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Crowds estimated at 20,000 gathered in Cuenca’s historic district Sunday night for the annual Christmas lighting ceremonies. In what city organizers call a “corridor of Christmas tradition,” separate ceremonies were held in Parque Calderon, Santo Domingo Plaza, San...
The first six months in Cuenca can feel like a dream. The buildings look old and beautiful. The mountains feel close enough to touch. The prices seem unreal compared to back home. Every walk feels like a discovery. Every meal feels like an adventure. Then one day,...
Text and photography by Lily Cole As we drove into the Mashpi-Tayra Reserve, in the Chocó Cloud Forest on the western slopes of the Andes, after a three-hour, equator-crossing ride from Quito, the first thing that struck me was the size of the leaves: taller than my...
Mayor Cristian Zamora proposed Friday that the city cover the cost of a 10-cent increase in municipal bus fare. “To reduce the hardship to users of the system, I believe we should pay for the full amount,” he said, adding that he will present a full proposal at the...
Bored? - (De El Mercurio del jueves, 4/12) Agenda sábado, 6/12, 10:00 - 17:00, Casa Patrimonial Municipal de la Lira: Antiques Fair and Show, sales and exchange of antiques of El Vado with pieces full of history. - 18:00, Glorieta at parque Calderón: Sábados de...
There are few moments in life when you can definitely feel your soul leave your body. One is when you realise you left the gas cylinder valve open when you went on vacation. Another is when you hear three large dogs growling in unison just as you slam your apartment...
By Daryl Austin If you’re one of those people whose “I’ll be there in five” reliably turns into 15, you’re not alone — and you’re not necessarily careless or inconsiderate, either. Most of us have been late at some point, but some people find themselves constantly...
If you are missing all your teeth, or have been told you need all your remaining teeth extracted, your first thought might be overwhelming: "Do I need 28 or 32 implants?" Let's put that fear to rest. It is a common misconception that you need one implant for every...
When a journalist recently asked priest Father Mikel of Los Ríos Province what the biggest change he had seen in his rural community in the past 50 years, he didn’t hesitate. “Motorcycles have replaced horses,” he said. He explained that motorization has not only...
By Carlos Valdez Visiting Bolivia became a little easier for certain travelers on Monday, when the South American nation’s first conservative government in nearly 20 years eliminated visa requirements for citizens from the United States and Israel, among several other...
By Simar Bajaj Q: I tend to run cold, especially in my hands and feet. Is that something to worry about? When you get cold, it’s normal to first feel it in your fingers and toes. They’re farthest from the body’s core, where most heat is generated. Cold hands and feet...
By WIPO staff Wakangay Santi, a young indigenous woman aged 17, lives in the small community of Amazanga in the province of Pastaza, Ecuador. She is part of a family whose history is deeply rooted in protecting Mother Earth and the collective knowledge passed down...
For North Americans considering a move to Ecuador, the driving factor is often "expat arbitrage"—the powerful financial strategy of earning an income (or pension) from a strong-currency country (like the US) and living in a low-cost country (like Ecuador). The data...
President Daniel Noboa “enjoyed a year of good luck” in 2025 as heavy rainfall kept the country’s hydroelectric reservoirs full, but energy experts say his luck could soon run out. “He has made claims that the crisis is being solved but this is not true since he...
Bored? - (De El Mercurio del martes, 2/12) En Catedral se decora pesebre de gran tamaño (Huge nativity scene is decorated in the Cathedral) - A 140 sq. meter nativity scene has been installed in the Catedral de La Inmaculada Concepción <New Cathedral>. There are...
By Travis Gettys The family of a Colombian fisherman has filed a formal complaint accusing U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth of murder. Alejandro Andres Carranza Medina was killed Sept. 15 in a U.S. military strike on a boat in the Caribbean, and the 42-year-old...
When you live in Cuenca long enough, someone will eventually lean across a café table and whisper, “Have you joined IESS yet? You get a free funeral.” They usually say it like they are offering you a key to an occult club for expatriates that meets somewhere between...
If you're missing one or more teeth, a dental implant is the "gold standard" for replacement. It's the only solution that feels and functions like a natural tooth and preserves your jawbone. But in the US, the high cost of implants (often $3,000-$5,000 for a single...
Foreign pensioners who dream of spending their retirement under the sun in the French Riviera might have to reconsider their plans if their free health care gets axed. France wants non-European Union pensioners who are currently benefitting from the public health care...
When Peter Kurrild-Klitgaard and his family moved to Frederiksberg, a leafy neighbourhood of Copenhagen, 17 years ago, they had five or six post boxes within a few minutes’ walking distance. Today there are none. They have been progressively removed by PostNord, the...
