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Continue reading →: Where the Amazon meets the Andes: Papallacta
In 1541, Francisco de Orellana became the first of the Spanish colonists to record a journey down the Amazon River. To do so, he first had to cross the eastern cordillera of the Andes. This weekend we crossed of the same pass he used, which now is one of the…
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Continue reading →: Quito’s Housing Boom
From our apartment window we get to watch the impact of three trends that define Ecuador today — population growth, urbanization, and a growing middle class. The result is a real-estate boom. If you walk around our neighborhood, say within a five-block radius of our apartment, you will find as many as…
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Continue reading →: The long road to a new airport
As I first sat down to write this, I heard the roar of a jumbo jet flying about 400 feet over the roof of our high-rise apartment building. It was (as usual) loud enough to set off a few car alarms on the street below as the plane descended toward…
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Continue reading →: Today in Ecuador, I voted!
Elections in Ecuador are very different from those in the U.S. To begin with, Ecuador does not have a long history of democracy; we only restarted democratic elections in 1979, after a series of dictators. Since then, democracy has not been entirely effective — from 1996 to 2006, we had…
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Continue reading →: Ecua-Volley, more than just a game
The crowd packed into the stands, and shuffled for standing room on the sidelines. Six unlikely, athletes took their places on the volleyball court (no uniforms required), and the challengers served up the soccer ball. The crowd was silent. Worn faces watched as though their life savings were riding on…
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Continue reading →: Disculpen!
(Excuse us!) It’s been a while since our last post. We’ve been quite busy, actually. We have more to post soon, but in the meantime I wanted to share some of the funny names (at least, funny to an American) that I’ve come across in Ecuador. Ecuador has its share…
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Continue reading →: Part 8: Mind your Manners
Social customs and manners are different in this country, naturally. It is at times exasperating to navigate them, and you have to remind yourself that Ecuadoreans DO have manners and etiquette – sometimes very formal and prescribed – but they’re just different. Ecuador places a high value on family. It…
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Continue reading →: Welcome to Quito, Part 7: Bureaucracy
I didn’t want to write too much about Ecuadorean civil-service bureaucracy because it’s somewhat painful to recount. It’s not as bad as in, say, Italy (based on what I’ve recently heard), but it can be Kafka-esque nevertheless. You want to get a simple tourist visa? Prepare to spend lots of…
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Continue reading →: A ‘Super’ Market
Supermarkets are a relatively new phenomenon in Ecuador. You can now find them dotting major urban areas. SuperMaxi, the more Wal-Mart-styled MegaMaxi, and the less popular Mi Comisariato are all reminiscent of grocery chains in the U.S. (though with a more limited selection). They have aisles stocked with pre-packaged goods,…
Hello,
I’m Katherine
I started this blog while living as a single expat more than 20 years ago. Now with husband and two kids in tow I’m keeping the adventures alive. Follow along for travel tips and life detours!
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