Expat Life

By Mark & Debi Cheslik Debi and I spent four months preparing our travel plans to Ecuador. Not an easy task when you consider we had to condense a house-full of “stuff” down to 10 suit cases. I attempted to leave no stone unturned in developing the perfect plan that would transport us from the...

By Bill Scott Years ago when I made the decision to become a professional musician, my father gave me some words of wisdom that I have never forgotten. He said: Just remember there are all different types of musicians in the world. All great players are not necessarily great artists. As my career progressed, I...

Clowns are cool; or, are they really just creepy? There are all kinds of clowns and, just like people, they each have their own look and personality. There are circus clowns and rodeo clowns, and the list continues. Some have strange colored wigs and big, long shoes. Others have parasols that are much too small...

By David Wallis  Some call themselves “senior gypsies.” Others prefer “international nomad.” David Law, 74, a retired executive recruiter who has primarily slept in tents in several countries in the last two years, likes the ring of “American Bedouin.” They are American retirees who have downsized to the extreme, choosing a life of travel over...

As we completed introductions and I turned to go to our room, the ornate crystal chandelier caught me just above the left eyebrow. Both my hat and luggage hit the floor as I struggled to steady the shaking light fixture. Our host looked on with a smiling, shocked expression. For the first time I heard...

North of Cuenca, lie a few small, sparsely populated villages and hamlets. Out past there, the Andes rise quickly from the tendrils of their ghostly mist, partially shrouded by late afternoon sheets of rain. A small hole opens in the sky allowing several beams of light to pierce the heavy veil of the clouds. The...

By Lee Dubs When Carol and I sold the Carolina Bookstore a few weeks ago after spending eleven years building it from a tiny shop with a few shelves and a handful of books in English into a large store with about 12,000 volumes in a dozen languages, a frequently asked question was, “Why did...

By Rut Román While growing up in the United States in the 60’s, my first encounter with a Library Bus defined my choices in life. At age 57, a tenured Latin American literature professor recently returned to Ecuador, I found myself in the center of the catastrophic earthquake that hit Manabi. Surrounded by children whose...

Here’s a broad brush-stroke of a statement: I have a knowledgeable command of photography and humankind. I know what the ingredients of a well crafted photograph are and I know what the eye and also the heart are drawn to. Saddle up with me for a second, we’ll be taking a little ride right through...

Editor’s note: This is the last of a four-part series about vegetarian and vegan dining and shopping options in Cuenca. To read previous articles in the series, click part one, part two, and part three. Text and photos by John Keeble Ingredients and products suitable for vegetarians and vegans (veg*ns) can be found in dozens...

Editor’s note: This is the third of a four-part series about vegetarian and vegan dining and shopping options in Cuenca. To read part one and two, click here and here. Text and photos by John Keeble Holly Shrader finds that being a vegetarian in Cuenca is easy. She asks for a vegetarian option in any...