By John Keeble One of Cuenca’s most respected American residents has been caught in an agonizing health trap that is a warning to every expat. Jean McCord, well-known in writing and church circles, has been left, through no fault of her own, with only the generosity...
By Jeremiah Reardon A favorite expression of my Irish American mother went, “It’s a wonderful life if you don’t weaken.” A native of Coaldale, Pennsylvania, Genevieve’s family relocated to Millville, New Jersey, to find work during the coal strike of 1902. They rented...
By Jeremiah Reardon Cuenca just celebrated its two hundred and second year of independence from Spain. Founded in 1557 the Spanish built its churches on the ruins of Incan temples. As nine-year expat residents, my wife Belinda and I note how proud Cuencanos are, a...
By Stephen Vargha Cuenca is becoming a jazz lover’s paradise. But it was a desert for jazz not long ago. “Ten years ago, it was difficult to find jazz in this city,” said Christian Torres. “Cuencanos did not know what jazz was all about.” The 41-year-old Cuencano...
Are you interested in learning more about healthy farming practices in the Cuenca area? The Azuay provincial government is offering a free half-day tour for expats to a small farm west of Cuenca. The tour also includes a visit to Tienda Campesino in El Centro that...
By Stephen Vargha A native of Cuenca turned what was once a vacant lot on the south end of Av. Fray Vicente Solano into a thriving weekend market for secondhand goods. “There were 65 families working in the streets before I bought the property,” said 72-year-old Jorge...
By Heather Kelly Too much screen time is something we usually associate with children and young people. We think of little kids watching hours of CoComelon on iPads, or teens who would rather be absorbed in video games or YouTube than talk about their day. But there...
Editor’s note: This is Part 2 of a 3-part series, Conscious Living. So we ended the first segment of this series with the question: "Is it true?" Is it true that Claus Schwab, World Economic Forum and The Great Reset are representatives of evil? Or is it possible that...
Editor’s note: This is Part 1 of a three-part series about Conscious Living. It is vital to begin by saying that each of us hears the "call for the master." It is hard-wired into our genetic code. Now it is highly likely that this call is never answered, as our...
By Stephen Vargha Ecuador has the oldest evidence of chocolate ever being used. And the country – especially Cuenca – has some of the youngest people making quality chocolates. Michael Blake, an archaeologist at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada,...
By Dr. Donald Smith So how do you reduce or eliminate problems before they happen when it comes to building or home improvement projects, now that you're living in Ecuador. Consider it advice to expats who, on the one hand, seek high quality performance and value...
By Stacey Colino As you gaze across the rows of brightly colored fruits and vegetables in the produce section of the grocery store, you may not be aware that the quantity of nutrients in these crops has been declining over the past 70 years. Mounting evidence from...
Last week I boarded the bus from Loja to Vilcabamba during peak afternoon hours. It was crowded with weary commuters and students munching chatara. The aisle was free but the seats were jammed. I had a fifty minute ride ahead of me and was nursing a knee injury. I’ve...
By Deke Castleman Heading southwest from Cuenca on the road to Machala and Loja, you leave the city behind fairly quickly and enter the ranch country of the Tarqui Valley, with cattle grazing on rich green grass and the Andes towering over everything. You pass a...
Editor’s note: This is the second of a three-part series about a grassroots volunteer project in Cuenca to create the most modern and sustainable animal shelter in Ecuador and address the country’s pain of abused, abandoned and neglected street dogs. By Rosemary Rein...
By Don Smith One of the problems most gringos have when they enter another country -- aside from learning the basics of a new language -- is deciding whether to adapt to the new culture or, to try to change it. Trying to change it to something we are more comfortable...
Editor's note: This is the first of a three-part series about a grassroots volunteer project in Cuenca to create the most modern and sustainable animal shelter in Ecuador and address the country’s pain of abused, abandoned and neglected street dogs. Our perfect...
Editor’s note: This is Part 4 of a five-part series, the Five Faces of Freedom, recounting the author’s reflections on turning 70. Part 1 focused on Freedom from the Past, Part 2, on Freedom from the Future, Part 3, Freedom from the World and Part 4, Freedom from the...
By Michael F. Roizen, M.D. Take a moment to visualize your favorite place in the world that requires you to walk up an incline. Maybe it’s the Spanish Steps in Rome or the Potala Palace in Tibet. Or maybe it’s a serene hill in your local park. Or the top row of your...
Editor’s note: This is Part 4 of a five-part series, the Five Faces of Freedom, recounting the author’s reflections on turning 70. Part 1 focused on Freedom from the Past, Part 2, on Freedom from the Future, Part 3, Freedom from the World. Human beings are a...
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