Expat Life

By Robert Bradley These photos were taken from 3:30 p.m. to 3:50 p.m. in Parque Calderon on Wednesday, August 16. "Every picture tells a story, don't it." --Rod Stewart [URIS id=53361]

By Lief Simon A recent attendee at a Live and Invest Overseas conference wanted to know where in Panama City he could rent an apartment for $500 a month or less. He’d decided he wanted to retire to Panama City and had set his housing budget at what he currently pays...

Editor’s note: This is the eighth of an eight-part series by writer / photographer Brian Buckner about hiking in the Cuenca area. To read the earlier installments, see the links at the bottom of the article. For me, it’s about a myriad of things. You can entertain...

By Louis Bourgeois My new life in my country home in San Jose de Balzay began in October of 2014. When I arrived I had but two weeks to move out of my rented apartment in Cuenca and begin to furnish the house. As things would have it, my new landlord hadn't completed...

Bananas are some of the world’s most convenient health food.  They come in their own little snug jacket, protected from the elements, ready-to-eat whenever you are.  When they’re just ripe, they’re firm and mellow, but let them age a bit and they turn sweet and...

Late afternoon light is warm and kind to most scenes. I enjoy using it to illuminate human faces and creating a particular mood since it softens the hues of the natural color palette. You can see it in this photograph of two boys playing soccer. Even the concrete and...

Editor’s note: This is the seventh of an eight-part series by writer / photographer Brian Buckner about hiking in the Cuenca area. To read the earlier installments, see the links at the bottom of the article. By Brian Buckner I’m  going to make this one pretty easy,...

By Robert Bradley What an extraordinary week! I spent a couple days with perhaps the most well-known master painter in Cuenca, the artist, Claudio Alberto Soriano, and chatted with him about his artistic development and the “investigation of three landscapes” that...

Editor’s note: This is the sixth of an eight-part series by writer / photographer Brian Buckner about hiking in the Cuenca area. To read the earlier installments, see the links at the bottom of the article. By Brian Buckner Writing about the things that will increase...

By Kathleen Peddicord I get this question a lot. I’ve been living outside the States for 19 years, and, to answer the question I’m so often asked, I’ve never felt more American than I do today. Living in the States (I lived in Baltimore, Maryland, for my first 35...

Recently, a reader asked me to peel back the latest nutrition advice on eggs.  In particular, he requested some clarity on conflicting advice for people with diabetes. Let’s get crackin’! Dietary Cholesterol vs. Blood Cholesterol Following years of research and input...

Editor’s note: This is the fifth of an eight-part series by writer / photographer Brian Buckner about hiking in the Cuenca area. To read the earlier installments, see the links at the bottom of the article. By Brian Buckner Transportation, as identified here, refers...

By Robert Bradley The blur of last minute chores blinked past me like an old newsreel complete with flashbulbs and jittery scenes where everything looks like it is going to shake right off the film. I packed and repacked, included a three month supply of prescription...

Editor’s note: This is the fourth of an eight-part series by writer / photographer Brian Buckner about hiking in the Cuenca area. To read the first and second installments, click here and here and here. By Brian Buckner My experience may be simple but I really like...

As reported in the Harvard Health Letter, deciphering media stories on diet and nutrition can be challenging.  Writers may report on a single preliminary story as if it’s a conclusive finding, or highlight one to gain some quick “clicks” just because it contradicts...

By Louis Bourgeois Nearing the end of my first six months of life in Cuenca, I was ready to look for a country house to rent. I had decided to live in a pueblo on the west side of Cuenca, up in the hills above the basin. In my morning walks along the Rio Tomebamba I...

The wiry Páramo brushed against the stiff fabric of my rain pants, causing a soft rasping sound. I had been hiking alone at 12,500 feet for a couple of hours. Partly cloudy skies and the magic of Tambo Siberia had lured me into the southern Caja’s, a rugged area...

By Robert Bradley This graceful Andean city, with its towering colonial architecture and centuries old mercados, pulsing with vigor and energy, provides a current that energizes, enchants and engages. It is a vibrant city adorned with a patina rich in texture. It is...

We all want to eat more naturally, and it would appear that the sweetener stevia, sourced from a plant, fits the bill. But, is it as natural as all that? First, a few facts about stevia fro­­m the Global Stevia Institute: Indigenous South Americans discovered stevia...

By Michael Littmann With all the nasty fighting and name-calling by gringos offering their "expert opinions" of IESS' new pricing structure in the CuencaHighLife comments section, I am somewhat surprised that no one has made reference to the quality of health care...