![]() ![]() One shows the map view with street names, the second is a picture of the target home’s front gate. I take two pictures of the laptop screen for our cab driver. An address search with InstantStreetView quickly gives us a moveable, street level panoramic view of the narrow lane - of course, the homes are not numbered. This time, we’re looking for a cooking class held in a private home in north Cuenca. ![]() It’s been a long trip down a wide digital road.Īs my wife Dee and I prepare to leave our condo for another day of adventure in Cuenca, we follow a now familiar routine. It all sits on a massive server farm originally paid for by US taxpayers. It also works for locating hidden restaurants and offices, counting stray dogs on the street, checking for a noisy bus station next to your rental, finding all the livestock in your neighborhood, discovering obscure craft markets, searching out possible real estate bargains, and reviewing local wall art. Thankfully, the internet age has brought Ecuador expats and wannabes a new tool for bursting real estate bubbles. Cuenca is now their destination of choice. They spent a weekend roaming Quito’s adjacent neighborhoods - all while sitting at home in Idaho. Instead, Shelley and Phil saw a digital 360 degree, high definition panorama display, shot every 12 meters, up and down all the streets surrounding the condo development. Floor plan drawings are good, but location, location, location is crucial. The cold breeze of scrutiny began to blow. It’s the “worth a thousand words” idea, upgraded for the modern internet age. So, in lieu of my advice about waiting and renting, I did what real friends do these days, I sent them my favorite link. Where exactly is this place? What does that part of Quito look like?” If only they had a few pictures of the neighborhood, just to get a feel for the area. “Have you given them a deposit? No? Good. I hate being the bucket of cold water, but some questions had to be asked. Which condo? InstantStreetView reduces surprises. ![]()
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