Highlight tour of eastern Azuay Province; A guide to Cuenca’s best Christmas desserts; Compost your dead pet; Cuenca needs a proactive plan to fight crime

Bored? –
(De El Mercurio del lunes, 15/12) 10 lugares para conocer Azuay (10 places to visit in Azuay) – Cuenca’s eastern cantons of Gualaceo, Paute, Sígsig, El Pan, Chordeleg, Guachapala & Sevilla de Oro let you sail in the Andes, discover crafts, learn the ancient secrets of ancestral cultures, and feel an adrenaline rush. VisitAzuay, a route planned by the Prefectura del Azuay brings you to these locations.

Pirotecnia (fireworks) – In Gualaceo, the Orellana family has been building a legend based on powder for 5 generations. At the Tres Cruces de Gualaceo lookout, a museum displays the whole process and history of fireworks. The Museo Interactivo de la Pirotecnia Artesanal (MIPA) is administered by Wilson Orellana, a young craftsman, and his wife. He estimated that the tradition was introduced in his family by 1820. Part of the museum exhibits include details about how to mix the chemicals, the reed bundles, and the secrets of pyrotechnic colors. They make the traditional vaca locas (crazy cows), indios Lorenzos, turkeys, ayahumas, and castles (towers). Admission: $2.50.

The Cueva Negrea de Chobshi in eastern Azuay Province is one of the first sites inhabited by humans in South America.

Paja toquilla (Toquilla straw>) – In the Sígsig canton, at the entrance to the Playas de Zhingate sector, you will find where straw is woven. Women and men weavers of the Asociación María Auxiliadora show the history of the paja toquilla hats (“Panama” hats) up to the point of exportation. Also in Sígsig are 3 mythic locations. El Pailón is hidden in a canyon where you can walk between gigantic natural walls. At the end is small waterfall that appears when it rains. The Duma fort is 2 km. from El Pailón and was built by the Cañari. At 140 m. long and 1.8 m. tall, it is ideal for sensing the prehispanic presence in the region. The most eye-catching attraction is the Cueva Negrea de Chobshi. It is only a few meters from the fort, and researchers say it is the oldest site in South America where evidence of human presence has been found. The estimate is that humans lived in the cave at least 10,000 years ago.

Orquídeas (Orchids) – Uzhupud Garden is a mecca for orchid lovers in Azuay. There is a hotel impregnated with living nature that reflects the vigor with which the owners dedicate to the care of these plants. The garden has 10 acres containing about 55,000 <Is that possible or is there an extra zero?> species of plants of which 3,500 are orchids.

Sevilla – The Sevilla de Oro canton abuts Morona Santiago province, and is where the Mazar dam is located with a 32 km. long “cola” <(the reservoir?).> It is a bird and wild animal habitat. You can sail or boat in the Andes with HidroRide which has 2 boats that let you tour the reservoir. From the boats, you can see eagles, 12 species of herons, white tailed deer, and wild turkeys. There are 5 different routes to choose from depending on your interests. A few minutes away from the dam, you can get your adrenaline rush on a 7 km. ATV tour to the Silván hill. You can see the where the Collay and Paute Rivers join from the lookout at the top. The cost is $20.00 <The thrill? Priceless, to steal from an old commercial.>

Another place to see the immensity of the reservoir is from La Casona, a house at least 150 years old. Juan Amón, the owner, will point out the “the trinchera” under the main house. He jokes it’s only for very short people, but it was used to store animals and products. You can eat and/or stay at La Casona.

Mazar – On the VisitAzuay route, you can get near the Paute Integral, one of the most important hydroelectric projects in the country that provides electricity to at least 35% of the country <Most of the time when there’s no drought.> You can take a chiva or ranchera (colorful rural bus) to the top of the Mazar dam.

