Posts:
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
Note: this article is a blast from the past! That means you should check the date. Some details may have changed, so you should check their Facebook page for updated info. Link at the end of the article. You’ll get no argument from serious eaters about where to...
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,...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Ecuador’s National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology, (INAMHI) says that May in Cuenca may be wetter than usual. INAMHI makes the prediction based on water temperatures in the Pacific that are slightly higher than normal but says more rain is needed to...
Editor’s note: This is the seventh 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. The plane touched down at...
Cuenca is making plans to reopen one of city’s oldest and most historic streets. Actually an alley way, Calle Santa Ana, which runs between the cathedral and Raymipampa restaurant on Calle Benigno Malo, has been bricked shut for decades. City, church and...
Almost a month after the $1.3 million robbery of a government run pawn service at Cuenca’s Social Security office, small crowds continue to gather to protest repayment terms for lost jewelry. The heist, which remains unsolved, occurred over...
Editor’s note: This is the sixth installment of a multi-part series chronicling the adventures of Frank and Shel Drake on their first visit to Ecuador. Frank is a travel writer and Shel Drake is a professional travel photographer. We found Ibarra to be a...
Note: The following is a blog post by experienced trekker, RoundPicture. As he points out, hiking the Cajas can be strenuous and is often dangerous. Trails can be poorly marked and weather is unpredictable with temperatures falling well below freezing at night....
Editor’s note: This is the fifth installment of a multi-part series chronicling the adventures of Frank and Shel Drake on their first visit to Ecuador. Frank is a travel writer and Shel Drake is a professional travel photographer. I’d made reservations at...
