Posts:
By Liam Higgins According to Quito attorney Gustavo Martinez, too many North American expats consider filing a law suit before they try to resolve problems personally or through mediation. “In Ecuador, legal action is always a last resort, not a starting point,” says...
Perhaps I did not understand the remark correctly. He said, “I am moving away from Cuenca because the weather here is ‘getting old’.” I wondered what he meant but readily agreed that the mysteries of weather are older than unseen clouds drifting over an unpeopled...
By Sylvan Hardy If you want to stir up a spirited discussion among Ecuador expats, bring up the subject of tipping. Ask what you should leave the waitress, the tour guide, the baggage handler, or the maid, and you’ll likely get as many answers are there are expats in...
Dear Paulee, I saw my first condors gliding high over Chican last weekend; they were scanning the valleys of grassland often full of bubbly clouds spilling over the high country of Amazonia and gliding down a patchwork of meadows heading towards Cuenca. I am already...
By Chris Hippi Traveler The phrase “expat life” is similar to the word “travel” in the sense that they both conjure up romantic images of far-off destinations. They hint of the sights and sounds of unusual cultures. They promise excitement at saying your first short...
The most regretful people on earth are those who felt the call to creative work, who felt their own creative power restive and uprising and gave to it neither power nor time. — Mary Oliver Sarah HB was raised under the prayer flags of big skies, glaciated mountains,...
By Liam Higgins Jerry Gilliam has lived in seven countries for 27 years and calls himself a "student of innocence abroad and the lack thereof." Gilliam, who currently lives and blogs in Singapore, is working on a book about his experiences living overseas that will...
By Tamara Hardingham-Gill There's no denying that going on vacation has become a lot more complicated due to Covid-19. Well over a year into the pandemic, border restrictions are still constantly changing as new variants emerge, while PCR and antigen tests have become...
“You can’t escape. Your heart will be broken, too.” This was how Jake introduced himself as he slumped against my table. It was a balmy evening, the cafe was full as he crumbled into one of the last available chairs. He went on: “I have never been married, other than...
Word filtered down from North America that the U.S. is spinning out of control, flinging folks into a maelstrom of frenzy and gunfire. I was told that mass murder is treated with the same importance as a mass transit accident: what a shame and too bad. I was warned...
By C. Michael White Different people taking the same drug can have markedly different responses to the same dose. While many people will get the intended effects, some may get little to no benefit, and others may get unwanted side effects. As a pharmacist who...
By Stephen Vargha Cuenca has been called the “Arts Capital of Ecuador,” and some say the city is an “Up-And-Coming Arts Capital of South America.” It seems more and more artists are flocking to Cuenca. That includes J.W. Marshall. The 65-year-old from Atlanta, Georgia...
Dear Readers, I flew from Cuenca to Quito to Miami to Hartford on a clear and lovely day last week. Although I wished for nothing more than a giddy celebration, I knew there would be a sobering downside, too. I had been told repeatedly that the U.S. has changed in...
By Leita Hulmes My name is Leita Hulmes, and I volunteer with the Ecuadorian foundation Hearts of Gold (HofG). Of their many programs, one that touched my heart is the program called “All Children Deserve to Dream”. Every child deserves to dream, but in Ecuador...
By John Keeble A major mural painting project spanning two barrios in the west of Cuenca has taken another step forward and the final phase is likely to begin in two weeks. It is a cooperative venture between the communities of Convención Del 45 and Tandacatu...
There are many who hold Johnny Jara in esteem for his prowess in writing and publishing, others for his visionary talent in architectural design, and many others who enjoy his knowledgeable perspective on the arts in Ecuador. Those who know him best describe him as...
By Kate Springer As variants spell a new chapter for the pandemic, some countries have accepted COVID-19 as a fact of life and eased restrictions, while others have doubled down on a zero-COVID model with stringent lockdown and quarantine measures. In Asia-Pacific,...
By Steven Petrow Soon after my 50th birthday, 10 years ago, I started keeping a list of “Things I will do/things I won’t do when I get old.” It was a highly judgmental, and super secret, accounting of all the things I thought my parents were doing wrong. My dad lied...
The sky thinks it has a squabble of seagulls in its sight, but then quickly realizes that this is not the coast and that these are not seabirds; this is Paute, and what is flying is a single cloud, born high in the Andes, discharged in the night, and drifting downwind...
By Jan Dynes Books were the stepping stones of my life. They became each decade’s touch stones and they formed me. My choices were an education that allowed me to become and embrace being everything from a reigning queen to being a slave, angry militant, migrant...
Week of September 20
Ecuador turns to industrial power cuts to protect Mazar and keep homes from going dark.
Ecuador raises its 2026 growth forecast, but El Niño could spoil the outlook next year.
Cuenca retirees challenge medical and therapy changes at IESS senior center.
