Domingo, 15/1/2017: Landslides close roads, Hotel planned for convent, Traffic controls, New tram tracks to be installed

Jan 16, 2017 | 0 comments

Hola, Todos –

Pagina cultural –

Article about –

Complejo de Todos Santos – An area of the convent in Todos Santos is being planned for an hostal of about 17 rooms.  The area used to house the Hermanas oblatas for 20 years was left unoccupied and has fallen into disrepair.  The restoration project will cost about $4 million and the sister who is the coordinator for the Complejo Patrimonial is looking for people who want to donate to the project. You can call Sister Ruth Murquincho at 099 883 2614 to donate, or deposit to savings account number 99445181 of the Fundación Oblata Todos Santos in the Cooperativa La Merced.

Otras cosas – 

Titular – Peterhansel y Sunderland ganan el Dakar (Peterhansel and Sunderland win the Dakar)

Migrantes “en pie de lucha” (Migrants are “standing up”) – Thousands of migrants marched in various cities of the US in protest against the xenophobic rhetoric and immigration policies of El Sapo elect.  (Contrast that with the Ecuadorian law on human mobility – which emphasizes the human part, instead of dehumanizing immigrants and putting children who have fled war torn countries in jails.)

Accident – There was a multi-vehicle crash “el último viernes” around 20:30 on the vía Yaguachi-Jujan in Guayas in the “T at Milago” sector.  A Cooperativa Ventanas interprovincial bus, a school bus and an SUV were involved in the accident which left at least 20 dead, 14 of them from the school bus, and 17 injured. (The photo shows scrap metal on the side of the road – you couldn’t tell from the bits that it had ever been part of a vehicle.)

Traffic controls – On “la mañana de ayer,” the Transit cops started a new operation to make sure drivers are obeying the law.  The transit agents have a permanent program with traffic stops that will set up in different areas of the city to check that drivers are carrying their licenses, matrícula (registration), and SOAT (minimum insurance).  (You gringos who’ve been living here for years and are still driving on international licenses better start practicing your explanations.)

Your sliver of life article – The Municipal Department of Social and Economic Development has a 2017 budget of $4,533,749 for 19 social plans, projects and programs.  This includes $606,903 to Proyecto Vida which provides humanitarian aid to combat begging and helps addicts.  Casa Violeta for abused women gets 231,215, Cemisol gets 259,479 for its childrens’ and teens’ shelters.  Other programs are for child care centers around town (CDI), nutritional support, assistance to the disabled, the Cantonal Protection of Rights Board, and more.  (It would be interesting to compare Cuenca’s budget with that of a US city of similar size – like my old home town.)

Tranvía and road closures – A new stretch of rails will be installed starting tomorrow where Octavio Cordero, Baltazar de Calderón and Gran Colombia converge.  Traffic will be restricted leaving two way traffic for residents only.  Bus lines 22 and 28 will change, but once they get onto Sangurima, they will retake their normal routes.

Rains cause Landslide – Traffic was blocked in the Cajas by a landslide on “la mañana de ayer” that contained a lot of large rocks (look like those rocks are car sized) along the vía Cuenca-Molleturo-El Empalme at km. 50.  (This is the most common route to Guayaquil from here.)  Normal traffic was restored by 16:00. Heavy rains over the weekend in areas to the south and west of Cuenca, flooded pastures and caused a number of road closures. Cuenca’s rivers were running at full capacity.

Actualidades section – Articles about –

Mario Casto Quezada – This Cuencano with 27 years of service in the National Police was promoted to staff Coronel.

“Añorando Mi Ecuador” (Missing My Ecuador) – A group of musicians is “broadcasting” a show in real time on their Facebook page, “Creative Films Zone 4k,” at 19:00 los jueves. Their “studio” is on the Circunvalación Sur, a block from the 12 de Octubre roundabout, in Sonolab Music.  Artists interested in participating on the program can call 099 374 3142 or 098 543 5070.

Sports and health – La cultura física terapéutica (Therapeutic physical culture) – This is an independent medical discipline that uses physical culture to cure illnesses and injuries by stimulating the vital functions.  (Or something like that.)

Intercultural – The Fundación Turismo para Cuenca (Tourism for Cuenca Foundation) rescued the “Carnaval de Compadres y Comadres” (Godfathers and Godmothers Carnaval) tradition where a giving a sugar baby in a basket with flower petals, balloons, etc. signaled the beginning of Carnaval.  In El Valle and Tarqui, festivals like the Taita Carnaval are rooted in the Andean cosmovision.  Foods associated with Carnaval are dulces de frutas,  and especially dulce de higo (fig).  (A dulce de fruta is a fruit stewed in sugarsyrup and spices.  Fruits are not mixed.)

Turismo – Colombia is promoting itself as a tourist destination for nature lovers.  (So now you can birdwatch where armies and revolutionaries used to march.)  The country has 1,921 species of birds, 79 of them endemic.  Just the Valle de Cauca, in the southeast, has as many bird species as all of the US.

Internacional –

Venezuela – Pres. Maduro oversaw an exhibition of the Government’s strategy so that “ninguna potencia imperialista” (“no imperialist power”) can attack the country. (Wonder who he’s talking about.  Problem is that talk wouldn’t be enough to stop the 800 lb. gorilla up north if it wanted into Venezuela.) There were combat simulations, tanks and various sorts of arms in different areas of the country.

Discuentos y compras –

Sukasa – 20-50% off sale – 14-22/1 or until stocks run out.

And that´s all for today so Hasta Mañana –

Jeanne

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