The numerous floats looked like they came out of the Rose Bowl Parade, created almost entirely of fresh flowers and fruits We are spending the week in Ambato, Ecuador to see a different kind of Carnaval than we have had in Cuenca for the past couple years (where the week is a snoozefest punctuated by […]
Toro!
For decades, we have wanted to see a bullfight. Not that I endorse cruelty to animals, but I do like seeing different cultures and their customs (the USA ain’t the arbiter of morality to the world…). Though we have been in Mexico at least 50 times, plus to Spain and other Latin American countries, but […]
Ambato Prepares for Carnaval Parade
We spent today exploring Ambato, seeing the city prepare for the big parades of the next two days. We started up by having a taxi take us to “that big Ecuador flag up on the hill.” We discovered that it is the “parque de la familia” and is an educational park intended to attract family, […]
Cuenca Almost Became Part of Peru
Today marks the twenty year anniversary of the start of the most recent war between Ecuador and Peru in 1995. Last weekend we drove to Girón to see the countryside, accompanied by six friends that were all visiting Ecuador. We had originally expected a trip to the waterfall in Girón to be the highlight, but instead we were treated […]
Murals On Our First Anniversary
Murals on walls near our home in Cuenca, Ecuador One year ago today, in 2013, we received our Ecuadorian resident visa and became officially able to stay in Ecuador as long as we wish, albeit with certain travel restrictions. I was thinking what I should write on this auspicious date. I finally decided I would […]
Another Niño Parade
The parade was led by roughly 30 horses, most with children riding in costume. Christmas eve has the biggest Pase de Niño parade (click here for our 2012, 2013 and 2014 Christmas parade posts). Between then and Carnival though, there are a series of smaller Niño parades put on by various church congregations and neighborhoods. […]
Another Inocente’s Parade
Food vendors were the first to set up, and kept the audience fed all night. This is our third year attending the “Día de Los Inocentes” Parade in Cuenca. It seemed this year was a bit more subdued than last year (2014), which was our favorite so far. You can also see our first year […]
Dante’s Inferno Is Shrinking
Masks go on sale a few days before New Year’s Eve and are popular with old and young alike New Year’s Eve in Cuenca, Ecuador is like no other we have experienced around the world. This is our third NYE in Cuenca, and it seems to get smaller each year? You can see our blog […]
Pase del Niño Gallery is Live
We wrote about the Pase del Niño parade a few days ago. We now have that gallery live, with full size images. Hope you enjoy seeing what Christmas Eve is like down here at the equator. You can reach it by clicking on ‘Ecuador’ in the menu above, then choosing the upper-left page, or just […]
Pase del Niño Viajero Otra Vez*
*Parade of the Traveling Child Again Every Christmas Eve there is a massive parade in Cuenca. The centerpiece is a statue of baby Jesus that was sculpted in 1823, then carried by Monsignor Miguel Cordero Crespo on a pilgrimage in 1961, where it was blessed by Pope John XXIII. This is our third annual parade […]
