Cuenca High Life

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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You’ll get no argument from serious eaters about where to find Cuenca’s best hamburger. It’s at the Inca Lounge and Bistro. If there’s a downside to Inca’s hamburger crown, it’s that it overshadows the fact that the restaurant may also serve the best chick... [More]

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Editor’s note: This is the final installment of a multi-part series chronicling the adventures of Shel and Frank Drake on their first visit to Ecuador. Frank is a travel writer and Shel is a professional travel photographer. After breakfast at the sushi joint, we took a cab to the airp... [More]

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It's fitting that Chris and Jenny Bluefields named their business Kookaburra Cafe. As they reflect on why a couple from Queensland with almost no hospitality experience would set up an eatery in southern Ecuador, Jenny's cackle demonstrates the comedy of it all. "I waited tables... [More]

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Editor’s note: This is the ninth installment of a multi-part series chronicling the adventures of Shel and Frank Drake on their first visit to Ecuador. Frank is a travel writer and Shel is a professional travel photographer. We took our leave from breakfast and off we went to the fresh... [More]

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Editor’s note: Curves Gym is one of Cuenca’s growing number of expat-owned businesses. Owner Jon Wright, a three-year Cuenca resident and former personal trainer, explains his approach to achieving positive exercise results – and why a program like Curves can help women live heal... [More]

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Editor’s note: This is the eighth installment of a multi-part series chronicling the adventures of Shel and Frank Drake on their first visit to Ecuador. Frank is a travel writer and Shel is a professional travel photographer. In 2008 Stern, Germany’s version of Newsweek mag... [More]

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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

CUENCA FOOD
For the best hamburger in Cuenca, and the biggest portions too, it’s Inca Lounge and Bistro

SHEL'S AND FRANK'S EXCELLENT ECUADOR ADVENTURE
Cuenca -- the dream is real: EcuADORE

From New South Wales to Cuenca: Calle Larga cafe reflects a passion for informality and simplicity

SHEL'S AND FRANK'S EXCELLENT ECUADOR ADVENTURE
Cuenca -- the dream is real: Getting to know the city

Women face more barriers in establishing an exercise routine; personal trainer explains how to overcome them

SHEL'S AND FRANK'S EXCELLENT ECUADOR ADVENTURE
Cuenca -- the dream is real: A place for us in Cuenca?