Everything is ready for today’s parade, 10,000 liters of blessed hooch, Local gold mine case goes to court, The Joker, Cuenca bird count

Lunes, 23/12/2019

Hola, Todos –

Actividades –
De la pagina cultural –

Women in art and entrepreneurship – “Mujeres por un arte sin frontera” (Women for an art without borders) will be este sábado, 28/12 in the Centro Cultural “El Prohibido” (La Condamine pedestrian street in the El Vado sector). Women artists and entrepreneurs from music, theater, performance, video, tattoo, crafts, and natural cosmetics will be there.

Cine – “Joker” will be shown at the Centro Cultural La Guarida (calle La Mar y Luis Pauta) el martes, 7/1 a las 19-21:00. Free.

Del cuerpo del periodico –

Feria Navideña – La Federación de Artesanos Profesionales de Azuay are holding a Christmas fair until Tuesday in the Portal Artesanal de San Blas. Ecological nativity scenes made from plastics, cardboard, fabric, metal and even bread <You’ll need to eat that one by new year because it will be green and hairy by next Christmas.> will be on display. Other craft items will include clothing, jewelry, ceramics, embroidery, home decorations, footwear, leather goods, and more. <This is for you really last minute shoppers.>

Otras cosas –

A priest blesses the Pase del Niño chicha. (El Mercuiro)

Titular – Chicha tiene sabor a devoción (Chicha has the taste of devotion) – 10,000 liters of chicha, the alcoholic Pase del Niño drink, were blessed by Monsignor Marcos Pérez, archbishop of Cuenca. The ceremony included the Niño Viajero, the monsignor, the Pulla-Álvarez family which makes the chicha each year, friends, journalists, priostes, padrinos, and the 20 members of the Army Band who played villancicos. The 40,000 glasses of the drink will be served to marchers in the Pase del Niño Viajero parade as well as watchers. 100,000 people including parade participants and spectators are expected tomorrow. The chicha will be served at the corner of Bolívar y General Torres.

Mining – Ecuador could face its 1st international judicial process for blocking the Río Blanco mining project. The project is in the Cajas Moutains, west of Cuenca.

Birding tourism – A count to register bird species in Cuenca started in the plaza de El Otorongo and ended in the parque El Paraíso. 8 people took part in the “census” to find out what is happening to birds and their ecosystem. There are birds that are now not often seen due to various factors such as cutting down trees and the growth of the city.
The first bird count in Ecuador was in Mindo in 1994 with 16 official counts up to 2018. The birds that were spotted were registered in “eBird.” There are also changes in the bird species due to global warming. Águila pescadores (fishing eagles?), which are coastal birds, have been seen in Pumapungo, and the brujillo is rarely seen anymore. This first group of birders is hoping to increase number of observers next year. <If you’re an interested birder, my guess is to contact Sumak Serrano, chief of project planning for the Fundación de Turismo de Cuenca.>

Old News –

Pase del Niño – Everything is ready for the parade on 24/12. Participants in the parade started lining up along av. Paseo Tres de Noviembre at 19:00 el lunes. The parade route will be up Bolívar against the usual flow of traffic. <Unless something goes terribly wrong, there won’t be any usual flow of traffic – just the 8 hour (plus or minus) parade.> Along the route there will be 2 chicha stations (Bolívar y Torres and Bolívar y Cordero); a station serving bread from the Monasterio del Carmen on Padre Aguirre between Sucre y Bolívar; and tents for the police, first aid, hydration, and lost kids. There will also be a cisterna sanitaria (porta-potties?) on Benigno Malo between Sucre and Cordova. <And we hope the wind will be blowing north to south. So enjoy the parade and hang onto your camera.> I think El Niño will be wearing a blue uniform this year.

Mundo (world) news –

Colombia suspends Uber – The Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio of Colombia ordered Uber to suspend its service in Colombia immediately. It found the company engaging in competencia desleal (unfair competition – your phrase for the day), violating regulations, and providing transportation services in an irregular manner. <Plus exploiting their drivers.>

Descuentos y compras –

Hostería Durán – Cena de Noche Buena, 24/12 a las 20:00 – $26.00/ adults, $14:00/ children, incl. IVA – complimentary glass of wine – Seafood vol au vent, turkey with macadamia sauce, lomo w/ 3 cheeses, potato croquettes, mixed vegetables, Christmas rice, orange mousse, Yule log cake, hot beverage station – 07 2892-485 or WhatsApp, 099 2340985.

And that’s all for today so hasta ? –

Jeanne