Expat Life

“Love is all you need”. — John Lennon Photos and text by Robert Bradley A bedrock of Ecuadorian culture is devoted to family.  I see it daily. On almost every occasion when I ask if I may take a child’s photo, or ask a family to group together for a portrait, their willingness to share...
By Ed O’Connor If you receive a dinner invitation do you show up at the appointed hour or a few minutes before? Do that in Ecuador and you may find the hosts still in the shower. To arrive on time is considered rude here, as a matter of fact. Our first personal experience with this...
By Jean McCord The Cuencano couple and I sat in the back seat of a police crew cab pickup on the way to El Cajas National Park. Two National Police officers took the front seats. I got a laugh when I joked that everyone would think we civilians were in custody. Nine police officers, all...
In my previous column, I discussed the truth about how alcohol is metabolized (no, it doesn’t “turn into sugar”) and how to fix a hangover (prevention is a reliable strategy, “cures” not so much). Today’s column reviews some recent research about alcohol’s health benefits — or hazards. And for good measure, let’s discuss which alcoholic...
Hiking alone high in the Andean páramo amidst the knob and kettle formations of the Andes offers a unique sense of wildness. I don’t see footprints of domestic animals or the signs of the hand of man in many of the places I seek out. I always feel as if I could somehow time-warp into...
By Louis Bourgeois With two tries Catty became pregnant in May 2015. The reality and excitement of having our first baby, at 38 and 63, respectively, was intensified with the first ultrasound. We would be having a little girl. Catty and I explored names, first using some Spanish choices, Alexandra, Catty’s second name, leading the...
By Jonathan Look In 2011, at 50, I took early retirement from my job as an air traffic controller, left Texas and began traveling the world. Since then, with the exception of a few short visits back to see family, I’ve been hopping from bases as diverse as the Chiapas Highlands of Central Mexico to...
By Ray Horsley I’d like to share some Cuenca highlights, especially after my first post which was kind of negative about phone and internet problems. Others have written on the subject, but there are so many joys about this place for new arrivals I can’t help being drawn to share a few of my own...
By Robert Bradley You don’t really need to speak Spanish here. Place the emphasis on “need”. You will not starve, or inadvertently sign up for riding classes when you asked for reading glasses. However, you will not be able to join in the national discourse — or even the most common of civilities like asking...
My eye and I are ready for the surgery to remove the oil so I can once again have vision in both eyes. However, without mentioning it earlier, my doctor has decided to take a long overseas trip and if he does the surgery now, he won’t be available for the follow-up afterwards. So, I’ve...
By Ed O’Connor “Thar she blows, Cap’n.” If that sounds like something from Moby Dick by Herman Melville, your thoughts are headed in the right direction. Of course, if you were “educated” in today’s union controlled public school system you probably don’t have a clue as to what I refer — the reference is to...
Reporting on nutritional news is fraught with misinterpretation. One recent example was coffee. Headlines pronounced that drinking coffee prevents heart disease and stroke. Happily for those who dislike coffee, the study never suggested that people who don’t drink coffee are at higher risk. There could be some significant lifestyle factors that strengthen the association between...

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The Cuenca Dispatch

Week of March 24

“They are pressuring me to resign so they can remove me from office,” denounced Verónica Abad, Vice President of the Republic.

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Ecuador Navigates Economic Challenges with IMF Agreement Looming.

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“Since when does thinking differently mean being a traitor?” Pierina Correa questions in reference to the Tourism Law.

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