If you ask Nicholas Barringer to describe himself,he would answer: “Nicholas is an adventurous young manwho loves to travel and tries to be a better person every day”. And this seems to be a very accurate description! After spending time in the United States as a life guard, at the age of 17 Nicholas started […]

On Thursday, March 8 “Mujeres con Exito” at Baltazar de Calderon and Miguel Velez, will have an open house from noon to five to introduce their programs. Refreshments and light snacks will be provided, including a special cocktail for women. “Our mission is to empower women facing difficult family situations by providing educational opportunities and […]

A recent article published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology makes the case for non-fasting lipid profiles, meaning if you’re testing cholesterol (total, LDL, HDL, triglycerides, etc.), it’s not necessary to go without food for hours beforehand. Included in the article is an illustration that compares fasting and non-fasting lipid profiles. Evidence-driven […]

The Tsáchila community of Santo Domingo Province, has learned the hard way about what it is to lose some of their culture and customs to deforestation. A year ago they started a tree planting initiative to regain the nature they have lost in the last decades. The Tsáchilas or “Colorados” (meaning reddened, or red-colored) are […]

The renovation of Cuenca’s San Francisco Plaza is on schedule to meet its July completion date, according to Cuenca Mayor Marcelo Cabrera. The project contractor said the project is 45 percent complete. During a Saturday, February 17 tour of the project, Cabrera said he was worried for the plaza merchants who claim their sales are […]

Better days are ahead for Ecuador’s real estate and construction industry, experts say. In Cuenca, real estate agents say the turn-around is already underway. Ecuador’s Housing and Urban Development Minister Adrián Sandoya confirmed Tuesday that the administration of President Lenin Moreno is calling for a full repeal of the Ley de Plusvalía, or capital gains […]

Iberia Airlines, Spain’s largest corporation, has signed an agreement with Pro Ecuador, the government agency that promotes foreign trade. The agreement seeks to strengthen export capacity of small and medium companies by providing better pricing for business travel benefiting over 8,400 micro, small and medium companies (also known as PYMES). This will include discounts and […]

The renovations of the 12 de Abril market is close to completion, according to Manolo Cardenas, director of municipal markets. “We are 70 percent completed now and expect the entire construction process is done by next August,” he says. Currently, there are 390 merchants in the market and the new construction will allow for 550. […]

The French Development Agency (FDA) is contributing about $13 million to a project to study community infrastructure needs in Ecuador. The non-refundable allocation was delivered last week in Quito. The Ecuadorian Development Bank (BDE) received the 10-million Euro allocation from the FDA on February 14. The funds will be administered by a special unit of […]

Although the focus of last week’s meeting between Ecuador and Colombia was on controlling illegal drug trafficking near the border and dealing with the flood of immigrants from Venezuela, it also delivered good news to travelers. One of the agreements signed Friday, February 16 guarantees free emergency medical care for residents of Ecuador and Colombia […]

By Sylvan Hardy The large influx of foreigners to Cuenca has turned this Andean city into a world-class laboratory experiment for a major “amenities migration” during the past decade. In the early years, it was overwhelmingly retirees from the U.S. and Canada arriving in town. While the gringos continue to predominate, today we are seeing […]

As a new resident of Ecuador, the decision of whether to obtain one’s Ecuador Driver License is not something to be taken lightly. It is an important consideration that needs to be reflected upon by each and every expatriate as they begin their new life in Ecuador. For some expatriates (namely those who plan to […]

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “Tobacco is the only legal drug that kills many of its users when used exactly as intended by manufacturers.”  In the most recent 2017 update, the WHO writes that: Tobacco kills up to half of its users Tobacco kills more than 7 million people yearly: 6 million from direct tobacco […]

Within a five block radius of my home there are two saddlers, at least three cabinetmakers, a couple tailors, a few jewelers, a  thriving farmers market, more bakeries than I can count and twice as many restaurants. People are busy cobbling shoes, repairing refrigerators and upgrading computers. A shop up the street sells artisan crafts […]

Editor’s note: Fanesca is the traditional Easter soup served throughout Latin America during Holy Week and many consider Cuenca’s version of it to be exceptional. It is considered so good, in fact, that it was the subject of a cover story in New Yorker magazine in 2005. By David Morrill It’s a busy time of […]

The University of Cuenca is looking for ways to finance remodeling of Cuenca’s old IESS hospital, creating a new research facility managed by the school. It is estimated the project will cost approximately five million dollars. The university is in talks with the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) to acquire the funds. The building, located on […]

“The laundromat, coffee house, and catering services are jobs women have always done. Before, it was a source of shame and discrimination. Now it is a source of pride and autonomy,” said Marlene Villavicencio, Mujeres con Exito director. Seven of 10 women in the city are victims of abuse, according to the Statistics and Census […]

The Cuenca municipal council has hired mining law specialist Pablo Piedra to challenge the federal government’s metal mining concessions in the canton. According to official numbers, the concessions cover over 16,000 hectares in the Loma Larga, Río Blanco, and Ruta del Cobre parishes. Several mining companies have requested new permits from the Ministry of Mining, […]

A new initiative by the city of Cuenca will include the Tres de Noviembre Market in the tourist routes of El Centro. The Tourism for Cuenca foundation and Municipal Office for Markets added the mercado as another option for tourists to enjoy local gastronomy and traditional products. “This initiative wants to increase the sales levels in […]

As of 1 April 2018, use of the bus card, Movilizate, will be mandatory in Cuenca, and users will no longer be able to pay bus fare in cash. The card is being distributed for free to students, people older than 65 years old, and people with any disability rated higher than 30%. People in […]

My mother’s moving soon.  Before my next column.  So I need to say what I need to say here this week.  I’m proud of her.  Very proud. She’s been struggling for the last couple of years since my father died.  They had been together for over 50 years and even though he hadn’t been healthy […]

The federal government has announced that the earthquake-stricken areas of Esmeraldas and Manabi provinces would receive additional financial relief in 2018. The new funding, which will amount to $480 million, was announced by Maria Alejandra Vicuña, recently appointed by President Lenin Moreno to head up new relief efforts. Vicuña was appointed president of the earthquake […]

Ecuador’s National Assembly has unanimously passed legislation to provide special benefits to the country’s Amazon region. The Ley Organica de la Circunscripcion Territorial Especial Amazonica was passed March 13 and sent to President Lenin Moreno for his signature. According to its sponsors, the law is aimed at providing relief to a region that has long […]

The 2018 flu season is still hitting North Americans hard. At least 22 children died from the virus between Feb. 4 and Feb. 10, bringing the total as of Feb. 26 to 85, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They report “during week 7 (Feb. 11-17) influenza activity remained elevated in the […]