By Alexi Cohan Many recovered coronavirus patients can struggle with lingering fatigue, shortness of breath and chest pain long after they have beaten the deadly virus, which worsens their quality of life, a recent study found. “We know that the reason Covid can be so bad is the uncontrolled inflammation,” said Dr. Shira Doron, infectious […]
Editor’s note: This the second in a series, Medical Emergencies and End of Life in Cuenca. To read part 1, click here. By Miriam Drake As the caregiver for my stroke surviving husband, I learned as we went along how things work or don’t in Cuenca. Here are a few good things for you to […]
By Jessica Craig I’ve been stranded in Kenya since March, trying to get a “repatriation” flight to return home to the United States. I was finally able to book a flight but I’m still not sure I’ll be able to board at the scheduled departure time – a week from Saturday. Not only are cancellations […]
By Jaime Moreno Do you know what is the difference between politics and science? Our understanding is that science requires evidence, coping with uncertainty, weighting efficacy and safety. Whereas politics aspires for certainty, resulting in a true fight between the deductive and the inductive methods, with humanity in the middle. I, as a physician, must […]
By Miriam Drake It is challenging, anywhere in the world to care for a husband whose health has deteriorated to the point that he cannot speak, one side of the body is completely paralyzed, and he has no sensations in his core. In Cuenca, Ecuador it is beyond challenging. All the systems here are designed […]
By Jan Dynes Blessed was I to grow up with fine literature at my fingertips in Nana’s Chippendale desk. It stood polished and majestic and yet also oozed dust motes of past brilliance from long deceased poets, playwrights and novelists, dripping of a more romantic and yet brutal past too, enthralled by the rich leather-bound […]
By Liam Higgins As the world slowly reopens from the Covid-19 pandemic, expats are asking, “What does this mean for us? Will life become more difficult for us? Will health and immigration policies become more complicated?” And just as important: “Will a lot of expats go back to their home countries?” Faron Masters, international insurance […]
Mid-afternoon, a couple of weeks or so ago, found me strolling near Mercado Diez de Agosto in Cuenca, Ecuador. I’ve shopped there on numerous occasions and was parched so in and upstairs I went for something to slake my thirst. As the cold batido of freshly blended strawberries, bananas and milk washed the dust from […]
By Elizabeth Chang Americans are angry. The country erupted into the worst civil unrest in decades after the death of George Floyd, and anger about police violence and the country’s legacy of racism is still running high. At the same time, we’re dealing with anger provoked by the coronavirus pandemic: anger at public officials because […]
By Marcelo Rochabrun Bankrupt LATAM Airlines and Avianca Holdings are dramatically retrenching their once grand ambitions amid the COVID-19 pandemic, reducing competition in Latin America as they mull once-unthinkable cooperation with rivals. Since May, LATAM has exited Argentina, partnered with rival Azul SA in Brazil and cut back domestic operations in Chile, while Avianca has […]
By Miriam Drake Someday I will live here. For now, I visit as often as possible. Why do I visit this remote natural area with no shopping malls, very few paved roads, few cars, and few people? There is no direct route to the Amazon jungle. You take a plane or two, a van and […]
Editor’s note: This is the story of Jane and Steve Miner’s experience with Covid-19 in May/June 2020. Some of you will have already followed their journey as documented on Facebook. They were both fortunate to have had very mild cases and feel that, as more knowledge about this virus unfolds, it is important that we […]
By Chuck Bolotin As the founder of Best Places in the World to Retire, I’ve heard many of our expat contributors say that one reason they moved abroad was to “reinvent” themselves. And based on what they’ve told me, I’d say it’s easier to reinvent yourself living abroad than while you’re living in the United […]
