Cuenca High Life

Those living on Cuenca’s west side, especially in neighborhoods bordering Av. Ordonez Lazo, can expect major traffic disruptions that will last for a year. According to Cuenca transportation officials, construction of an overpass at the Simón Bolívar traffic circle ... [More]

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As he leads 100 children to the glacier of Ecuador's highest mountain, Chimborazo, Fabian Zurita does not utter a word. The inactive volcano tops out at more than 6,300 meters (20,718 feet) above sea level, and the wind is strong. Like any sportsman, Mr. Zurita believes that the key to s... [More]

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Concerned with an increase in crime, provincial and city governments have increased the number of local law enforcement personnel in Cuenca by more than 600. The number includes 400 Army troops, trained in law enforcement, who are focusing on eliminating illegal firearms and checking veh... [More]

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Marco Tapia, the 31-year-old mayor of Gualaceo, a town of 40,000 in the outskirts of Cuenca, wants his people back. "Basta, Gualaceños! You've made enough money,'' said Tapia during an interview last Sunday in the modest home a relative in the United States has lent h... [More]

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AirCuenca finally took to the skies August 2, four months behind schedule. According to a company spokesperson, the delay was due to an unexpectedly lengthy approval process by Ecuador’s civil aviation authority. The new airline flies between Cuenca, Quito and Guayaquil and says it wil... [More]

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When ambitious siblings vie for political power there are two extremes. There is the Roman way: Romulus kills Remus for control of the city. There is the Labour way: David and Ed Miliband wish each other luck in the party leadership race. Somewhere in between – call it the third way &n... [More]

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Cuenca city officials say that elimination of parking spaces on six historic district streets has improved traffic flow. They say that the full impact of the changes won’t be felt until roadwork, especially on Calle Simon Bolivar, is completed in September. According to city parking co... [More]

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With the mountains of Cuenca – Ecuador's third-largest city and a United Nations World Heritage site – serving as a backdrop, children run energetically up and down the Calle Miguel Escalinatas, a long concrete staircase, around the cones, and back again. They are part of... [More]

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Although Cuenca has one of the lowest rates of serious crime, per capita, in Ecuador (only Loja has a lower rate among cities with populations of more than 100,000), petty and property crime are ongoing problems and rates are increasing. According to 2009 national police statistics, overall crime ... [More]

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The Galapagos Islands, colonial cities, the Amazon jungle, and beach resorts are not the only reason that foreigners visit Ecuador. Tourism officials say the fastest growing attraction may be the country’s dental care. Although it is hard to nail down accurate statistics, tour operator... [More]

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I’ve barely stepped off the plane when the stories about the Valle de Longevidad — Valley of Longevity — start. My cabdriver asks what I’m doing in this small town in southern Ecuador, and I tell him I’m in search of the legendary old people of Vilcabamba. The cabbie ... [More]

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When a friend told me recently that there are 4,000 gringos living permanently in Cuenca, I asked where he got his information. “I read it in a blog,” he said. “Who’s blog?” I asked. “I don’t remember,” he answered. My f... [More]

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The following is by Charles R. Phillips, an Ecuador resident. He is the author of Blue Book for Grassroots Politics, published by Thomas Nelson & Co. Phillips is retired and lives in Cuenca. One of the most difficult decisions for new expats -- after deciding to make Ecuador their home -... [More]

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Referred to by a travel magazine in 2008 as Cuenca’s version of Rick’s Café of Casablanca movie fame, the Eucalyptus Café is easily the city’s best known restaurant and bar among tourists and foreign residents. Lonely Planet rates it the “Pick of Cuenca&r... [More]

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Editor’s Note: Frank and Shel Drake scouted Ecuador in February and March looking for a retirement and expatriation destination; the story of how and where they found it is told in 10 installments on CuencaHighLife.com. This is the second installment of a new series on getting ready to ... [More]

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On a recent day, the man known in Ecuador as the Gringo Chief wore a traditional black smock and a necklace strung with jaguar and wild boar's teeth, perfectly suitable for the Cofan Indian ceremony marking the acquisition of yet another slice of rain forest. With his fellow Cofan listen... [More]

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The owners of bars, liquor stores and gas station convenience stores are up in arms about new nationwide restrictions on the sale of alcoholic. They say that tens of thousands of job will be lost and that the new rules are a draconian response to problems that could be solved through better law en... [More]

