Cuenca’s Corpus Christi, the ‘sweetest festival on earth’, kicks off; Scopolamine robberies leave victims unconscious; Theater presents ‘Legends of Ecuador’

Martes, 14/6/2022

Hola, Todos –

Actividades –

55 artistas teatralizan 8 leyendas de Ecuador (55 artists dramatize 8 legends of Ecuador) – “Killa Saririkuna” is a work that features air dancing, theater, dance, and music to put 8 Ecuadorian legends on stage. 55 artists from 3 collectives – Lumiére, led by Paúl García, formed at the Compañía Nacional de Danza; Gravité Zero, founded by Inel Escudero from France; and Barojo, directed by Piotr Zalamea – will perform. The work will premier el jueves with two performances a las 19:00 y a las 21:30 in the Teatro Pumapungo. There will be two more performances el 17/6 at the same place and hours. Tickets are available on www.meet2go.com and at the Museo Catedral Vieja, Clínica Quierocuena, y Winery. Tickets cost $15 for presales, and $20 on the day of the event.

Corpus Chrisit sweets go on sale this week around Parque Calderon.

Corpus trae de vuelta dulces aromas (Corpus Christi brings back sweet aromas) – The “sweetest fiesta in the world” will return when Corpus Christi is celebrated from el 16-23/6. This year <finally after 2 sugar free years> vendors will again be selling sweets around the Catedral de La Inmaculada Concepción, there will be religious events, and burning castillos (castles) and vacas locas (mad cows). Monseñor Marcos Pérez, archbishop of Cuenca, announced that Corpus Christi will start with the Holy Hour a las 18:30 in the San Sebastián Church, followed a procession a las 19:00 along calle Sucre to the new cathedral, and a mass a las 19:30. An hour after the mass <How long does a mass last?> the first castillo will be burned. There will be a mass a las 19:00 every night except for domingo when mass will be a las 20:00. María Angélica León, director of the Fundatión de Turismo in Cuenca is hoping that the number of visitors reaches 50,000 which would be the same as in 2019.

Ecuagenera abre las puertas de su Casa (Ecuagenera opens its doors) – Ecuagenera organizes an open house every 6th month of the year, and this year it will be from el 16-26/6 with hours from 9-17:00. The company has 220 employees, 120 in Gualaceo, and the rest in Cuenca, Zamora, Quito, Guayaquil, Germany, Florida, and Jersey City. They have large markets in Asia, Europe, and América. Before the pandemic Ecuagenera participated in 70 international orchid shows and congresses. Because of the pandemic, it reinvented itself with the international “Pop Up” project. In 2020 it did more than 50 events; in 2021, more than 150; and will pass 200 this year. The project was possible because exporters had salvoconducto (safe conduct passes) as a priority sector and because of the company’s logistical experience in the US and Europe.

Titular –

Cierres parciales de las vías en la Sierra (Partial road closures in the Sierra) – See articles in today’s (Tuesday) CHL for the story.

Sucesos –

From el periodico del domingo, 12/6/2022 (I didn’t find the paper until this morning. I was hung up in the middle of the raspberry bush).

En Cuenca, delincuencia opera con escopolamina (In Cuenca, crime operates with scopolamine) – There have been robberies using scopolamine in the last few days. The most recent case was reported last Friday afternoon at calles Mariscal Lamar y Manuel Vega where 3 people were found unconscious on the sidewalk. Passersby called 911. Cruz Roja Ecuatoriana (CRE) and fire department ambulances arrived. Two were taken to the Vicente Corral Moscoso Hospital and one was assisted the scene by fire fighters. One of the victims said the 3 had been drinking at a bar when they were approached by a subject who asked them about an address on a piece of paper. When he woke up on the street, they were without their phones, money and valuables. He felt nauseous and his companions were semi-conscious. Another incident occured el 7/6 in the Feria Libre sector where the victim was approached by the robber who touched his shoulder and asked him how to get to a foundation. The victim took $500 out of an ATM and gave it to the robber.

Two U.S. expats were victims of scopolamine robberies in April and May, both single men who shared drinks with women from Guayaquil. One of the men invited two women to his apartment and reported he was robbed of his computer, cash, cell phones and small kitchen appliances while he was unconscious. The other man says he drank with a Guayaquileña at a local bar and woke up the next morning on the banks of the Rio Tomebamba without his wallet and cell phone. <Be careful out there – don’t take anything from strangers. Especially drinks and paper.>

And that’s all for today so Hasta ? –

Jeanne