When I was younger, I spent a year with a team of artists, filmmakers and anthropologists documenting the Inuit culture of southwestern Alaska. Our autumn trip was to a remote inlet to record a seal hunt. It was late September. When the weather unexpectedly turned...
By Stephen Vargha Many people walk by one of Cuenca’s art treasures in El Centro and probably do not realize it. “CIDAP was founded in 1975,” said Gabriela Vázquez, the Executive Director of Centro Interamericano De Artes Populares, otherwise known as CIDAP. “It...
The argentine canvas tacked to the sky was hung nearly a week ago; whoever is in charge must have issued a recall of the color blue and put this up instead. It seemed a fitting time for the artist, Kleber Moscoso, to abandon his art studio for a spell and chat with me...
By Heather Conley Two Saturdays ago, a busload of us were taken to Tarqui to see the FAAN dog rescue operation there. I was just an ordinary person on the bus and here’s what I saw... Our hosts were the advisory board of FAAN, one of the largest dog rescue groups...
Within a five-block radius of San Sebastian Plaza are two saddlers, at least five furniture makers, a knot of tailors, a sprinkle of goldsmiths, a colorful stained-glass studio, a thriving farmers market, more bakeries than I can count, and twice as many restaurants...
By Larry Welch I was an expat for six years — first in Spain and later in Cuenca — but I am no longer an expat. Having said that, I have to add that I have absolutely no regrets about my seven years living overseas. My wife and I had a blast and our lives are...
By Jancee Dunn Last year, my husband Tom received this memorable text from his father: “FYI, getting brain surgery tomorrow. Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.” This was the first we had heard about his brain surgery. When Tom phoned his dad and asked why he wasn’t told...
By Stephen Vargha Expats who have lived in Cuenca for several years are telling Kelbert Bortone, “Welcome home.” “People were very happy when they found out I had opened a restaurant,” said Bortone. “It’s so good to see my friends again.” Bortone is talking about...
By Tom Larsen What is Transferencia? Transferencia: Impressions of Our City, is the brainchild of Janda Grove, a North American artist now living in Cuenca. The project began in May of 2022. As Janda wandered and explored her adopted hometown, she decided she wanted...
By Calvin Trillin "But haven't you been there before?" That's what people tended to say when they heard that I was about to spend a week or so in Cuenca. "Funny, I never get that sort of response with Paris," I would reply. If I mentioned that I was about to spend a...
By Jay Ratliff Recently, airlines have seen a drastic increase in the number of wheelchair requests. In fact, 25 passengers requested wheelchair assistance on one recent Southwest Airlines flight. And these numbers are growing. As we study the question of why more...
By Stephen Vargha A career in Rolfing for Roosvelt Rojas began by accident. Literally. "I was living in Loja at the time, and I was rushing to Catamayo City Airport as I was late for my flight,” said Rojas. “I crashed and had major injuries as I could not move my...
One of the many joys of living in Cuenca is meandering through centuries-old neighborhoods on Sunday mornings. Booming cannons call people to prayer as streams of families pour onto sidewalks worn to bedrock by shoe leather and bare feet. Little girls, clutching...
By Tom Larsen Transferencia (Sp.) — an act, process, or instance of transferring. March 2023 in Cuenca will see the culmination of nearly a year’s work as local women showcase their art to benefit Mujeres Con Éxito, the Cuenca organization that plays a critical role...
By Nancy Clark Keeping up with the latest science-based sports nutrition recommendations is a challenge. We are constantly bombarded with media messages touting the next miracle sports food or supplement that will enhance athletic performance, promote fat loss, build...
By Stephen Vargha Owning the popular restaurant, La Yunta, was not the original goal of Sole Riquetti. Nor was it the long circuitous global route Riquetti took to end up at Ave. Primer De Mayo. “My dad wanted me to learn English. I always hated English as a kid,”...
I watched quietly as the swollen Paute River carted away dirt, stone, and scoured human debris from a recent rainstorm. It was a strong reminder that the gods of Fertility and Loss, when absorbed in their enthusiasm for being unequalled, will occasionally flood...
By Jan Dynes Books were the stepping stones of my life, they became each decades touch stones and they formed me. My choices were an education that allowed me to become and embrace being everything from a queen or princess to being a slave, angry militant, migrant...
By Rick Snyder It’s time to enjoy some famous comedies at An Evening of Short Plays, opening Friday, February 17 at 4 p.m. at the Azuay Community Theater. Following ACT’s first 2 first success productions of the 2022-23, It Had To Be You and It’s A Wonderful Life, the...
By Anastasia Piatakhina Giré We all come to our new country with some kind of luggage. Sometimes we bring with us some heavily charged suitcases, sometimes just a few books and a backpack. Even if we like to travel light, we still carry some pieces of our reality, the...
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