Expat Life

By Rob McFarland “Just relax,” says Carlos, our snorkelling guide. Easier said than done when you’re about to be plunged into a cave full of sharks. I take a deep breath and he guides me underwater into a murky, sand-bottomed hollow where I come face-to-fin with a dozen whitetip reef sharks. Most are lying motionless...
By Stephen Vargha The historic part of Cuenca is now more than French architecture. There are now French crêpes in El Centro. And a young Frenchman making them: Quentin Levy. Levy, 29, opened his crêperie-coffee shop, Fleurette, three months ago on Calle Luis Cordero, just a few doors down from Kolo Restaurant and Bakery. “Life,”...
By Ronan O’Connell On October 19, the U.S. Department of State issued a rare advisory that Americans overseas “exercise increased caution” due to heightened tensions and chances of terrorism around the world, spurred by the Israel-Hamas war. It’s part of a system of travel warnings that’s been around in some form since 1978, designed to help citizens assess...
Author’s note: This is the third of a three-part series about diabetes. Part 1 offered a basic overview of the disease and its different types. Part 2 discussed ways to control it with pills, diet and exercise.  By Garnett Stewart Home monitoring is very crucial. Every diabetic needs a glucometer, test strips, and lancets. A new setup...
My older brother passed away six years ago. I wrote the following obituary in one sitting, relying on a flood of memories that poured forth sculpting the character of a unique individual. It was published in our small hometown journal. _____________ Richard (Beau) de Boisvert Ives passed away in Taos, NM on August 6, 2017...
Editor’s note: Originally from California, Rick Ingle describes himself as a “student of expatriation.” Rick has lived overseas since 1984 in the Philippines, Singapore, Spain, Panama, and now Ecuador. He has lived in Cuenca since 2011. He’s currently interviewing English-speaking expats in seven countries about their overseas experiences, which he plans to include in a...
Author’s note: This is the first part of a 3-part series. The keystones in the foundation of personal happiness are forgiveness and gratitude. For those of us over 70, the vast majority of our lives is our past. How we enjoy the last chapters of our lives depends fully on how we have chosen to...
Author’s note: This is the second of a three-part series about diabetes. Part 1 offered a basic overview of the disease and its different types. Part 2 discusses ways to control it with pills, diet and exercise. Part 3 considers the new treatment possibilities, including medicines, as well as the Spanish names. By Garnett Stewart In...
By Chuck Bolotin When in my early twenties, after crossing the border near San Diego with my friends and driving south in Mexico, I noticed lots of houses in which the construction had begun but was not finished. “How stupid”, I thought, viewing what I believed to be evidence of bad planning on a large...
By Meryl Davids Landau When your mother told you to eat your vegetables, she was on to more than she knew. For the sake of our bodies and the Earth’s climate, experts say people across the world need to make roots, beans, leafy greens, and other plant foods a bigger part of our diets. “We’re...
By Daniel Allen It’s just after dawn in Ecuador’s Maquipucuna Cloud Forest Reserve. The sound of 1,000 water droplets falling on foliage complements the riotous early morning birdsong, while a fine mist cloaks the moss-laden canopy above. Local guide Antony Flores scans the trees with his binoculars and points to a tall pacche (laurel) tree,...
Author’s note: This is the first of a three-part series about diabetes. Part 1 offers a basic overview of the disease and its different types. Part 2 discusses ways to control it with pills, diet and exercise. Part 3 considers the new treatment possibilities, including medicines, as well as the Spanish names.   By Garnett Stewart...

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The Cuenca Dispatch

Week of May 05

Record Number of Tourist Visas Granted to Ecuadorians by the United States between October 2022 and September 2023.

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Minister of Energy Advocates for Legislation Empowering Private Companies in Electrical Supply Sector.

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Noboa Stands Firm: No Extradition of Fugitives from Ecuador.

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Discounts at Gran Colombia News

Country Ranch Living News

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