The Immortal – Ecuador’s Most Controversial Building
‘El Inmortal’ (The Immortal), is an iconic building in the Ecuadorian city of Machala famous for its precarious look due to having an unusually narrow ground floor. Located on the corner of Pichincha and Buenavista streets in the center of Machala, The Immortal has been defying earthquakes in Ecuador for more than 30 years. Looking […]
Man Legally Changes Gender to Obtain Custody of Daughters More Easily
An Ecuadorian man sparked controversy after legally changing his gender to ‘female’, because the legal system allegedly favors mothers in custody cases. René Salinas Ramos, the father of two daughters, is facing legal proceedings for the custody of the girls who currently live with his biological mother. Convinced that the Ecuadorian legal system stigmatizes men […]
Ecuadorian Football Star Arrested Under Suspicion of Gang Activity
Gabriel Cortez, a star midfielder for Ecuador’s Barcelona SC football club and the top scorer of the country’s Serie A this season, was recently arrested for allegedly being a member of a dangerous gang involved in drug trafficking and murder. On Friday, April 22, Ecuadorian police raided 29 properties and arrested 18 suspects as part […]
Reporter Gets Robbed at Gunpoint During Live Segment
An Ecuadorian TV reporter and his camera crew got the scares of their lives after being held at gunpoint by a masked robber, while doing a live piece. On February 12, Diego Ordinola, a journalist for Ecuador’s DirecTV Sports, was reporting from outside the Isidro Romero Carbo Monumental Stadium, the home of the Barcelona SC […]
Mysterious Sinkhole Causes Ecuador’s Largest Waterfall to Disappear Overnight
The San Rafael Waterfall, one of Ecuador’s most popular tourist attraction has all but disappeared after a mysterious sinkhole diverted the gushing Coca River into three small streams. As part of the Cayambe Coca National Park, in the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest, the San Rafael Waterfall reportedly attracted tens of thousands of tourists every year. That’s […]
Kiss Cam Allegedly Catches Infidelity at Soccer Match
An Ecuadorian man was allegedly caught red handed cheating on his partner with another woman, when the half-time kiss cam showed them kissing in the stands during a soccer match. Last Saturday, Barcelona of Guayaquil, Ecuador’s very own Barcelona soccer club, made its traditional yearly presentation during a friendly match against rivals Delfin, one of last […]
Guinea Pig-Flavored Ice Cream Proves Big Hit in Ecuador
An Ecuadorian woman has been getting a lot of attention online for devising a very unusual yet surprisingly popular ice-cream flavor – guinea pig. You probably know the guinea pig as a lovable house pet, but in South American countries like Ecuador, Peru or Bolivia people cook guinea pigs with salt and serve them with […]
These “Walking Trees” in Ecuador Can Allegedly Move Up to 20 Meters per Year
The Socratea exorrhiza is perhaps the world’s only mobile tree. They say its complicated system of roots also serves as legs, helping the tree constantly move towards sunlight as the seasons change. Walking trees can apparently move up to 2-3 cm per day, or 20 meters per year. That may not sound like much, but it’s pretty […]
Meet Baltazar, the Last Ice Merchant of Ecuador
While the rest of the world reaches into the freezer for ice, there’s someone on this planet who actually climbs mountains to chop it off. Meet Baltazar Ushca, Ecuador’s last hielero, or ‘iceman’. Ushca is the last surviving practitioner of his family’s trade – passed on from father to son for centuries. At least once […]
Riding a Swing on the Edge of a Cliff in Ecuador
It’s called the Swing at the End of the World and it could literally be the end of you, as this extreme attraction in the mountains of Ecuador lets thrill-seekers swing over an abyss without any safety measures whatsoever. Hiking up the path to Bellavista from the edge of Baños, Ecuador, you reach a viewpoint […]