I’ve recently heard from a couple different African American readers of my book, one of whom asked me about racial issues in Ecuador. I’d like to share our correspondence so that others who have similar questions will have an answer. I hope it helps someone! My reader wrote… “While you mentioned a great many things…
What makes Cuenca such a magnet for expats? Although most of my Ecuador posts and my book are about Loja, where we lived in 2014, Cuenca is by far the more popular choice among expats. I think there are several good reasons for this. We spent nearly a week in Cuenca (though I was out…
Every now and then I read a book or watch a movie that brings back memories of my childhood, running from the cops. While I was at the World Domination Summit I spoke with a literary agent about our current book project, Seven Years Running. The agent, who has worked with New York Times bestselling authors, encouraged me…
One of the best things about Loja, Ecuador is the great hiking opportunities nearby. Here are some photos from Podocarpus National Park, in the section closest to Loja. Enjoy!
I appreciate learning about local foods from the perspective of fellow vegetarians. While Ecuador and Loja have many unique meat-based dishes, since I cannot eat those I want to know the options for vegetarians such as myself. Incidentally, I am not a vegan even though I feel better on a vegan diet. I try to…
My book, Live Like a Local in Loja, shares many stories of our experience living in this beautiful southern Ecuadorian city. In it I did my best to provide an accurate description of what to expect. I also included helpful resources and advice for successful integration into the community, for anyone interested in living there…
People commonly ask about the cost of living in Loja, Ecuador. How much does food cost there? Going to the market each week was a treasure hunt for both of us—a constant discovery of new foods and affordable prices. Today I’ll share a few weeks of typical expenses at the local weekly open-air market, where…
Not long before we were scheduled to leave Loja, I found a group on Facebook called “LojAventura”—a large group of adventurers who went on hiking trips around the province of Loja. They advertised an upcoming hiking trip to Amaluza and Yacuri National Park for the celebration of World Water Day—March 22nd, 2014. In order to…
On March 18th last year we decided to take the bus up to Saraguro, since we’d heard a lot about this town and its indigenous people by the same name. We left Loja early and settled into the front seat of the bus (cost: $1.75 each), where we enjoyed completely amazing views the whole way….
It didn’t matter so much to Keith since he’s not a big fan of live music performances, but one of the reasons I was so interested in Loja was because I love live music—especially symphony music—and Loja happens to be the music capital of Ecuador. When I found out that Loja had its own symphony…
These days, Ecuador receives a lot of attention for being a paradise for expatriates—or expats. The cost of living, the climate, the wonderful people, the beautiful scenery and the slower pace of life tantalize us as we endure the hectic pace, commercialism, extreme temperatures and other shortcomings of life up here in the North. But…
I learned Spanish in Mexico as a kid. My command of the language is a little rusty but quite good. Nevertheless, in Loja I learned all kinds of new words—or new meanings for previously known words. Here are some examples: