TheExpatJournals.com

(Note: First…at the end is a link to photos that you absolutely should not miss!)

There is a valley outside Cuenca that has become my dream.  Nestled between mountains, yes, a river runs through it. I have been out that valley about 8 times now, each time going a bit further. The further you go, the more the landscape changes…from lush green to paramo where the handful of residents plant bushes around an area to use as a garden because otherwise, the wind is too harsh and the nights too cool to grow anything. (more…)

When I first came to Ecuador to peruse from the perspective of a possible move here, I had done almost a year of research, felt as though I no longer wanted to live in a big city and was certain I didn’t want to live that close to an active volcano that has already once caused the city to be evacuated due to ash cover…so I can’t say I’ve ever been very focused on Quito. (more…)

Yesterday, I was invited to have lunch with an Ecuadorian family. It was quite an experience for me as we spent roughly 4 hours together between lunch and conversation afterwards…in Spanish. While quite a bit of time was dedicated to American politics, quite a bit of time was also dedicated to discussing various events and tragedies in various powerful families in Cuenca. (more…)