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 […]

There is bad news and good news on Cuenca’s San Sebastian Plaza. Fortunately, the bad news is brief and the good news goes long into the night. Casa Azul Galeria Cafe has closed. I understand the closure will be brief, the vibe will be much the same when it reopens, and that the new owners are […]

There is something endearing about seeing eight-year-old boys all dressed up in their Sunday best for church. Unlike little girls who tip the cuteness scale almost sideways, boys seem to be competing whether they or their clothes will grow up first.  The kid almost always wins. The shirt is a little too large — he […]

Ecuador is cleaning up its diesel fuel. According to Ecuador Minister of Hydrocarbons, Carlos Pérez, when upgrades to the Esmeraldas refinery are completed in July, the diesel produced at the facility will have a particulate count of 50 to 60 pollutants per million, down from the current 120, and 350 two years ago. “We will […]

“O Fortuna, like the moon you are ever changeable, ever waxing, ever waning . . .” These are the opening words to the popular cantata “Carmina Burana,” written by German composer Carl Orff (1895 – 1982), which premiered in 1937, and was performed on Tuesday and Wednesday nights in Cuenca’s Carlos Cueva Tamariz Theater. Each […]

Andrew Sherr, the U.S. Consul to the Guayaquil, says that 250,000 visa requests from Ecuadorians who wish to visit the U.S have been processed within the last year. There were 9,000 migration visas requested. “The legal migration from Ecuador to the U.S. has decreased in the last years, although we don’t keep an official tally,” […]

People adversely affected by Tranvia construction delays can apply for a loan of up to $ 20k in credit through BanEcuador. Approximately  2.000 people are eligible. The loan is based on a five-year note with the possibility of an additional grace period of one year. The credit line will have an interest rate of 9,76%. […]

More and more Cuencanos are offering short-term rentals, from rooms to entire houses, to foreigners at an average cost per night of 12 dollars. Offered through websites such as Airbnb, most of the rentals include Wi-Fi, a kitchen, washer and dryer, and even parking space. Most hosts do not allow smoking nor pets in their […]

Aereo Regional, a Guayaquil based airline, will start operating this month in the Cuenca’s Mariscal La Mar Airport. The airline will have two daily flights, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The morning flight will depart from Cuenca at 6 a.m., arriving at Mariscal Sucre Airport (Quito), at 7 a.m. The flight will […]

The other morning we were coming back from Yunguilla quite early; we had three dogs to bring to the vet. Two to be spayed and one because we couldn’t keep her out of our sight…she was in heat (and still is)! Anyway, because the two getting fixed had early surgery, we were up and out […]

The driver of the battery operated bus currently undergoing trials in Cuenca says its performance proves that it can operate efficiently on city streets. “It’s comfortable and smooth and very, very quiet,” reports Alberto Abad, who has driven municipal buses for 38 years. Passengers, who ride the bus for free, are also giving the bus […]

Shell and Marsha Spivey didn’t know they would be changing the face of a village when they first moved to La Entrada — a sleepy fishing village on the Ruta de Spondylus on the Ecuadorian Coast. But, they have … in ways that can only be called miraculous. And, this week, March 5 to March […]

In my previous column about cooking myths (microwave ovens, food-grade aluminum pots and pans and containers are safe, and cooking with Teflon nonstick pans does not “give you cancer”), a reader commented that some of the chemicals used in producing Teflon, including perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are “highly persistent and degrade slowly, if at all, under […]

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 […]

  CuencaHighLife noted that this “rainy” season’ is the wettest in 30 years. I wouldn’t know anything about that because I just got here.  And besides, I hail from the U.S. Pacific Northwest so rain is second nature to me. And, honestly, I love it.  I love living with consuming rain that dominates all else […]

The municipality of Cuenca will soon allow Cuencanos to obtain work permits, project approvals, construction permits and other permits through its web site, www.cuenca.gob.ec. Pablo Barzallo, Municipal Director of the Historical and Patrimonial Areas explains that new system is still undergoing tests but will be launched within days. At the Municipal webpage, in the services […]

Representatives from 25 farmer organizations that are part of the Austro Agroecological Network, presented a project for the creation of more spaces to sell agroecological products in Azuay, Cañar, and Morona Santiago. The project called “Ordinance for the Strengthening of and Boost of Fair and Solidary Trade in the Cuenca Canton” has the support of […]

Proyecto Vida (Project life) is a program developed by the Cuenca Office for Social and Economic Development to help seniors in vulnerable situations by offering assistance provided by city government institutions. “The two main problems are substance abuse and begging,” says Cesar Guerra, project manager.  “Many see begging as a way of life. Sometimes the […]

“Tourists recognize it by the smell,” says Gladys Vázquez, a rose vendor at Plaza de las Flores. Everyday, since 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Cuencanos and tourists can enjoy the wonderful colors and smells at Plaza de las Flores, one of the main attractions of the Cuenca Centro Historico, visited by thousands every year. The […]

There’s a new entertainment venue in Cuenca: it’s called the Cuenca Escape Room. Escape Room offers a thematic puzzle-solving live-virtual experience, where participants role-play in one of the two different mystery rooms and solve mysteries with friends.  The challenge is employ teamwork in intuition to find the clues and overcome obstacles. This new attraction is […]

I got up with the sunrise.  I didn’t do it on purpose.  But, the noise of some parrots that live in the trees across the street from us left me no choice. The little flock (I think that’s what you call a group of parrots) numbers about eight birds. They really are beautiful.  But lately, […]

Operators of the city’s now-popular free walking tours have upgraded their services under a new agreement with Cuenca Tourism Foundation (FMTC), the city’s tourism agency. Operators cite increased demand as one of the reasons for the changes. Tourists can now have a free walking tour around the historic district on any given day of the […]

The followers of former president Rafael Correa have decided on a name for their new political party: Revolucion Alfarista. Their first choice was Revolucion Ciudadana, but the name was already registered by Alianza Pais, the party they broke away from that is currently controlled by supporters of President Lenin Moreno. The new name was chosen […]

The Hearts of Gold Foundation has developed a program that lays the ground work to empower women to change their own lives as well as others. Mírame (watch me) is a newly launched initiative focused on enabling Ecuadorian women to reach their full potential.  The innovative program supports women in critical areas through workshops, networking, […]

It’s been called “super tea” or “super leaf” and health food stores and specialty coffee shops in North America and Europe can’t get enough of it. Guayusa, as it is commonly known, is made from the ilex guayusa leaf. According to some scientific reports and its enthusiasts, who call it the “healthiest tea in the […]

Last week we started offering you our “10 Things to Know Before Moving to Ecuador,” but with so much information we had to ask you to come back this week for items 6 thought 10.  Thanks for showing up!  As promised, here is the rest of what we think you need to know: Before you […]

If you are reading this article, then you have either already decided, or are soon to make up your mind to go for it and take the Ecuador plunge! Yes — for the most part — everything you have heard about the wonderful climate, inexpensive living, the U.S. dollar as the national currency, the colorful […]

The Journal of Wild Mushrooming is a fascinating resource for all things mushrooms. They say there are 10,000 described species in North American and at least as many in South America, but that may represent only a third to a fifth of what’s really out there! In percentages, 50% are inedible, 25% edible but tasteless, […]