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13 Postcard Photos From Ecuador 911 Surveillance Cameras
Taking an image, freezing a moment, reveals how rich reality truly is. –Ansel Adams You want great postcard-like photos of Ecuador but do not have time to travel the country to take the photos yourself? You can search blogs and social media or you can search Twitter for the hashtag #PostalECU911. Ecuador 911 is the national emergency response system. Their Twitter accounts are a great follow for anyone visiting or living in Ecuador. Several locations have Twitter feeds, often named after each province capital. They are a great source of information on road conditions, volcanic activity, and other emergencies around the country. The photos in this post are all from…
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Pig Road (Avenida Don Bosco), Cuenca, Ecuador
I have eyes like those of a dead pig. — Marlon Brando We lived around the corner from Pig Road in Cuenca, Ecuador. Actually we were around the corner from Avenida Don Bosco but it may as well have been named Pig Road. If you are looking for pork in Cuenca, this is the place to go. When asked where we lived, the conversation often went something like this: New friend: Where do you live? Us: Near Don Bosco and Francisco de Orellena. NF: Is that near Pig Road? Us: Yes, Don Bosco IS Pig Road! Restaurants on Pig Road A long section of Don Bosco is known for…
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The Legend about El Panecillo in Quito, Ecuador
“Leer, es otra forma de vivir; en realidad, una hermosa forma de vivir muchas vidas en una.” “Reading is another way of living; actually, a beautiful way to live many lives in one.” — Édgar Allen García, Ecuadorian author who writes about this legend Hill shaped like Spanish bread This is a legend about El Panecillo, a famous hill in Quito, Ecuador. It apparently got its name because the shape reminded the Spanish conquistadors of the bread baked in Andalusia, Spain. El Panecillo from Old Town Quito, Ecuador El Panecillo in Inca times Before the conquistadors arrived, the hill was known as Yavirac. The Incas celebrated Inti Raymi,…
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Cotacachi, Ecuador Expats Give Back to Community #WATWB
It is the last Friday of the month, which means it is time for the We Are The World Blogfest when we bring you positive stories from around the world. Thank you to this month’s co-hosts Shilpa Garg, Inderpreet Uppal, Sylvia Stein, Susan Scott, Andrea Michaels and Damyanti Biswas. Please visit their blogs for more positive stories. Ecuador Expats Giving Back to Community Introducing Micky Enright, an 81 year old long time Ecuador expat from the United States, who opened the doors to Lugar de Esperanza in Cotacachi, Ecuador three years ago. She and her volunteers provide breakfast, medical care, baths, and changes of clothing to senior citizens who have limited resources. Photo courtesy of El Comercio newspaper…
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Calle La Ronda in Quito’s Historic Old Town
“Before, tourist operators wouldn’t bring travelers into the Old Town and tourists wouldn’t come here on their own either.” — Andrea Swigilsky, general manager of the upscale boutique hotel Patio Andaluz, in a 2008 article in the New York Daily News. Calle La Ronda (La Ronda Street) is a quaint cobblestone street in Quito’s Historic Old Town, the first city to be declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978. Take a stroll down La Ronda and see centuries-old houses, artisan shops and bohemian cafes. Calle La Ronda, Old Town Quito, Ecuador History Calle La Ronda’s history begins in the 1400s as an Inca trail. In the 1500s,…
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Baby Llama at the Inca Ruins
“Mama Llama’s always near, even if she’s not right here.” — Anna Dewdney, Llama Lama Red Pajama Llamas and Inca Ruins A baby llama (a cria) running around Inca ruins adds lively entertainment to a leisurely stroll through history. Cria at the Inca Ruins The terraces in Cuenca’s Pumapungo Inca ruins (which I wrote about here) are filled in with grass. Llamas tethered to the ground are moved around the grounds to keep the grass short. Like most baby animals, crias stay close to their mother so they are not tethered. They are able to run and bounce around, learning about the world around them and making friends. On this day,…
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River Laundry in Cuenca, Ecuador
It turns out that a husband who does the laundry, it’s very romantic when you’re older. And it’s hard to believe when you’re younger. But it’s absolutely true. — Sheryl Sandberg Machine or River Do you wash your laundry in a machine or a nearby river? If I were a betting woman, I would bet you use a washing machine. I do, too, as do most people in Ecuador. Some, though, wash laundry the old fashioned way – in a river. Washing laundry in the Tomebamba River Cuenca, Ecuador Whiter Whites Someone once observed that people who wash their laundry in the river seemed to have whiter whites…
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Inca Ruins in Cuenca, Ecuador
“Everything has crumbled and in ruins but you can still appreciate how grand it was.” — Pedro Cieza de León, 1547, chronicler of the Spanish conquest, speaking about Tomebamba Visiting Inca ruins in Cuenca, Ecuador by city bus is easy because they are in the middle of the city. Northern Inca Capital The Inca conquered the Cañari people in 1470 and established the city-state of Tomebamba (Large Plateau) high in the Andes mountains. Emperor Huayna Capac (ruled 1493-1525) selected Tomebamba, where he was born, to be the Inca northern capital. It was a short lived capital. A civil war between Incan brothers in the 1520s led to it’s destruction.…
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A Drive Up the Andes – Guayaquil to Cuenca, Ecuador
“I can speak to my soul only when the two of us are off exploring deserts or cities or mountains or roads.” — Paulo Coelho Driving through dense fog is a stressful challenge. Breaking through that fog and getting above it can make for a relaxing drive, especially in the Andes mountains. These mountains are gorgeous. Taking the Andes road less traveled The route Scott and I take from the coastal city of Guayaquil to the Andes mountain city of Cuenca is generally less foggy with fewer cars than the shorter and more popular route through El Cajas National Park. Our drive goes from sea level to 3400 meters before…
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3D Technology Helping Animals in Cuenca, Ecuador #WATWB
Welcome to June’s installment of the We Are The World Blogfest, where we share positive stories on the last Friday of each month. The basic rules are: Keep the post below 500 words. Link to a human news story that shows love, humanity, and brotherhood and share an excerpt. No story is too big or small as long as it goes beyond religion and politics. Thank you to this month’s WATWB hosts: Belinda Witzenhausen, Lynn Hallbrooks, Michelle Wallace, Sylvia McGrath, and Sylvia Stein. Veterinarian brings 3D technology to Cuenca, Ecuador I have selected a story found in the Cuenca Dispatch about veterinarian Johnny Uday and electronics engineer and robotics expert Gabriel Delgado, who have brought 3D imaging…
