Edd:  In our last post we talked about why we love our expat life. During that conversation we mentioned the year-round, springlike weather and inexpensive public transportation here in Cuenca. I’m not sure we’ve shared with our readers the many other reasons we, and thousands of other expats, think this Ecuadorian city is so great.

Cynthia:  Don’t want to dwell on the climate since we have covered that topic before, but as most of the United States is welcoming spring after the coldest winter in years, it sure is nice to wake up to blooming flowers and warm temps every day.

E:  Another constant that is a big plus is the country’s use of the U.S. dollar as its official currency. When visiting Argentina a couple of years ago we were living large, because we could exchange one hundred dollar bills on the informal Blue Dollar market for twice the official rate. Today that rate is only twenty percent more, which means American expats there have seen their purchasing power shrink sign...

Edd:  Our latest article for MarketWatch about reasons you probably shouldn’t retire abroad was just published. That may seem like a curious subject for us to be writing about, but we know expat life is not for everyone.

Cynthia:  Let’s clarify up front that “expat” isn’t a shortened version of “ex-patriot.” Sure, some leave the country and go so far as renouncing their citizenship. I think most expats, like us, love their home country and have moved abroad for other reasons, quite often financial. We wrote an in-depth special report about this subject for anyone interested in knowing more.

E:  After 14+ years in Cuenca, it’s easy to take for granted all the reasons we’re so glad we did leave the country. Climate is always at the top of the list. While the Arctic blast swept across the U.S. last month sending temperatures into single digits along with tons of snow, we were sitting on the terrace enjoying a warm sunny day.

C:  Friends in Atlanta and Charleston, places where we used t...

Edd:  It’s been years since we visited New York City during the Christmas season. So while we were in New Jersey with our daughter’s family for the holidays, we decided to spend a few days taking in the sights there.

Cynthia:  Staying in Manhattan is too pricey for our retirement budget, so we rented a nice, spacious Airbnb across the Hudson River in Hoboken, New Jersey. Our daughter and son-in-law lived there in the early years of their marriage, so being back was a trip down memory lane.

E:  Most people aren’t aware that the views of the Manhattan skyline from Hoboken are spectacular. And an easy train ride for only $2.75 takes you right into the center of the city.

C:  We saw the movie Wicked for our granddaughter’s 10th birthday in November, so we were especially interested in going to Bloomingdale’s to see its Wicked-themed window displays.

E:  The idea was everywhere inside the huge store as well. Leaning into the color palette of the movie, even Santa wa...

Cynthia:  We don’t get that many visitors here in Cuenca, so we were thrilled when long-time friends, Tom and Brenda Williams, from Atlanta told us they wanted to come see us and check out our hometown.

Edd:  They arrived on the morning of the city’s final Independence Day festivities, so before they could even get settled, off we went to experience our biggest celebration of the year.

C:  Hundreds of booths displayed beautiful art and handicrafts from all over Latin America, including exquisite embroidered clothing from the artisans of Otavalo. Of course, Panama hats, which are actually made in Ecuador, were on display.

E:  After a much needed rest day, we took them downtown for lunch in a courtyard beside the New Cathedral (construction began in 1885 and took about 100 years to complete). Then we climbed atop a double-decker bus for a tour that featured a stop at Turi for a commanding view of the city.

C:  On day four we left the city behind for a different excu...

Cynthia:  Our visit to Montreal was full of surprises, wasn’t it?

Edd:  I’ll say. Mainly because we had visitors the whole week we were there!

C:  Friends and family don’t come to see us that often in Ecuador. But when we let friends in Canada know our travel plans, they both said, “Oh great! We’ll come over and hang out with you.”

E:  Once again we went against the grain regarding accommodations. We normally stay in an Airbnb located close to major points of interest. You found a great deal at an extended stay hotel, so we booked a studio unit with a king bed and full kitchen.

C:  We weren’t going to be cooking entire meals. But with a nice grocery store nearby, having kitchen amenities for breakfast items and snacks saves time and money.

E:  Our dear friend from Las Vegas who now lives outside of Toronto drove over with her two furry companions the same afternoon we arrived.

C:  I have to mention that her “kids” were such good travelers. It was fun having them join us early...

