating. Which in itself says just about all you need to know. Just developed my first crush yesterday…don’t know if he’s married or not, but I do consider that a rather important factor. (LOL) Seriously, married or not, the men here are so flirtatious.

Actually, I’ve been rather surprised at how many divorced people I have met here, both men and women, surprised because it sure seems rather acceptable for such a Catholic country.

I must say that, to me, the men in Ecuador are worlds more attractive than the men in other Latin American countries I’ve been to. Many are tall (rare in other countries) with chiseled faces thanks to indigenous ancestry. (Look at Correa) And many look like Al Pacino. I can remember about 5 men I found really attractive in Panama over 3.5 years and here, not a week goes by that someone doesn’t stand out. So from a ‘window shopping’ perspective, it’s an aesthetically pleasing place to live.

Personality wise, I’ve found a pattern emerging that the most attractive men…based purely on looks…tend to grow less attractive as I’ve gotten to know them. On the other hand, I can think of one man, definitely not bound for any GQ covers, who’s personality is just so incredible he grows more and more attractive as I’ve gotten to know him. Of course, we work together and he’s married with 5 children, so he’s pretty safe to adore. This approach, I believe, might be a striking difference between the sexes. No matter where you live.

One of the reasons (besides always been quick and painless) I love going to Immigration is that the cutest 25 year old cop tried to convince me that our age difference didn’t matter. Of course, he wouldn’t reveal his age for awhile, but when he finally did, I told him that if I had a daughter (since he’s my son’s age), I would introduce them. Added a thank you and that it would probably be the nicest thing that happened to me all day.

So that is typical of what you can expect from men here. Of course, I don’t know any women who would be comfortable with the May/Dec type relationships men seem to embrace so easily. Once heard the following that has stood the test of time: A man can grow to love a woman he’s attracted to. A woman can grow attracted to a man she loves.