Expat Life

By Deke Castleman Quick: Who’s buried in Grant’s Tomb? How long was the Hundred Years War? The Canary Islands are named after what animal? And what country do Panama hats […]

By Magdalena Herreshoff My husband Daniel and I are artists. He is a jazz and blues piano player and I am a poet. We met Johnny Jara Jaramillo in the […]

By Sylvan Hardy Though the four rivers of Cuenca are what impressed the Spanish settlers in the 16th century when they formally named the city, “Santa Ana de los Cuatros […]

In Cuenca, there are a lot of shine men. Some guys just have a cardboard box with their supplies inside. You’ll have to put your foot up on the curb […]

Text and photos by John Keeble Cuenca is building on its rich heritage as a beautiful and sophisticated city to become known, first nationally and then internationally, as a destination […]

She was in a dilapidated wheelchair rounding the corner on General Torres by San Francisco Plaza, pushed by a man who might have been her son. He was ancient himself […]

Ecuador may be a small country in terms of physical size, but it’s a giant in terms of fun things to do. Explorers of all ages and backgrounds will find […]

Perhaps, maybe, quizas, I am back to normal. After a two-week bout of flu over Christmas, I am feeling great!! My legs are better as I am able, much of […]

This is the third in a three-part series about Cuenca’s expat writers. To read parts one and two, click here and here. Text and photos by John Keeble Cuenca is […]

Editor’s note: This is the first of a three-part series about the Cuenca expat writing scene. The author, John Keeble, is an international photo-journalist living in Cuenca. He ‘retired’ after […]

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 […]

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: […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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, […]