El Vampiro | Reflections from Latitude Zero
El Vampiro — a story by Deborah Medley Dawn in the Valle de Vilcabamba El Vampiro — The Night Visitor In Ecuador they call them
Zero Degrees Latitude
Adventures & Inspirations from Ecuador, as told by my mother, Deborah.
Meeting Tata
Adventures & Inspirations from Ecuador, as told by my mother, Deborah. Tata was Raul’s mother, Melodia’s Ecuadorian grandmother, and the person I eventually learned would
OFFERINGS/OFRENDAS
Dedication: The post “Offerings/Ofrendas” is dedicated to my daughter Melodia Mendoza-Medley in remembrance of her father Raul Alfredo Mendoza who passed away before father and
Gifts from Her Father
by Deborah Medley In “Gifts From Her Father,” I reflect on the music, memories, and lessons Raul shared with us. Melodiaʼs father, Raul Mendoza, was
Caldo de Pata | Family Tradition, Memory & Home in Ecuador
Some traditions stay with us long after we’ve left home. In this reflection, my mother shares memories of caldo de pata, a beloved Ecuadorian dish
LA CASA DE ROY AND THE ILL-FATED TURKEY, Part II
Ill-Fated Turkey Thanksgiving in Ecuador When Melodia and I lived in Ecuador, American Thanksgiving was almost never remembered. We were far removed from American traditions
La Casa De Roy and the Ill-Fated Turkey, Part I
THANKSGIVING IN ECUADOR La Casa De Roy I want to introduce you to our house in Salinas, Ecuador, as it was the final resting place
Getting To Know Melodia the Artist
I see Ecuador in Melodia. I’ve heard it said that art imitates life. I’ve also heard that life imitates art. Apparently, neither art nor life
LAUNDRY DAY WASHOUT
Itʼs a gloriously sunny Vilcabamba day in the middle of a long and rainy Spring, perfect for making the trek by horseback down the mountain
BEES GETTING BUSY
Stories for Melodia by Deborah Medley My brother-in-law Jaime walked into the cottage one sunny, warm afternoon carrying a large bowlful of honeycomb freshly excavated
A DAY OF MOUNTAIN MISCHIEF
Magical Mushrooms and Adventures in Vilcabamba I was married to a mischievous man, and I am naive by nature. It was in the early days
TWO GIFTS OF LOVE
An Oven and an Onion Poultice by Deborah Medley for my daughter Melodia Our little farm kitchen in Vilcabamba had one modern appliance, a two-burner
The Grace of Giving: 9 Gifts That Changed My Life in Ecuador
A Wish List Fulfilled When I lived on the Equator, I found myself on the receiving end of many surprisingly grand gestures of generosity that
EGGNOG GROG BLOG
When you live on a 10-hectare farm in a remote area of the Andes Mountains of Ecuador, you eat what you can source locally. For