Robert Bradley

The drive from the high valley of  Paute to the sprawling beaches of Ecuador’s central coast takes all day. We left a little after dawn and arrived just in time […]

There are few activities more satisfying than preparing dinner with music playing in the background, a glass of wine close at hand, and the satisfying aroma of the finishing product. […]

I enjoy walking around El Centro on Sunday mornings to surround myself in beauty while meandering quiet neighborhood streets. I often see whole families dressed for church, reminding me of […]

I had been living in Cuenca for four months when I submitted my first story to CuencaHighLife. That was 10 years ago; the best 10 years of my life. The […]

Diego (not his real name) arrived at the bus station nearly an hour before the 5 a.m. scheduled departure. He was too nervous to sleep. His entire family joined him, […]

Within a six-block radius of San Sebastian Plaza are two saddlers, at least five furniture makers, a knot of tailors, a sprinkle of goldsmiths, a colorful stained-glass studio, a thriving […]

I watched quietly as the swollen Paute River carted away dirt, stones, and scoured human debris from our recent historic rainstorm. It is a potent reminder that when absorbed in […]

I was hanging out in a coffeehouse on San Sebastian Plaza, one cheery morning last week, lingering over a second cafe con leche and marveling at the comings and goings […]

I recently had the pleasure of renewing my conversation with one of Cuenca’s most remarkable small business owners, Peter Strzga, owner and operator of Peter’s Delicatessen (a collaborative effort with […]

A friend of mine shared a good way to escape the congestion of Cuenca and see the countryside. He suggested I go on a tour of small towns served by […]

I was talking with a friend at a party recently who, after a few drinks, sheepishly blurted out, “I decided to move back to the US, or perhaps somewhere else. […]