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Editor’s note: This is the fourth 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. The International Living conference ended Saturday night. Sunday morning we walked to Budget to pick up our rental car....
Parades, crafts shows, races, fireworks and a thanksgiving mass at the new cathedral highlighted the 453rd anniversary of Cuenca’s Spanish founding on Monday. Several thousand attended a mid-morning parade in the historic district. Marching bands and dance troupes from city schools were the main attraction, along with performers from a variety of civic organizations and...
Editor’s note: This is the third 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. The next morning, Wednesday, the International Living conference commenced. After being one of perhaps 80 people at the conference I’d attended...
The number of American citizens and green-card holders severing their ties with the U.S. soared in the latter part of 2009, amid looming U.S. tax increases and a more aggressive posture by the Internal Revenue Service towards Americans living overseas. According to public records, just over 500 people worldwide renounced U.S. citizenship or permanent residency...
Editor’s note: This is the second 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 went to Ecuador, initially, to attend a four-day conference on expatriating sponsored by the venerable and recommendable International...
Editor’s note: This is the first 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’d just spent 24 hours traveling and 36 hours awake and I could hardly hold my head up,...
Pending final approval from Ecuador’s Civil Aviation Council, AirCuenca will take to the skies April 12, expanding Cuenca’s air travel options. Ecuador’s newest airline will offer daily service between Cuenca, Quito and Guayaquil and twice weekly service to Macas and Santa Rosa, near Machala. AirCuenca will operate with Boeing 737-500 aircraft, each with a capacity of...
Ecuador's government will not drop the U.S. dollar as its currency, despite recent speculation, while stronger economic growth this year could lead to the reduction of some trade barriers, Ecuador's central bank head said Friday. "The government of President (Rafael) Correa has determined that it will maintain the dollarization scheme," said Central Bank of Ecuador...
A group representing the rights of pedestrians and cyclists is mounting a campaign for tighter enforcement of traffic laws. According Luis Arpi, an advocate for cyclists, the streets are not safe for anybody except those traveling in cars and buses. “We believe the situation is deteriorating and we are bringing this to the attention of...
Although it’s been open for less than two months, Kookaburra Café on Calle Larga, has established itself as a favorite gathering spot for Cuenca expats, tourists and Cuencanos. A labor of love for Jenny And Chris Bluefields, Australian artists attracted to Cuenca by its rich cultural tradition, Kookaburra (it’s an Australian bird, by the way) is located on...
Although Carnival continues through Tuesday, Sunday was the centerpiece of the five-day festival in most of Ecuador. Celebrations in Cuenca, Paute, Gualaceo, Sigsig and other nearby towns, featured costume parades, native dances and plenty of food. The highlight in every venue, though, seemed to be the (mostly) good-natured water and foam fights, a fact that foreigners...
One of Cuenca’s best kept secrets is the charming little mall known as La Esquina De Las Artes, located at 12 de Abril and Agustin Cueva, across the street from the University of Cuenca theater. A lovingly designed project by Cuenca’s gran dame of the arts, Diana Sojos, this former private home now houses a...
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Week of September 08
Expert Warns: Ecuador May Face Extended Blackouts Without Immediate Action.
President Noboa Highlights Need for Legislative Support in Manabí Amid Key Infrastructure Deliveries.
Travel time between Guayaquil and Cuenca could be reduced by at least one hour with a new highway.