Posts:
“You can’t escape. Your heart will be broken, too.” This was how Jake introduced himself as he slumped against my table. It was a balmy evening, the cafe was full as he crumbled into one of the last available chairs. He went on: “I have never been married, other than...
Word filtered down from North America that the U.S. is spinning out of control, flinging folks into a maelstrom of frenzy and gunfire. I was told that mass murder is treated with the same importance as a mass transit accident: what a shame and too bad. I was warned...
By C. Michael White Different people taking the same drug can have markedly different responses to the same dose. While many people will get the intended effects, some may get little to no benefit, and others may get unwanted side effects. As a pharmacist who...
By Stephen Vargha Cuenca has been called the “Arts Capital of Ecuador,” and some say the city is an “Up-And-Coming Arts Capital of South America.” It seems more and more artists are flocking to Cuenca. That includes J.W. Marshall. The 65-year-old from Atlanta, Georgia...
Dear Readers, I flew from Cuenca to Quito to Miami to Hartford on a clear and lovely day last week. Although I wished for nothing more than a giddy celebration, I knew there would be a sobering downside, too. I had been told repeatedly that the U.S. has changed in...
By Leita Hulmes My name is Leita Hulmes, and I volunteer with the Ecuadorian foundation Hearts of Gold (HofG). Of their many programs, one that touched my heart is the program called “All Children Deserve to Dream”. Every child deserves to dream, but in Ecuador...
By John Keeble A major mural painting project spanning two barrios in the west of Cuenca has taken another step forward and the final phase is likely to begin in two weeks. It is a cooperative venture between the communities of Convención Del 45 and Tandacatu...
There are many who hold Johnny Jara in esteem for his prowess in writing and publishing, others for his visionary talent in architectural design, and many others who enjoy his knowledgeable perspective on the arts in Ecuador. Those who know him best describe him as...
By Kate Springer As variants spell a new chapter for the pandemic, some countries have accepted COVID-19 as a fact of life and eased restrictions, while others have doubled down on a zero-COVID model with stringent lockdown and quarantine measures. In Asia-Pacific,...
By Steven Petrow Soon after my 50th birthday, 10 years ago, I started keeping a list of “Things I will do/things I won’t do when I get old.” It was a highly judgmental, and super secret, accounting of all the things I thought my parents were doing wrong. My dad lied...
The sky thinks it has a squabble of seagulls in its sight, but then quickly realizes that this is not the coast and that these are not seabirds; this is Paute, and what is flying is a single cloud, born high in the Andes, discharged in the night, and drifting downwind...
By Jan Dynes Books were the stepping stones of my life. They became each decade’s touch stones and they formed me. My choices were an education that allowed me to become and embrace being everything from a reigning queen to being a slave, angry militant, migrant...
The painter, David Williams, arrived in Cuenca in 2015 after suffering a debilitating condition that all but claimed his eyesight. This condition would be devastating for anyone, but for a visual artist it is life altering. He credits two significant factors that...
By Silvia Marchetti Buying an abandoned home in a tiny, depopulated Italian village is something that many travelers will have mulled over, especially given the vast number of bargain house schemes launched in the European country over the past few years. After CNN...
I was having another fluky day tootling around El Centro. As I wandered along Calle Larga towards Inglesia Todos Santos, I realized with regret that it has been two years since I last set foot in the restaurant right across the street, Sunrise Cafe. I also realized...
By Sarah Jackson It's no secret that the pandemic has wrought havoc on our mental health. From social isolation to grieving loved ones lost to COVID-19, many people have struggled with their mental well-being over the past year and a half. "Already, there was an unmet...
I’ve been granted a gift greater than any vast fortune; I’m in love with the most marvelous woman ever. She is alluring, smarter than I am by a country mile, is extraordinarily kind, consistently generous towards others, deeply reflective, and enjoys a spiritual...
By Linda Pressly and Esperanza Escribano Squatting has a long history in Spain, often fuelled by high rates of homelessness. But there is now a darker phenomenon too -- squatters who demand a "ransom" before they will leave a property. And this has led to the rise of...
Ecuador’s Ministry of Health reports that nationwide the number of hospitalizations and deaths from Covid-19 are at the lowest levels since March 2020, when the pandemic was declared. Health officials in Cuenca and Azuay Province say their numbers reflect those at the...
I’d like to share it with you a little test suggested by W.S. Merwin… Blindfold yourself with some suitable object. If time permits remain still for a moment. You may feel one or more of your senses begin to swim back toward you in the darkness. Meanwhile, have...
