Posts:
Editor's note: CuencaHighLife is proud to introduce our newest columnist, Cuenca expat and psychologist Dr. Kelly Bennett. Kelly began his professional career as a space systems engineer in California but has spent most of his working life as a family practice...
We are all immigrants. My father's father was a Hebrew scholar from Minsk in Belarus before he came to Ellis Island in New York to start a new life. My mother's mother and father escaped the pogroms against the Jews. They left a village that may not exist anymore in...
Teresa Cardenas Lopez, 84 years old, opened her tienda, Teresita, in Cuenca's El Centro in 1970. She has lived in Ecuador all her life, raising seven children who still live close by. When asked what motivates her everyday she said, "Mi familia me apoya en todo y...
Editor’s note: CuencaHighLife writer Christopher Lux recently accepted a teaching position on the coast and needed to relocate there from Cuenca. Since he had a car and a hired truck, he thought it would be a cinch. He was wrong. On my way to the coast, I left my car...
By Susan Burke March The holiday season is upon us, and this year you’re aiming to find some special gifts for some special loved ones. Gifts that show you care — that no one else will have, and one that is sure to remind the recipient of you. If you haven’t visited...
American-born photographer Thomas Ives has worked for international news and feature magazines for over 38 years. His photo essays and images have appeared in National Geographic, Time, Geo, Stern, Newsweek, Life, Smithsonian, and many others publications. He...
By Susan Burke March, MEd, RDN, LDN, CDE My “routine surgery” had turned into a nightmare. For three years prior to relocating to Cuenca in September 2014, I’d been plagued by a Morton’s neuroma in my right foot. Morton's neuroma is a condition characterized by the...
American-born photographer Thomas Ives has worked for international news and feature magazines for over 38 years. His photo essays and images have appeared in National Geographic, Time, Geo, Stern, Newsweek, Life, Smithsonian, and many others publications. He...
I’m a firm believer that if I spend time in a place, it is to my benefit to learn the language that the locals speak. Now, before you add a comment about how you get along fine without learning a new language, please re-read my first sentence. I didn’t suggest that...
American-born photographer Thomas Ives has worked for international news and feature magazines for over 38 years. His photo essays and images have appeared in National Geographic, Time, Geo, Stern, Newsweek, Life, Smithsonian, and many others publications. He...
By Scott Fugit The instant the question left my lips, I wanted it back. We had been doing so well, having good conversation at a popular Cuenca dinner party, meeting other expats and learning a lot about life in Ecuador. My wife, Dee, and I were chatting it up at one...
I'm regularly asked something along the lines of: "How did you guys end up in Ecuador?" or, "How did you decide on Ecuador?" The question has perplexed me and I have to admit that I struggle to answer it. There was no single factor that tipped the scales toward...
By Dave Nelson Learning Spanish is not limited to the classroom. A couple of weeks ago a taxi driver corrected my pronunciation of the word tranquilo when we were talking about how tranquil Cuenca and its people are. On another occasion, the lesson from the driver...
By Viktoria Vidali For every expat, moving to a foreign land means acclimating to a new culture, defined as "those shared patterns of belief, knowledge, and conduct typical to a particular area of the world." Depending upon your character, adapting to the culture can...
By Susan Burke March Nuts are healthy additions to your diet — as long as you stay clued in to how much you’re eating. Nuts are very high in fat, with some containing as much as 80% of their calories from fat, but the fat is considered “good fat,” the type of fat that...
American-born photographer Thomas Ives has worked for international news and feature magazines for over 38 years. His photo essays and images have appeared in National Geographic, Time, Geo, Stern, Newsweek, Life, Smithsonian, and many others publications. He...
By Susan Burke March Do you approach the holiday season with a feeling of dread, instead of delight? Is it because you fear you’ll throw caution to the wind and, by the time you have the courage to get on the scale in January, you’ll find you’re four or five pounds...
American-born photographer Thomas Ives has worked for international news and feature magazines for over 38 years. His photo essays and images have appeared in National Geographic, Time, Geo, Stern, Newsweek, Life, Smithsonian, and many others publications. He...
By Wendy Jane Carrel Paute is a charming Ecuadorian canton located in the countryside about one hour (18 miles with stops) northeast of Cuenca. You can get there by car or with basic bus service on the Paute or 24 de Septiembre lines from Cuenca's Terminal Terrestre....
By Sylvan Hardy In an August guest column on this website, expat Tom Ashdown explained why he returned to Cuenca after spending two years in Spain and Italy. Like other expat Baby Boomers, Tom had fond memories of Europe from his days as a university student. He...
Week of September 20
Ecuador turns to industrial power cuts to protect Mazar and keep homes from going dark.
Ecuador raises its 2026 growth forecast, but El Niño could spoil the outlook next year.
Cuenca retirees challenge medical and therapy changes at IESS senior center.
