So you finally did it: You quit your job, sold your home and bought a one way ticket somewhere south of the U.S/Mexico border; fast forward a couple months and you're living the so-called dream life somwhere near the Equator but it's not exactly the glamerous existence you'd been anticipating.

Inefficiency: Anyone who's ever tried applying for a business visa or gone through any other legal or immigration process in Latin America knows what I'm talking about. Person A sends you to person B who sends you back to person A who then sends you off to some remote office to talk to person C who then tells you your papers are all wrong and you'll have to start the process all over. It can be exasperating, so mentally prepare yourself for a long and arduous paperwork journey.

Quito's UNESCO-designated old town, founded by conquistador Sebastián de Belalcázar on August 15, 1534, is one of the western hemisphere's best-preserved colonial quarters and was once one of Latin America's most important cities.