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Editor’s Note: Frank and Shel Drake scouted Ecuador in February and March looking for a retirement and expatriation destination; the story of how and where they found it is told in 10 installments on CuencaHighLife.com. This is the first installment of a new series on getting ready to move t... [More]

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If you’re looking for the best home cooking, U.S.-style, in Cuenca, check out California Kitchen. Many of those who have say the cooking is not only the best in Cuenca but better than anything they’ve had the States as well. Opened in April by California family George, Carol... [More]

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Minister of Electricity Miguel Calahorrano says that last week’s start-up of the new hydro electric facility at Mazar signals the beginning of energy independence for Ecuador. He added that it also means that the type of electric blackouts experienced in the country during last fall’s ... [More]

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The Tungurahua volcano in Ecuador’s central Andes continues to show signs of increasing activity, forcing an early end to the school year for hundreds of students in the town of Baños. The school closings were announced shortly after civil defense authorities ordered mandatory e... [More]

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“In the U.S., this would be illegal,” John Schnelling tells a friend standing next to him Thursday night in Cuenca’s Calderon Park. Errant sparks fly in all directions from the make-shift wrought iron fireworks launch pads less than 50 feet away as one rocket after another s... [More]

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Ecuador’s Geophysical Institute reported early Sunday morning that activity at Volcan Tungurahua continued to subside. "There has been a decrease in the activity of the volcano,” the institute said in its morning bulletin. The statement emphasized, however, that the danger was not... [More]

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The eruption of Ecuador's Tungurahua volcano has forced the evacuation of a dozen towns and villages in the central sierra and has blanketed parts of the coast in ash. The ash cloud, moving in a west, southwesterly direction, was also disrupting national and international air travel as the Gua... [More]

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Editor’s note: The following is an excerpt from Vagabonding Down the Andes by Harry A. Franck. Published in 1917, the book is a travelogue of the author’s 1912 journey, mostly by foot, from Panama to Buenos Aires. The following selection and the three that follow describe Franck’... [More]

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CUENCA DIGEST
Overpass construction at Simon Bolivar traffic circle will mean major westside disruption for a year

Ecuador's 75-year-old mountain man is still climbing, teaching children the love of nature

CUENCA DIGEST
Cuenca's police bolstered by 600, inlcuding Army troops

Gualaceo families suffer as thousands from the town live overseas; mayor tells them, it's 'time to come home'

CUENCA DIGEST
After months of delays, AirCuenca is finally airborne

Sibling rivalry reaches new heights as Correa brothers Rafael and Fabricio battle for political power in Ecuador

CUENCA DIGEST
New city rules reduce street parking in El Centro

While Cuenca's 2,000 Colombian refugees struggle for acceptance, the children find relief in sports

Staying safe in Cuenca: a former criminologist offers some advice about avoiding street crime

Ecuador's low costs make 'dental tourism' a growth industry, especially in Cuenca, Guayaquil and Quito

The claims for its centenarians may be 'grossly exaggerated' but Vilcabamba retains its charm

SYLVAN HARDY
Checking out Cuenca's 'gringo invasion’ and other popular myths in the land of the blind

Shipping your household goods to Ecuador: by following some simple rules you can avoid major headaches

CUENCA FOOD
Expat-owned Eucalyptus Café is still getting the headlines

FRANK'S AND SHEL'S EXCELLENT ECUADOR ADVENTURE
Your huddled couple yearning to be free

Cofan 'gringo chief' helps natives thrive in their jungle communities -- and in the political and economic arena

CUENCA DIGEST
New national restrictions on alcohol sales stir opposition

FRANK'S AND SHEL'S EXCELLENT ECUADOR ADVENTURE
Plenty of reasons to leave the surreal New World

CUENCA FOOD
Hungry for home cooking? California Kitchen does it best

CUENCA DIGEST
Officials say that new hydro electric plant on the Rio Paute will reduce the possibility of future blackouts

As Tungurahua activity increases again, officials voice concern for the safety of Baños; local schools let out early

With bombs bursting in air, Cuenca's annual Setenario celebration is noisy, dangerous ... and exciting

Tungurahua eruption subsides but danger remains; ash cloud dissipates and Guayaquil airport reopens

Tungurahua eruption causes evacuations and sends ash cloud toward the coast; in-country air traffic disrupted

CUENCA A CENTURY AGO
Good weather, ‘dreamy loafing’ and meeting the locals