Hungry? –
(De El Mercurio del domingo, 14/12) Una dulce Navidad (A sweet Christmas) – Cuenca has a lot of treats on offer to enjoy this holiday season. María Talbot has won a starring place in the world of pastry due to her ingenuity and creativity. She makes wet cakes with fillings such as manjar, brigadieros, mint, Nutella, pistachio, Snickers, coconut, and almonds; panna cottas with Cerelac, pistachio, or coconut; cheesecakes; and an irresistible pistachio flavored punch. You can order her pastries on Instagram @anamariatalbot8 or on WhatsApp +0999981780.

Marcos Carpio worked in the research area for Hershey in the US and México, and when he returned to Ecuador, he received a scholarship to study frogs as indicators in organic farming. While in the Oriente, he observed chocolate plantations surrounded by bio-diversity, and got the idea to make chocolate from the highest quality beans, combined with Amazonian ingredients to create unique and exotic flavors. His brand, “The Cacao Spirit” has bars inspired by his visits to the Amazon including ‘Humo Negro’ which mixes 68% cacao from Puyo with neapia or black ají which is a smoked yuca paste and Amazonian chile made by women in the Secoya-Remolino community in Sucumbíos. He has a special line for his ‘foodies’ clients including the Humo Negro and Chocolate Ambar, made with white Amazonian chocolate. Part of his Christmas line has nuances of Glühwein with Azuayan cacao, 86% chocolate from Esmeraldas and infused with Andean mint.

At Delirio Cafetería on Mariano Cueva and Simón Bolívar, Melina Torres sells a variety of desserts including raspberry and pistachio cheesecake and mango cheesecake; a special tiramisú; ginger cookies with cinnamon and spices; wet orange cakes; panes de pascua; and red velvet cookies with cheese. She learned dessert making as a child creating cupcakes and cakes with her family. Later she studied at the “Wace O Word Academic of Culinary Education.” To try her desserts, order 24 hours in advance at 099 883 8978.

Juana Alvaro Ramírez’s passion for pastry started when she was a child, and she learned from her mother and aunt. She opened a café in 2019, but had to close during the pandemic. So she named the business “La Juana Postres” and started selling by order. Her products include cookies, carrot cake with orange and dried fruits, chocolate cake with manjar and nuts, Russian chirimoya cake, and forest moss cake which is made with sweet spinach. Dairy free choices <I think I’ve misread something about these dairy free options since the desserts are heavy milk or cream.> include Chocolate Pudding Pie; classic tiramisu; Selva Negra filled with cream cheese, cherry preserves, and decorated with whipped cream <or Cool Whip?> and virutas de chocolate (chocolate shavings — your word for the day); a merengue Xmas log with sliced almonds: red apple cake, king cake, and spice pudding bathed in tres leches Christmas punch. To order, call WhatsApp +0990923372. Order by Dec. 18, with a 50% deposit.

Curious? –
(De El Mercurio del domingo, 14/12) Aurora urna ecológica (Aurora eco-friendly urn) – <This is for all of you with households that include 4 footed family members> “Aurora Urna Ecológica” is a service available in Cuenca, Guayaquil, and Quito. Founded by Juan Pablo Jácome and Veronica Ordóñez, the project is a conscious and sustainable way to honor the lives of your faithful companions. They have developed a 100% compostable and personalizable urn designed to transform the ashes of your pets into a plant that each family selects. The urn is made of coconut fiber and a high proportion of organic substrate that gives the plant all its necessary nutrients, assuring the correct assimilation of the ashes. <Sort of like planting a tree at a grave, only on a small scale. So would you plant something edible like a tomato plant or carrot seeds?> Part of the service is a funeral for your pet. This includes pick up of your deceased pet, cremating it, the ecological urn, help in selecting the plant based on the needs of the owner and information about the pet, and help in planting the plant as well as its care.

<Personally, for these after life momentos, I’d go with that service that will make you a diamond out of Fido’s ashes.> This service is available for any house pet, so far, dogs or cats. <If your beloved pet was a horse, cremation might be a challenge without disassembling the horse.> For more information, call 099 978 4402 or visit Aurora’s social networks such as @Auroraurn.pet.

