Expat Life

By Robert Bradley We are in the cloud factory, where storms are fermented and barreled down the valleys, knocking thunder and spilling water. We are afloat on a bay of cloud exposing island domes growing tussock grasses and páramo. We are enveloped in a cool alpine...

As a member of the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics, I’m privileged to have as colleagues some of the most accomplished Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) in the world! Our guest columnist this week is Mark A. Mahoney, PhD, RDN.  Mark has spent his entire...

Story and Photos by Bartley D’Alfonso If you were to ask me who one of my real-life heroes is, without hesitation I would name naturalist and preservationist John Muir (1838 - 1914), founder of the Sierra Club in 1892. Yep, I’m one of those nature loving tree-huggers...

By Miriam Drake, M.Ed., N.C.C. When my husband and I moved to Cuenca in 2011, our plan was to create a new, fun, life adventure together. Medical emergencies, incapacitation, and end of life never even entered our minds. In other words, we were completely unprepared...

“Gringo Midnight.” The phrase caught me off guard and I cut a glance at Tony, wondering where he’d scored his latest descriptive term. “Yeah, that’s 9:30 p.m. here in Cuenca,” he announced. I got a pretty good laugh from his humor as it struck close to home for both...

By Robert Bradley I have long held that serendipity and Cuenca are well-traveled companions. So, it was no surprise to me as I walked through Parque Calderon on Monday morning, to run into an acquaintance just as I was thinking about stopping for cafe con leche. She...

Like many of you, I’ve been advised to take calcium supplements. With health insurance what it is (and was when my employer provided health insurance), every couple of years my company would change coverage, and I’d have to change doctors to stay in “network.”  As I...

What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.                                                ~ Zig Ziglar New Year’s resolutions are a time-honored tradition, often a promise to do something better next year. The...

I love kids so I really like to see them in action as the stars of many parades they are participants in. They all seem to have their moods just like their adult counterparts running the full gamut from boredom to completely flipping out over their event. The...

We don't do Thanksgiving here in Cuenca but our Christmas is spectacular. My apartment is on a section of the Tomebamba River that is festooned with a string of blue lights across the river every 75 feet or so and this year they have added fish, frogs and ducks. The...

As 2017 draws to a close, I’m reflecting back on our third year in Cuenca. I never get tired of my early morning walks on the Tomebamba, but lately since we’ve moved downtown, I’m mixing it up with walks in the city. I love the sunrises in Cuenca — the early morning...

The Way It Is There is a thread you follow. It goes among Things that change. But it doesn’t change. Tragedies happen; people get hurt Or die; and you suffer and get old. While you hold it you can’t get lost You have to explain about the thread But it is hard for...

Body Temperature Have you ever wondered how 98.6° Fahrenheit or 37° Centigrade became “normal” body temperature? In the 1850’s, a German physician named Carl Wunderlich collected data on 25,000 patients, taking their temperature multiple times. Wunderlich was the...

Change is inevitable, that’s for sure. I think it’s how it is dealt with that’s the issue at stake. I’m afraid that I often do what I set out not to do. As the years have passed, I find I have to be more vigilant of certain responses I have to change. It’s a very...

This week, I had the pleasure to visit with an iconic Ecuadorian artist, Gustavo López Moreno, at his El Centro gallery on Luis Cordero at Honorato Vasquez. We had a great time. He’s a simple, unassuming man, considering his talent and experience, and he likes to joke...

Are you one of the many consumers that have heard that the mineral magnesium is important for good health — but are not sure why? If so, you’re not alone. A recent survey shows that 90% of U.S. consumers are aware of magnesium, but 70% don’t know the specific health...

By Liam Higgins Cuenca's municipal transit authority estimates that more than 500 foreign residents 65 and older purchased pre-paid city bus cards in 2017 at the discounted rate of 12 cents per ride. Full fare is 25 cents. "It's a fabulous deal that proves age has its...

Are you still confused about the “best” and “worst” fats? Are low-fat diets best for weight loss? Or is that old news? Myths “Fats” is not a four-letter word signifying obesity; fats are essential components of a healthy diet.  However, all fats are not equal in terms...