News
By Susan Schenck Ten days of no talking, no dinner, no reading or writing, no TV, radio or internet, no meat, no caffeine, no contact with the opposite sex, 12 hours of sitting, getting awakened at 4 a.m. with the sound of a clanging gong—sounds like hell? For many Cuencanos and foreigners who participated in...
by Susan Schenck I’ve been fascinated with belly dancing for 30 years. I took classes in San Diego and even performed a couple of times. Then I was invited to an all-women party in Cuenca, celebrating the revolution of Middle Eastern women. We were each to contribute a poem, blog, or story. But for me...
by Susan Schenck I hate working out at the gym. Give me yoga, walking, dancing, hiking, biking, skiing, and the mini-trampoline anytime over weight training. Even though lifting weights has never been a joy, I forced myself to do it for the better part of the last 26 years. After moving to Cuenca, I gave...
Although it has been called the "Gringo invasion" in newspaper and web articles, Cuenca's influx of foreign residents hardly represents the action of conquering hordes. There is, however, no denying the city's growing popularity among foreigners looking for a new home. Cuenca's status as a world-class expat destination can be dated to September 2009 when...
My first night in Cuenca, I attended an event at the Cuenca Chamber of Commerce launching its Cuenca for Expats program. I ponied up $100 to join the Chamber, buying access to the members-only content at CuencaforExpats.com and invitations to Chamber functions. (For that story, click here.) However, membership in the Chamber also includes exclusive...
April 1 isn't April Fools Day in Cuenca. Rather, it's the launch day of several weeks of parades, art shows, concerts, fiestas, and the kind of partying that goes on in a city that's celebrating its founding a mere 454 years ago (in 1557, partly on an existing Inca settlement). This particular parade began at Plaza San Blas on the...
Mike Olson, 65, lives in a modest apartment in Yonkers, a northern suburb of New York. Like many people, he plans to move south to a warmer climate when he retires next month. But in his case, that warmer climate is not just below the Mason-Dixon Line; it's in Costa Rica. Mr. Olson and his...
Cuenca is making plans to reopen one of city’s oldest and most historic streets. Actually an alley way, Calle Santa Ana, which runs between the cathedral and Raymipampa restaurant on Calle Benigno Malo, has been bricked shut for decades. City, church and civic leaders envision Santa Ana as an artisans’ market but also accessway to...
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...
Ecuador's initiative to protect the climate and the rainforest of Yasuni National Park by leaving its largest oil reserve in the ground will be supported by a new multi-donor trust fund to offset lost oil revenue, Ecuadorian and United Nations officials announced last week in Copenhagen. Ecuador's Foreign Minister Fander Falconi and Minister of Natural...
Cuenca is revising rules to protect historic buildings and will have a new comprehensive plan in place by summer 2010, according to officials. Mayor Paul Granda says that because of weak and poorly enforced ordinances, a number of buildings that should have been protected have been demolished in recent years. “The ordinances that maintain the...
How do Cuenca and Quito compare? It's a question in the minds of many foreigners considering relocating to Ecuador. The short –and probably the best– response is, ‘come down and see for yourself.’ There are, however, similarities and differences that the prospective expat should know about before putting boots on the ground in Ecuador. According to Ecuadorian...
Dani News
The Cuenca Dispatch
Week of May 05
Record Number of Tourist Visas Granted to Ecuadorians by the United States between October 2022 and September 2023.
Minister of Energy Advocates for Legislation Empowering Private Companies in Electrical Supply Sector.
Noboa Stands Firm: No Extradition of Fugitives from Ecuador.
Fund Grace News
Discounts at Gran Colombia News
Country living News
Country Ranch Living News
Hogar Esperanza News
