Expat Life

By Wendy Jane Carrel Moving to Ecuador? Already here and planning another move? Below are 12 housing recommendations with an eye to long-term health and safety no matter your age. These guidelines are not just Ecuador or Cuenca specific, but for wherever you choose to live. Choose a home or building with easy access, concrete...

By Viktoria Vidali High-school and family reunions, alumni gatherings, birthdays, anniversaries, cultural holidays, or the chance meeting with an old friend—such are life events in which we retell stories and relive experiences we have in common. On these social occasions, it seems second nature to compare what we and others remember about our shared past....

By Susan Schenck Most people are aware that they need to cut back on sugar, or at least choose their poison carefully. Sugar is so bad for the health of the body and brain that nowadays, doctors are even calling Alzheimer’s “type 3 diabetes.” Unhealthful sugars stimulate insulin, the hormone whose main message is “Store...

British citizen James Jackson, 71, does not have the right to vote in his home country, a victim of a law preventing Britons from voting at home once they’ve lived out of the country for 15 years. The British law is not unique and other countries, including the U.S., are considering legislation that would deny...

By Karla Freeman Now that you’re an expat, how do you plan a life in Cuenca? Do you try to do the same things you did in your home country? Or, do you understand the need to adapt? For some advice, let’s turn to Paul Simon’s 1975 song “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover,” which...

By Wendy Jane Carrel From Paris to Muscat, and Guadalajara to Zanzibar, I’ve enjoyed finding my first meal of the day. When I visited Cuenca 20 years ago, and then again on my return three years ago, the choice was simple, either my place of lodging or other hotels. No log cabin breakfasts, breakfast in...

By Viktoria Vidali Editor’s note: Viktoria Vidali has been a piano teacher, publisher, TV and documentary producer, photographer, and executive director of an environmental and educational nonprofit organization. Her first children’s book, Francisco and Gabriel’s Blue Moon Adventure, a magical tale of two brothers, is available on Amazon. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area...

By Alison Steed Austria’s capital Vienna offers the world’s best quality of life according to the latest research, with European cities dominating the top 10. International employment consultants Mercer considered everything from political stability to health care, transportation and culture when choosing the world’s top locations for its quality of living rankings. Vienna is in...

By Julie Freeman I had never heard of the term “part-time expat” until recently. In my mind, one would be either permanent expatriate … or not.  But it seems the “six-months / six-months” scenario is becoming quite accepted, and that the nomenclature is being commonly used. And I believe it to be a significant shift in...

By Karla Freeman When I arrived in Cuenca and began scouting grocery stores, I walked around wondering, “Where is my Trader Joe’s? I miss getting everything I need in one familiar place.” These days, I go to my friends’ Yanni’s and Tonya’s and Ken’s take out, called Tienda Nectar (Bengino Malo 12-27) and get fresh,...

by Larry Schunk This is a hidden gem that serves a terrific lunch buffet for just $3.75. Alma Bendita means Blessed Soul and I find this place a blessing indeed! The address below gets you to the front door. From there, you have to proceed down the hall and up the stairs to the second...