In cities of central Ecuador, you may have a surprise in store when it's time to discard some trash: you can do it with real panache. The cans for throwing things away are not olive green or gun-metal gray but decked with images of a circus almost to the point they irk us. Clowns and … Continue reading Ode to Ecuador’s Circus Trash Cans
Hard to believe that two years have gone by since our last performance of one of our theatrical programs in front of a live audience. That occurred in January of 2020 at the Charleston Museum in Charleston, SC, and we had no idea at the time that it was going to be our theatre company's … Continue reading Showtime in Ambato, Ecuador
In Spanish, the word baño means literally bath, though it's often used to mean bathroom as well. So you really have to wonder what the intent was in naming that unfortunate town in California Los Baños. There was clearly no malice, however, in naming the resort town in Ecuador. Even though everyone just calls it … Continue reading Baños de Agua Santa, Ecuador – First Impressions
Our third volunteer position on our tour was tutoring English at the South American Language Center in Ambato, Ecuador, for 3 weeks. This consisted of spending 25 hours a week (each) having conversations with students, just so they would have a chance to practice English with a native speaker. We could talk about pretty much … Continue reading Life as a Volunteer: Teaching English in Ambato, Ecuador
Let's face it, we've often gotten an image of Latin American countries as dangerous places. Such impressions are rooted in long outdated events like civil wars, or in the Hollywood staple of the drug trade -- which does indeed exist, but rarely has a violent impact on ordinary citizens. In regards to Guatemala, the capital … Continue reading Guatemala City to Quito, Ecuador
world travel with a theatrical flair 