CuencaHighLife
By Hal Cousins A team of scientists has documented that Yasuní National Park, in the core of the Ecuadorian Amazon, shatters world records for a wide array of plant and animal groups, from amphibians to trees to insects. The authors also conclude that proposed oil development projects represent the greatest threat to Yasuní and its...
Editor’s note: The following is a sample of Cuencano opinions about English-speaking expats living in Cuenca. They were compiled by University of Cuenca graduate student Silvia Lara for a research project about immigration. The comments were translated into English by Carlos Fernando Flores. “I lived in the U.S. for 27 years and appreciate the way...
By Simone Cannon de Bastardo Although the Galapagos Islands, Atacama and Torres del Paine National Parks are well known among travelers from North America, most people don’t know that there are more than 300 other beautiful national parks, protected sanctuaries and nature reserves in South America. Some are more accessible than others, some are quite...
By Rob Picheta “I don’t want to be a flat Earther,” David Weiss says, his voice weary as he reflects on his personal awakening. “Would you wake up in the morning and want everyone to think you’re an idiot?” But Weiss is a flat Earther. Ever since he tried and failed to find proof of...
By Rashmi J. Dalai Long before glitz and glamour came to accompany corporate packages and overseas retirements, Ernest Hemingway likened expats to addicts: “You’ve lost touch with the soil. You get precious. Fake foreign standards have ruined you. You drink yourself to death. You become obsessed with sex. You spend all your time talking, not...
By Martin Simmons On a recent visit to Loja Province, a man and his wife described a home invasion they had suffered earlier this year. Although the couple lost a television, cell phones and several hundred dollars in cash, they were unhurt except for bruises they received from being tied up. When I asked them...
By Joshua J. Mark The Inca civilization (c. 1400-1533 CE) is among the most vital of South America in terms of its cultural influence and legacy. The Inca began as a small tribe who steadily grew in power to conquer other peoples all down the coast from Colombia to Argentina. They are remembered for their...
By Deke Castleman Atahualpa. Gil Ramirez Davalos. Luis Cordero. Padre Aguirre. Presidente Borrero. Remigio Crespo. Abdon Calderón. These names fill the history books of Ecuador, and dot the city map of Cuenca. But who were these people? And what about those dates? In the United States we often find Independence Avenue in most cities. The...
The word “Cuenca” means “watershed” which is appropriate. A confluence of four rivers run through town on their way to the Amazon. In fact, the town’s full name, “Santa Ana de los Cuatro Ríos de Cuenca” pays tribute to the Tomebamba, Yanuncay, Tarqui and Machangara rivers. The Rio Tomebamba flows along the border between the historic...
The National Police are stepping up efforts to catch thieves and con artists who prey on tourists and expats in Cuenca’s historic district. To be successful, however, they say they need help from those who have victimized. “We need foreigners to be vigilant for the common scams used by the thieves and to protect their...
By Jerome Long His men were exhausted, cold and wet. They had slogged over a muddy mountain trail and were suffering from altitude sickness. Many of them were raw, untested recruits. The enemy could see what he was doing and was moving to gain the higher ground. Although initially surprised by the Spanish maneuver, the...
By Rob Mason Contrary to an apparently widespread belief back in the U.S. – and especially, it sometimes seems, among certain lawmakers in Washington – most American expats are not rich, and don’t live abroad in order to avoid their U.S. tax obligations, a new survey has found. Just 33% of some 1,602 American expats...
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