Walking home in Cuenca today I came across a group of protesters and an veritable army of police, many dressed in full riot gear with shields, helmets and tear gas canisters. The were two demonstrations going on, about three blocks from each other. One was at a plaza filled with anti-government protesters, while the other […]
Guayaquil Art Show
Today we traveled to Guayaquil to attend the opening reception of an art show by four Ecuadorian artists. We were traveling with one of the main artists — Alberto Soriano and his wife Maite. Other painters exhibiting included Boris Ordonez and Pepe Luque. We had always fled Guayaquil as soon as our international flights arrived, […]
Always a Parade
As I have said before, Ecuadorians will start a parade at the drop of a hat, and for almost any reason. Apparently this applies to Peru too. We went in the town of Tumbes, and quickly came across these school kids preparing for a parade on the theme of ecology. Taxis in Cuenca are plentiful, but […]
Hugh Done It
We are finding an increasing number of talented artists, musicians, actors, and others moving to Cuenca and developing ways of expressing their creativity. Last Saturday, we were treated to a murder mystery dinner show created by a witty and talented group of actors called The Cuenca Characters. Set on a cruise ship, the audience was […]
Nomadic Art
The Musical Nomads opened their Cuenca home tonight for an evening of art, music and food. They are one of our favorite local bands, performing “Classic Hits For All Occasions” (the byline on their business card). They had a sold-out crowd for the event. Everyone first socialized while walking around the improvised art gallery, then […]
Could be a Wedding. Could be a Divorce. Who Knows?
Another day in Cuenca, another parade it seems. Last night we heard music blaring from Parque Calderon in the center of town, with fireworks later. This morning we heard a band going by at 5:15AM, but rolled over and went back to sleep. This afternoon I walked out my front door and discovered the largest […]
Art Exhibit Wrap-up Slideshow
Evelyn’s first art exhibit is now complete, and was a complete success. Here is a slideshow of the paintings, artists, and guests. Evelyn Art Slideshow 2014-07 from Burt Johnson on Vimeo.
Evelyn’s First Art Expo
After years of having friends try to convince her to have an art showing, Evelyn finally caved and had her first opening reception tonight. After weeks of being nervous and fearing nobody would come or like her work, she sold 6 out of the 14 she displayed within the first 3 hours — far more […]
33 Stages, 83 Bands, 2 Days of Music
Alliance Francaise is an international group that promotes French culture and language. Their Cuenca branch put on a massive music festival the last two days. There was very little tie-in to anything French, but there was music for everyone — jazz (our favorite), rock, metal, rap, electronic (actually a DJ when we went by that […]
Setenario Celebration (aka Feast of Corpus Christi)
Corpus Christi is a major Christian holiday in Ecuador. The celebration starts when the local Bishop leads a procession through downtown to the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception (aka “New Cathedral”) Following the Corpus Christi procession, the celebration of Setenario begins, as family businesses begin bullding castles. Castles always bring out large crowds to watch — […]
