By Michael Littmann With all the nasty fighting and name-calling by gringos offering their “expert opinions” of IESS’ new pricing structure in the CuencaHighLife comments section, I am somewhat surprised that no one has made reference to the quality of health care provided by the system. In my “expert” opinion, it is garbage. I came […]
By Jonathan Look Living your retirement abroad can be an immensely rewarding experience. I know; I’ve been doing it since I left my U.S. home, at 50, three years ago to begin my early retirement traveling around the world. But there are four things to keep in mind before you make the leap (I wish […]
By Deke Castleman The concept of punctuality is one distinct example of the differences between the Ecuadorian and North American cultures. Most expats tend to be compulsively prompt and even, by Latin American standards, ridiculously early. Ecuadorians, by contrast, are much looser about being “on time.” A couple years ago, a big event for expats […]
Before I get started on gout, a quick update to my June 29 column about joint pain and osteoarthritis. One reader commented that injected oxygen-ozone (ozone gas injections), is a recognized and unrestricted therapy for osteoarthritis in some countries including Spain, Russia, Cuba, and Germany, where ozone was first discovered and isolated. The research is […]
Guillermo had never liked being told what to do. He only liked doing the telling. All who knew him knew this about him. If they didn’t, then they came to know his rage, as poisonous and swift as any Mamba bite. When he was little, his mamá had grated on him with her shrill voice […]
On a recent Sunday I was on my usual walk along the Rio Tomebamba when I was stopped by three young people, characteristically nervous. Sure enough, they were college students wanting or, perhaps having to, interview a gringo for a class assignment. The young woman’s English seemed pretty good so I sat down on a […]
By Kathleen Peddicord You may be surprised to learn of the two biggest expenses expats often face. Most of us think of rent. Food and entertainment. Taxes maybe. But, in my experience, many expats spend more on two other expenses. These two expenses rarely show up in cost summaries for destinations abroad, and they rarely […]
Just because a little of something is good, is more of it even better? What should we do with the new research showing that vitamin D3 supplements are twice as effective as vitamin D2? Should we all take “more?” How much is enough? When does too much become dangerous? First, what exactly are vitamins and […]
By Robert Bradley Cuenca is a musical city. Within a five block radius of my home there are two saddlers, at least three cabinetmakers, a couple tailors, a few jewelers, a thriving farmers market, more bakeries than I can count and twice as many restaurants. People are busy cobbling shoes, repairing refrigerators and upgrading computers. […]
Our friends from Quebec City, a town not known for its long, leisurely summers, don’t ever put away their gas grill. Come rain, sun, snow, or ice (there’s a LOT of ice in Quebec City!) they’re grilling. Like many folks, they crave the taste of foods cooked over an open fire. To them it’s a taste of summer. […]
