The 23rd of July, 2011 marked the two year anniversary of the day we landed in Guayaquil Ecuador. We spent one day there and then settled in Cuenca on the 24th. Why Did We Move to Ecuador? When we lived in Canada we had a fairly normal life, we had a nice house with a…
Marine Iguanas are really quite weird. They enjoy eating the algae. . . at the bottom of the sea. They are not very happy about such a salty breakfast so, they just snort the salt out back on land. When they fight (over territory,or the gals) they can kill one another, or one of them…
Car ownership can be complicated and somewhat expensive in Ecuador so, like many other expats, we have had to adapt to a car-less lifestyle. In a previous post, I covered how to use taxis in Cuenca. Many expats in Cuenca do not own cars. One thing that makes a car-free life style possible in Cuenca is…
One of the prettiest areas we’ve seen is in the Yunguilla Valley – just south of Cuenca. This area is just north of a little town called Santa Isabel. Yunguilla Valley is significantly warmer than Cuenca and as a result is full of fruit trees: mangoes, oranges, bananas, avocados and lemons. The road across the…
If you’re unsure about what to bring when you move to Ecuador, you’re not alone. This is one of the most common questions we get asked. In this post, you’ll hear from an American and a Canadian perspective on what to bring – and maybe even more importantly, what to leave home. What Should You…
An interesting place to visit while in Cuenca: El Chorro de Giron. Recently I had the chance to give some friends a tour of Cuenca and some of the surrounding areas. We rented a van for the day and headed off to our first destination which was El Chorro de Giron. El Chorro de Giron:…
Beautiful small towns are literally everywhere in the Andes here in Ecuador. Here is an amazing little town called Santa Isabel. We lived here for 3 years. View of Santa Isabel, Ecuador It’s in the southern part of Azuay province, on the road towards Machala. The town is popular with Cuencanos – there are dozens…
If you have children and are planning a move abroad you’re probably concerned about their schooling. For us this was not a very big concern, because we homeschool our daughter. We’ve always had the desire to move to a foreign country, and homeschooling makes for good mobility. We prefer homeschooling for many other reasons as…
Last week, we received this inquiry from a reader. There is lot of confusion about what types of vaccinations are needed. In this post, we’ll cover the recommended vaccinations and some of the concerns and decisions we made about health before we moved here. What Vaccines Do I Need in Cuenca Ecuador? Reader question: I am…
Is Cuenca Ecuador safe for expats? There are lots of stories and opinions shared online and over coffee at gringo hangouts. In this post, we’ll share what we’ve learned. And tips to help avoid being a victim of crime. This post was written by an American and a Canadian expat – with a combined 20…