Quito-to-New York flights resume; New landslides block highways, displace families in Gualaceo; Tour of area potters; City water plant affected by rain

May 25, 2023 | 2 comments

Miércoles, 24/5/2023

Hola, Todos –

Propuesta pictórica gratuita en la Galería de la Alcaldía (Free show of pictures at the City Hall Gallery) – The show, ‘Libertad, intimismo y creación’ opened today and will run through 19/7 at the Galería de la Alcaldía. The neoexpresionist works by several artists are from the reserve collection of the Museo de Municipal de Arte Moderno.

CEPIA tiene previsto realizar casa abierta (CEPIA plans to hold open house) – The Unidad Educativa de Promoción Social) will hold an open house el sábado, 27/5 from 8:00 in the patios of the Miguel Merchán school. Projects of the students of CEPIA who are youth up to 15 years and adults up to 70 will be showcased.

The Ministerio de Turismo is promoting tours of the workshops of Cuenca area potters where tourists can see and use the machinery and create their own ceramics. (El Mercurio)

La alfarería, una vivencia turístico (Pottery, a tourist experience) – There is a route of potters in Cuenca where you can learn where to get the clay, feel it, and shape it. The Ministerio de Turismo is promoting destinations to see both workshops and industrial potters where tourists can see and use the machinery and create their own ceramics. There are 15 potters in Cuenca still practicing their craft and this group almost disappeared due to lack of support and promotion. Some of these potters are José Ramón in the Tandacatu barrio, José Encalada on the Convención del 45, Pablo Cordero, and Cristina Quinde. Édgar León works at Artesa which makes pottery on an industrial scale. León creates sets of dishes and can make them to order. The process takes 30-40 days. <No contact info was given, so if you’re interested in this route, try starting at Artesa and ask them about the ruta de alfareros.>

De El Mercurio del martes, 23/5 (3 items):

Evento – The 9 de Octubre neighborhood committee is issuing an invitation to the festivities to celebrate the month for Mothers with a prayer to Santo Rosario and a serenade el viernes, 26/5 a las 20:00 at the mercado 9 de Octubre on calle Lamar.

Libro – César Hermida Bustos presented his book, ‘Francisco Paredes Herrera Pasillo e Identidad Nacional.’ The author is a member of the Support for Comprehensive Development of Senior Citizens Foundation (DIAM) and its Academic program at the Universidad para Personas Adultas Mayores. <Geezer U.>

La cultura se fortalecerá mediante las alianzas (Culture will be strengthened through partnerships) – Carlos Vásconez, the new director of the Dirección Municipal de Cultura, Recreación y Conocimiento de Cuenca, wants to set sights on the rural parishes and encourage work with cultural players. One of the signature programs the Department of Culture wants to maintain is ‘Cuenca Ciudad Deportiva’ which will bring bailoterapia to 55 locations in the City including to sectors in rural parishes.

Titular –

Lista hoja de ruta electoral (Electoral road map ready) – See today’s (miércoles) article in CHL for story.

Informe –

Lluvias dejan graves secuelas (Rains leave serious consequences) – 6 families in the Zhidmad parish of Gualaceo were affected by a landslide that occured last Monday night in a farming and ranching community. Government officials and firefighters from Gualaceo and Cuenca went to help and evaluate the slide. Edwin Cabrera, a technician with the Gualaceo Risk Management Department said the main cause was soil that was saturated with water improperly discharged from septic tanks, washers and baths. The addition of rain caused soil instability. Home owners were asked to stop discharging water into the slide zone. This will allow machinery to get into the area to build a channel for controlled discharge of water from the upper area into a creek.

In Cuenca,10 sectors were without water for a few hours due to the turbidity of water entering the Tixán treatment plant. A patrimonial wall in the “Mariano Estrella” health center in the Lazareto sector collapsed with residents thinking it was caused by the last rains. The vía Gualaceo-Plan de Milagro-Limón at the El Rosario sector was blocked for a few hours due to a landslide. MTOP and the provincial and cantonal governments are on alert to respond to rain caused emergencies and have machinery and personnel stationed at strategic sites.

Bus atrapado por derrumbes e inundaciones en viviendas (Bus trapped by landslides and flooding in homes) – Yesterday’s (martes) heavy rains caused a series of landslides that affected the roads from Azuay to the Coast with traffic interrupted on several routes. There were slides on the Girón-Pasaje route from km. 105 to 118, with the worst at km. 111 in the Vivar sector where an interprovincial bus was trapped. It was freed about 16:00. <I bet passengers were thinking it could have been worse with the bus trapped under the slide or shoved off the road altogether.> There was falling material on the vía Cuenca-Molleturo-El Empalme from km. 90 to 105 which was partially cleared around midday. There were also problems on the vía Biblián-Zhud-Cochancay at km. 39, 40, 42, & 62. Traffic was back to normal also about midday. <And there you have it – rainy season in the Andes. Hunker down at home under a nice, warm blanket and watch TV or read a book.>

Empresarial –

Avianca retoma vuelos directos a Nueva York (Avianca resumes direct flights to New York) – As of 1/6, Avianca will run direct flights to NY 5 times a week with Quito-NY on martes, jueves, viernes, sábado y domingo, and NY-Quito on lunes, miércoles, vienes, sábado y domingo. The airline will increase the frequency to 6 flights per week in septiembre. According to their website, a flight leaving 1/6 and returning 15/6 will cost $556.55. <The question is, do you think ahead and jump on this deal, and get stuck with an unusable ticket when service is suspended again, or wait and see what happens and maybe prices go up? As someone once said, “Ecuador, a country where everything is possible but nothing is for certain.”>

And that’s all for today so Hasta ? –

Jeanne

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