(De El Mercurio del domingo, 14/12) The political cartoon of the day by Rafa is titled “La Migrante” (The Migrant) It is a drawing of the Statue of Liberty and her thought bubble reads, “A me también me deportaron” (Me too, they deported me too).

(De El Mercurio del lunes, 15/12) “Cuenca es un polo atractivo para los grupos criminales” (Cuenca is an attractive hub for criminal groups), an interview with Mario Pazmiño, a retired Army colonel and security expert, who warned about criminal migration to Cuenca and the urgent need for planning. <I will not translate the questions, but will summarize his answers.>

He thinks that criminal activity has moved to the Terminal Terrestre in Cuenca and from there to the zonas de tolerencia (tolerance zones — “red light districts”), and what you could call the suburbs of the city. There are small sanctuaries in those areas that are being developed. Gangs from the coast are seeking more comfortable places to develop their activities — not just Cuenca but also Pichincha, Latacunga, Riobamba, and Ambato.

What makes Cuenca attractive is Molletura with its mining. Gangs such as Los Lobos, Tiguerones and others are especially interested in the area because of gold mining. Also Cuenca is the 3rd most important commercial city which attracts gangs who commit vacunas (vaccinations or protection rackets), extortions, and express kidnappings. Gangs are also looking for comfortable territories (sanctuaries) from which to operate. Cuenca offers these considering the relaxed intervention of public forces.

Pazmiño discussed 5 levels of penetration into an area or society. The first is the government body where gangs vote with money (bribes), finance political campaigns to later obtain contracts, and to launder money through government activities, housing developments and schools. The 2nd level is when they penetrate the forces of control such as the military, police, customs, ECU911, and UAFE to get up to the minute information. 3d is the justice system with judges and prosecutors who work for organized crime either because of economic temptations or threats. The 4th level of penetration is the national finance system. Money is laundered using methods like the método hormiga (ant method), with small deposits and transfers to give the impression of legality. The last level is penetration of the social body where gangs create criminal sanctuaries and mini-states in neighborhoods and parishes. They install a criminal structure and governance, with the Government losing sovereignty.

Pazmiño said that Cuenca is at the level of establishing sanctuaries. These territories are small, maybe 1 or 2 blocks, where the gangs can control microtrafficking and vacunas. The problem is that public forces come in, patrol for maybe 20 or 30 minutes and leave. The criminals disappear for a while, come back, and nothing changes. <I can see why gang members’ bodies are getting dumped on roads where residents have adopted frontier justice.> The next phase is consolidating a criminal microstate such as a neighborhood. The gang imposes conditions, the schools become recruiting centers, and it takes over the neighborhood directorships. He pointed out that schools in the country have no security plans against these kinds of threats. <Now here is where the gun lobby in the gringo community starts commenting. Why do all you guys think you’re Clint Eastwood, waving guns and riding in on your motorized wheelchairs and walkers to get rid of the bad guys?> He talked about violence at the Cárcel de Turi where prisoners are assigned to the pavilions based on gang affiliation rather than their level of danger of their conviction so that each pavilion becomes that gang’s profit center. Add to that the high level of corruption, especially among the guards, and the lack of administration by SNAI. What is needed are criminologists, sociologists, and crisis management experts, not just soldiers or police who have no training in prison management.

Pazmiño was asked what local authorities can do to avoid escalation of violence. He answered the first thing is to plan and not react. The Mayor should issue a municipal ordinance that requires all facilities with large crowds of people, such as stadiums, discos, and shopping facilities to have security and emergency plans as a requirement for an operating permit. Schools should also have mandatory plans to avoid recruitment of children, micro trafficking, and consumption of drugs. These plans should not stay in the desk drawer but be publicized to the parents and educational community. In closing, he said the future of the city depends on adopting a proactive vision and not simply reacting to events.