Cuenca High Life

It's a pleasure to find a nice eating and drinking establishment, like Carbòn, that is open from 7 a.m. for breakfast, straight through to 10 p.m. at night, with an extensive “soup to nuts” menu. Just as notable, they serve a good quality, reasonably priced "Menu Ejecut... [More]

By Ellen Creager This is one rain forest the world may have saved. After donors around the globe pledged $116 million by the December 2011 deadline to prevent oil drilling in the biologically fragile Yasuni National Park, the Ecuadorian government agreed to leave it alone, at least for now. ... [More]

Ecuador at Your Service is on the air.   The radio program, aimed at English-speaking residents and prospective residents of Ecuador, debuted earlier this year on the Overseas Radio Network. The program, which airs Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., is hosted by Cuenca residents Ashley... [More]

Recently, I got a good lesson in what it's like when your country is a target and experienced one of the biggest  benefits of being part of another culture. A few days ago I found myself walking along a quiet, tree-lined street in Pocitos, Montevideo, one of the city's nicest neighb... [More]

I think for most of us "foodies" there was a family member that instilled in us a love of cooking and good food.  And so it was with Leslie Breen, whose mother loved cooking and entertaining in a grand style.  And this influence lingers long after you have made your own way, ... [More]

For Cuenca tour guide Carlos Lara, life offers no greater pleasure than watching the birds. “I love doing anything outdoors. For me, there is nothing better than escaping the artificial world, where we spend most of our lives, and going out to explore nature,” says Lara. “The ... [More]

The first aircraft for Línea Aire de Cuenca, Cuenca´s new airline, has arrived in Ecuador, although a start date for flights to Quito and Guayaquil remains to be established. The airlines, call letters LAC, said it has begun hiring airport staff and hopes to be flying sometime in May.... [More]

A year ago, in Action Comics, Superman declared plans to renounce his U.S. citizenship. 'Truth, justice, and the American way' — it's not enough anymore," the comic book superhero said, after both the Iranian and American governments criticized him for joining a peaceful an... [More]

I have been thrilled to find several wonderful new restaurants in Cuenca since my return and there are certain things that stand out. Both the decor and service seem to have improved, as well as the quality and variety of dishes available. And, as always, I am struck by the freshness and flavor of... [More]

In 1897, 16-year-old Rosalía Suarez carried ice from Mt. Imbabura to her home in Ibarra in northern Ecuador. In a large copper pail, she mixed tropical fruit juices with the ice, inventing “helados de paila,” or copper-pail sherbet. Nearly 115 years later, Rosalía’s... [More]

Speaking two languages rather than just one has obvious practical benefits in an increasingly globalized world. But in recent years, scientists have begun to show that the advantages of bilingualism are even more fundamental than being able to converse with a wider range of people. Being bilingual... [More]

Cuenca's Easter soup, fanesca, is considered to be the best in Latin America and it is a tradition among Cuencanos to have at least one bowl of it during Holy Week. It will be served in mercado food courts and in many restaurants around the city until Easter Sunday. After that, ... [More]

Health care, both the quality and the cost, is a prime concern for anyone approaching retirement. Some retirees are moving abroad in order to get access to top-notch health care at affordable prices. Here’s the good news: You have an excellent option for arranging access to world class me... [More]

On my second visit to Las Monjas, this time at one in the afternoon, the place was empty. Perhaps the name, Las Monjas (The Nuns), turned off potential customers. I brace myself for the spectre of a gaggle of Dominican nuns from my past. Instead, my friend arrives all smiles. Apparently the name i... [More]

Cuenca may quietly be establishing itself as an international center for civil and system engineers, according to Ramiro Crespo, editorial board chairman for Analytica Investments. Crespo cites the story of Javier Ordóñez, a consultant for the risk management software company, Palis... [More]

The lands of the Shuar Indians in the Amazon are rich in wildlife such as tapirs, toucans and red howler monkeys. They also hold treasures more coveted by outsiders: rich deposits of copper and other minerals that the government is eager to cash in on. Projects to build open pit mines that woul... [More]

Editor´s note: Christine Collins and her husband moved to Cuenca in August, 2011, after vacationing here several months earlier. They had lived in a large expat community near Lake Chapala, Mexico prior to relocating. She is thrilled to report that they have just received their residency sta... [More]

There are no ivy-covered walls at Alfredo Pérez Guerrero University. No quad. No soccer fields. The entire campus fits in four small, rented buildings on the fringes of a modest residential neighborhood. Its main entrance is on a busy street, between a furniture shop and a store that sells re... [More]

by Susan Schenck  I pondered the menu at Cuenca’s hot new healthy restaurant: Live Organic, located at Gran Columbia 9-87 and Padre Aguirre.  I felt like I was back in California as I saw ingredients I hadn’t ever seen in Cuenca restaurants, such as superfoods like goji... [More]

Although Cuenca enjoys a well-earned reputation as Ecuador’s arts capital, Sonia Punin sees a problem. “We are home to an international art biennale and have several artists with international reputations, but we also have many other talented artists who are struggling to get their ... [More]

The author, Janet Greidanus, has been travelling to Ecuador annually for the past 10 years as a team member of Operation Esperanza (see http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/otolaryngology/specialty/esperanza.html), a humanitarian mission led by her husband, Dr. Thomas Greidanus. Operation Esperanza provid... [More]

The fight goes on for Rafael Correa, the president of Ecuador, who has been in a relentless donnybrook with his country’s news media almost from the day he took office five years ago. At the end of February, he pardoned three executives and a columnist at El Universo, a leading conservative... [More]

The words “Bar & Grill” have always conjured up certain images for me...dark wood, low lighting, well-stocked bar and platters piled high with steaks and baked potatoes with sour cream and chives. Well, you’re not in Kansas anymore, Sumana, nor New York or Austin, for that ma... [More]

On a recent morning, a dozen customers crowded the counter at Maria's Alemania Bakery and Restaurant on the corner of Hermano Miguel and Mariscal Sucre in Cuenca, waiting to place their orders. Among the group, which included Cuencanos, North American expats and two Argentinian backpackers, we... [More]

Following months of delay, the project to rebuild Parque de la Madre is scheduled to break ground March 19. The work includes construction of a 240-car underground garage, installation of a state-of-the-art asphalt running track and an outdoor concert stage. The $1.2 million project, which officia... [More]