is available on Amazon.com.
When I wrote the first edition in 2011, it was the first English book on Cuenca with the nitty-gritty nuts and bolts on just about everything you would need to know to get your life started in this lovely city. Since that time, many more have jumped on the bandwagon and wrote their own version, either on Cuenca or Ecuador. So do we really need another book on Cuenca? Probably not. But I was committed to updating and revising the first book and it was helpful for to me to see exactly what's changed and what's stayed the same. The infrastructure, of course, has changed considerably, but the people and culture are the same and that's what drew us here.
In the five years that we've been here, we've seen friends come and go (usually back to the States after the grandchildren were born). It seems that the happiest couples in Cuenca are the ones with no kids or grandkids. Or maybe that's because they don't know what they're missing! In five years, we've married both our sons and recently became grandparents to Clara Joy in August. I spent a month with her in Pennsylvania and I wouldn't have traded it for anything (720 hours of pure joy). It's certainly something I couldn't have done if I was working a full-time job until I was 72 years of age, while living in the States. We plan to go back for her first birthday and in the meantime, we keep in touch with FaceTime and every Monday I send a video of me reading to her.
Yes, we plan to stay in Cuenca and in 1-1/2 years we'll receive our Social Security (if there's anything left), and we'll be able to travel more.
Prices have definitely gone up in Cuenca and my friend who lives in Mexico recently brought that to my attention. Food, clothing and electronics have increased (definitely), but the tariffs that were imposed a year ago seem to be lifting because I've been seeing more imports in the grocery stores, like: Campbell Soup, Mint Milano Cookies and Pam Cooking Spray (all for a price, of course).
Yes, we plan to stay in Cuenca and in 1-1/2 years we'll receive our Social Security (if there's anything left), and we'll be able to travel more.
Prices have definitely gone up in Cuenca and my friend who lives in Mexico recently brought that to my attention. Food, clothing and electronics have increased (definitely), but the tariffs that were imposed a year ago seem to be lifting because I've been seeing more imports in the grocery stores, like: Campbell Soup, Mint Milano Cookies and Pam Cooking Spray (all for a price, of course).
The cost of paradise: Nature Valley Almond Milk ($5.35). Last month it was $3.25. Some things go up and down monthly. If you see something you like, buy it because it may not be there tomorrow or it just may cost you more!
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| Cost of Paradise: $5.35 |
Oh, there's a retraction in the book "no visitors" yet! I stand corrected because my sister and her husband are coming for a visit in March for two weeks. They're still working on their passports, so I won't hold my breath, but that's HUGE!
Hope your Thanksgiving was a blessed one and I hope your Cyber Monday is full of great deals!
Until next time...hasta luego!
Connie and Mark
Connie and Mark
