Posts:
“I’m disgusted,” sighed Spotcito. “What up?” asked Roverito. “No more biting the gringos!” chimed in Fidoandro. “Yeah, it sucks, huh?” exclaimed Bowzerez. “I mean, what the hell! Our master beats us with a stick if we don’t scare the crap out of ‘em and bark ‘em up...
“It sure doesn’t look like the brochure, I thought the condo was in a nicer neighborhood.” It’s a common refrain, the modern internet version of “a picture is worth a thousand words.” Shelley and Phil, two determined expat wannabe friends had been investigating a...
By Rob Gray There is no question I get asked more often than whether something you eat or drink (coffee, chocolate, bread, meat etc.) is good for you. The person asking the question is often bewildered by the back and forth articles in the press, one day saying that a...
I have learned that the improvement in the vision of the left eye is not on an unbroken linear upward line but can regress a bit which is no cause for concern, my doctor reassured me. The slightly blurry vision of the right eye that comes from time to time is normal,...
Two Ecuador expats with connections to Cuba, one a native of Argentina and the other from the U.S., share their thoughts on the death of Fidel Castro. Fernando Pagés Ruiz: In Latin America, we don’t call him Castro, or even Fidel Castro. He is simply Fidel. For my...
On Thursday morning we attended our exercise class in the park. One of our classmates had lived in the U.S., and we got to talking about Thanksgiving. She said she missed the holiday, and since this year we planned to cook a turkey, we invited her to our house to...
By David Morrill For Cuenca tour guide Carlos Lara, life offers no greater pleasure than watching the birds. “I love doing anything outdoors. For me, there is nothing better than escaping the artificial world, where we spend most of our lives, and going out to explore...
The light here in Cuenca is fickle at best. Light for a photographer is the most critical element and it comes in various qualities. The atmospherics here are most often cloudy for several days running. Then, the sun peeks out a little. By the time you and your gear...
By Brian Buckner Today is Thanksgiving. But wait, take a look at my photograph. I know John, the boy you above. I love him. He is standing in front of his home on a steep hillside in rural Ecuador. His day will not be like yours or mine. Thanksgiving is a holiday...
Everyone hopes to find their paradise someday, right? So do you ever wonder if all those folks who moved abroad to find theirs actually got what they were looking for? I mean, really. How is life abroad any different from North America? Seeing as how November’s the...
Guess what? The key to your “thriving” or “diving” overseas may just be in your motives. If you’ve been thinking about heading out to a new life overseas, you’re certainly in good company. And in light of this week’s astounding U.S. election results, I suspect many...
The air was filled with the cheers and laughter of celebration as I made my way around the city this past week. There were several parades and many interesting people in the streets of Cuenca. As would be expected, it was pure mayhem with many people here on Holiday...
By Mark Hinson The presidential campaign of 2016 will surely go down in the history books as one of the most civil, dignified, issue-focused races ever run in America. I’ll wait here a minute until you stop howling with laughter. The rancor, name-calling and Twitter...
“Gringos!” I turned around and looked. She was behind us and across the street, dressed in a school uniform, mid-teens, surrounded by laughing friends – all girls. My wife and I were strolling on a Cuenca side street, not far from El Centro. “Gringos!” She yelled it...
“Watch your feet!” That is perhaps the best advice newbies get in Cuenca. Sidewalks often have uneven surfaces and potholes, even new tile sidewalks can be dangerous when wet. I move like I’m 99 years old when going down the hill at B. del Padron…the extension of...
Where I used to live, in the Midwestern United States, folks often had one room with rattan furniture, shells, and tiki lights to remind them of far-off paradises on warm sandy shores. I secretly loved these rooms, because gray, Midwestern winters last so long and the...
By Joanna Bender Ecuador is known for producing fine coffee, and yet most of that good coffee is exported to the United States and Europe. Locals often have to be satisfied with a basic coffee that is not fresh and filled with additives or preservatives. Owner Jairo...
By Fernando Pagés Ruiz Latinos are not afraid of close contact even with strangers There's no "three foot" rule. Why waste the space? Same goes for sound. Why would you turn down the music? Lonely beaches exist because Latinos prefer the crowded ones. My wife, from...
By Doug Stanglin I found Halloween in Ecuador. Well, to be exact, there was a sign in a bar — in English, of course — announcing a Halloween fiesta. In truth, this was a gig largely aimed at foreigners. Even for seasoned travelers, it is always a shock to realize what...
Life is having its way with me lately, which is to say that it has been an interesting and difficult two months. In late August, following my cataract surgery, vision in my cleaned out left eye was steadily improving when one day it suddenly went bad. Into the...
