Posts:
By Garnett Stewart Last week, in a public open-air market in Centro, the salesperson sneezed three times on her produce without trying to control her secretions. I respectfully asked her to wash her face and hands. I begged her to protect everyone's health. I asked...
By Chris Kenning At her house in Ecuador’s third largest city, its colonial buildings framed by the Andes mountains, LaRahna Hughes’ phone buzzed repeatedly with messages from relatives and friends back in the United States. Are you OK? Are you getting out of the...
Most people visiting Peru or Ecuador for the first time quickly realize that the rich indigenous heritage makes the countries what they are today. Particularly in the Andes, a prime reason for many visits is to connect with, and learn about indigenous traditions --...
By Stephen Vargha Fundación GRACE began the second leg of its journey to help migrants in Cuenca. On January 26, the five-year-old non-profit organization had an open house for its new location on Av. Ordóñez Lasso. “The landlord of our old place raised our rent to...
By Jeremiah Reardon At the time of last year’s Independence Festival I had coffee with my musician friend Walt at Cuenca’s main plaza. Sharing with him my musical adventures, I pointed out the Old Cathedral. “That’s where I began building my first guitar two years...
By Dina Fine Maron We’re living much longer than our ancestors, but is that always a good thing? With many people living well into our late 70s or beyond, more of us are also spending a greater portion of our lives—sometimes a decade or more—saddled with physical and...
By Cheyanne Daniels A new analysis has found that minority Americans will make up the majority of the nation’s population by 2050. Using data from the American Community Survey, Collage Group found that since 2021, America’s multicultural population has increased by...
By Stephen Vargha Pizza is one of the most popular foods in the world. It is the most favorite takeaway dish worldwide according to the French producers of Maestrella mozzarella cheese. Worldwide, it is estimated that pizza generates over $132 billion annually. Every...
By Garnett Stewart Ecuador has a viral influenza season. It usually runs from August to March. This year, several friends have had mild or severe flu. The majority were unvaccinated. The vaccinated persons had a 3-to-5-day milder case. Non-vaccinated people endured 2...
By Daryl Austin Improved mental health is on the agenda for many people in 2024 and decluttering and organizing is the preferred method of accomplishing it for a lot of them. One reason disorganization is so often tied to mental health is because it can have a...
By Meryl Davids Landau Jasmine Charbonier’s heavy drinking started in college. By her early thirties, she was downing up to eight tequila cocktails daily, several days each week. Last year she tried to quit and was surprised when she plummeted into withdrawal. New...
By Marta Biino and Charissa Cheong Culture shocks are a well-known, hugely popular genre on travel TikTok. Users who have visited or moved to other countries frequently share aspects of life in these environments that surprised them and that they aren't used to in...
By Garnett Stewart I use Google to define fear. When you're afraid of something dangerous, painful, or disgusting, you feel fear. We fear what might happen. I heard many people express concern in Centro Cuenca today. I saw no risk anywhere. When I drove up Remigio...
By Susan Burke March There are a number of reasons why medical and dental tourism in Ecuador is popular, with the primary two being that it’s less costly than in North America, and that you can obtain quality care, particularly in Cuenca. And what is medical tourism...
By Rhett Butler In 1997, ornithologist Robert S. Ridgely discovered a previously undocumented bird species, the Jocotoco Antpitta (Grallaria ridgelyi), in the tropical montane forests on the Amazonian slope of the Andes in southeastern Ecuador. This ground-dwelling...
By Garnett Stewart For our new 2024, I propose a well-known poem known as "Desiderata." It was discovered on the wall of the Episcopal Church of my family in Baltimore, Maryland. Unsigned and dated 1692. My family's plantation was established on land that is now part...
By Mark Travers Have you ever wondered what your life would be like without a smartphone? Some may envision a life of peace without distraction, whereas some may see a life with less convenience and connection. Others, however, may feel terrified of the idea entirely....
By Aimee Robinson The British are huge fans of travel, with the latest data revealing that 5.5 million British people live permanently abroad. Some locations, however, are far more expensive than others and the drop in the value of the pound hits British expats...
By Garnett Stewart Are you feeling sad? At this time of year, there are a lot of SAD people! What I am talking about, of course, is Seasonal Affective Disorder, commonly referred to by its initials, S.A.D., and several of my acquaintances tell me that they suffer from...
Editor’s note: Garry Vatcher is the founder and director of Hogar Esperanza, a Cuenca-based charity dedicated to providing services and support to Ecuadorians and migrants who need assistance. Their services include medical support, disaster relief and financial...
Week of August 23
Ecuador’s economy grew 2% during the first half of 2026 compared with the same period a year earlier, according to new Banco Central del Ecuador data.
Cuenca gets a prime view of next week’s deep partial lunar eclipse.
Ecuador’s economy grows 2% in the first half of 2026.