Edd:  Fall is one of our favorite seasons. But we were so busy moving into our new apartment at this time last year that we totally missed it.

Cynthia:  It may seem odd to our readers that we have to get on a plane and go somewhere to experience seasons other than spring since that’s our climate year-round here in Cuenca.

E:  We’ve talked for years about taking an Amtrak trip up the Hudson Valley from New York to Montreal, so we decided to kill two birds with one stone. We would visit our family in New Jersey, head north to Canada during prime leaf peeping, then reverse course from our previous idea and return to New York on that train ride.

C:  But then we said, “Why just Montreal? If we’re going to that part of Canada, let’s check out Quebec City too.” Enjoying beautiful fall foliage was our major focus, so the plan was to start at the northernmost part of the adventure and then head south to see as much color as possible.

E:  We found a great deal on a miles flight from Newark t...

Edd:  I’ve been keeping up with the hurricane that hit Louisiana this week. In Cuenca we’re immune to those kinds of natural disasters, but there’s no doubt the weather around here has been very different this year.

Cynthia:  Last year as well. In Ecuador we have a rainy and dry season, but until recently we haven’t been able to tell much of a difference.

E:  In the past, no matter what the sky looked like when we left the house we always carried an umbrella, because you could count on at least a shower sometime during the day.

C:  Lately, the rains have been so light and infrequent that we never think about that any more. During July and August we experience our winter here, which traditionally has meant a lot of cool, cloudy weather. It has been wonderful to enjoy all these unexpected warm, sunny days, but since this country depends mainly on hydropower for electricity, the situation has become grim.

E:  Before we got some decent rain a few weeks back that replenished the reservo...

Edd:  As a University of Georgia graduate, I am SO excited that college football season is about to start. Go Dawgs!

Cynthia:  (Sigh) No need to make plans for Saturday afternoons the next few months. It wasn’t always easy for you to watch live sporting events.

E:  Unless it was soccer. 🙄 When we first moved to Cuenca, we paid $30 a month for dial-up internet service that we shared with five other people. At night when everyone was online looking at Facebook or whatever you couldn’t even stay connected.

C:  Now we pay $25 for dedicated fiber optic service with 400 Mbps. What an improvement! And we could get 500 Mbps if we wanted to pay a little more, but what we have works fine. You mentioned soccer because when we had DirecTV that was the only sport we could watch.

E:  What a waste of money that was. A bunch of Spanish channels and 10-year-old U.S. reruns, but it was the only local source of live television. I started exploring other options online and we canceled it after a year....

Edd:  May 17 was our 14th expat anniversary. A few days ago we celebrated another milestone that to me is the most important day of the year—our 53rd wedding anniversary. This year I wanted to surprise you with something special.

Cynthia:  I don’t generally like surprises. But on the morning of our anniversary when you told me to pack an overnight bag because we were checking into Itza Hotel for the night, I was very excited.

E:  For a number of reasons we didn’t do much to celebrate last year, so I wanted to plan something memorable this time. We’ve been in most of the luxury properties in Cuenca, but this one opened in 2021 shortly after we left Ecuador to travel full time.

C:  As soon as we walked into the lobby—wow! We knew this was going to be great. So elegant.

E:  You assumed I had booked a regular room. Nope, only the best for you, my love. We were staying in a King Suite with two balconies overlooking the historic downtown area.

C:  The room—actually two rooms—...

Hey, Edd here. I want to share with you my recent experience renewing my Ecuador driver’s license.

Those of you who have been following us for a while may be wondering, “Wait a minute. I thought you didn’t have a car. Why in the heck do you need a driver’s license?”

You’re right. We sold Cynthia’s car before moving to Cuenca 14 years ago (I had already sold mine), and used the proceeds to pay for the container that brought our furnishings to Ecuador—a win-win transaction of the highest degree.

Since then we have chosen addresses where we can walk to pretty much everything required for daily life. Currently, within 10 minutes from our home is a supermarket, gym, yoga studio, and a wide choice of dining options.

For any other destinations we take Cuenca's light rail system (17 cents per ride for seniors) or use an app on our phone to summon a taxi (fares from $1.50 to $2.50 depending on the distance). Buses are also available but not as convenient for us.

All of this must sound unbe...