Bruce Holtby
@bholtby
Canadian expat in Ecuador
Forum posts
39
About me
Canadian
Lives in Cuenca
Speaks English
Registration: 20 November 2011
Deal breaking questions about Cuenca Ecuador by Txsbigfoot
1. As a Southern boy I like my Bourbon whiskey. Do they have Bourbon like Jack Daniels, Wild Turkey, etc... for sale there, and if so can anyone give me an idea of the cost per litre bottle? 2. I see that you have to have an invite or pay a ...
Wise choice! It seems to us that spending $6-10 per month for hot water, cooking, etc, rather than $400-600 per month for A/C or heating (depending on where you live) is way more important than whether you can golf or not. Read More
Natural Altitude Sickness Relief
Hello All, What natural remedies are available for altitude sickness? What are they called locally in Cuenca and where can I get them in Cuenca? Thanks Bruce Read More
Bus system in Cuenca
The buses are awesome. They come every 6-10 minutes or so depending on the route and the lines (28) criss-cross all over the city so it is possible to get wherever you are going on just 1 or 2 buses. There are no transfers but then a single ride is ... Read More
International Livings seminar, Worth it? by Txsbigfoot
We are planning to retire and move in late spring 2013. Been reading about the fast track conference in Quito sponsored by International Living. Cost 850, flight from Houston 1000, Hotel for 4 nights 400. I am trying to justify this trip for the ...
Don't go to the IL conference. They are not worth the money. We bought the videos of the last conference for $300 and they were not worth it. As far as it costs to live in Ecuador it all depends on where you live and what your expectations are. You ... Read More
Car Rentals for Seeing the Coastal Areas
Most of the major car rental companies have offices in Ecuador. Some will only let you pick up from Quito or Guayaquil but Avis (www.avis.com) will let you pick up from about 10 cities in Ecuador including Esmeraldas and Manta on the coast. You can ... Read More
Looking for a contact in Cuenca to help with finding an apartment.
We know a gentleman in Cuenca who provides excellent service and speaks perfect English. Send us an email on this site for his information. C&B Read More
Where can we find it in Cuenca?
Hello All, Does anyone know where the best place in Cuenca is to buy: Printers (HP and Epson) Wood - for building furniture and structures (sheds, etc) Made-to-order mirrors (such as for bathrooms) Area rugs Thanks Cheryn and Bruce Read More
Can someone explain "municiple value" of property? by Eddie54
I'm perfectly willing to slap down $25,000 or over for a home, but I'm told that if it doesn't have a municiple value of $25,000 I'm wasting my time and won't get the resident visa. Can someone explain please? Thanks.
I wouldn't wait four more years to retire! Buy something here for about $70-75K and it should have a municipal value of about $25K. Ask what the municipal value is before you purchase it. Read More
Is Cuenca a dog -friendly city? by kenandsusanoliveira
We are considering moving to Cuenca with our great dane and bring her with us all the time.Are businesses and people friendly towards dogs-- restaurants, outdoor cafes or markets etc. Any observations or advice are welcome.
Hello All, We just moved to Cuenca three weeks ago. We have two miniature schnauzers both of which are not very well trained or socialized (even though we watch Ceasar Milan all the time :)). There are at least 5 or 6 other schnauzers within three ... Read More
Packing Vital Documents by Dispirit
Hello Expatriates: My name is Diane and I will be coming this year to Cuenca. AS I am doing my packing up, I am concerned as to how I should transport vital documents such as tax returns, bank documents, etc. These documents have vital ...
Hi Diane, Sorry we have taken so long to get back to you but we have been very busy! We packed all our important documents in our carry-on luggage so we never lost sight of them. If you try really hard you can whittle them down to a lot less than ... Read More
We Made It / Looking for other Canadians in Cuenca
Hello All, Well we made it and what a journey it was ... but that is another forum entry entirely. We're looking to meet other Canadians who are in Cuenca. Please respond to this entry or send us a private email. Thanks Cheryn and Bruce Read More
Paying Taxes In Ecuador by jctex7
Hi, how does an American retiree living in Ecuador pay taxes on his pensions?
Hi Ukee, Your understanding seems to be the same as mine. Any income you make in Canada (pension, investments, employment, etc.) would be taxed by the Canadian government. Any income made in Ecuador (interest, etc.) would be taxed by the Ecuadorian ... Read More
Shopping for clothing by Wnlight
We were in Cuenca last July. And we plan to move there sometime. It was difficult to find nice women's clothing for my wife's extra large size. The mercados all had slender sizes and the shops all had fancy, dressy clothing. Is there a shop that ...
Better still, ask one of the locals to make your clothes for you. I imagine they would be of very good quality and quite inexpensive. Read More
More Living with Less Stuff in Ecuador by ecuadorgeorge
I remember when I was young and had my entire life ahead of me. There was never a reason to look back, only forward to all the possibilities. Then, at a certain age, I stopped looking forward. Instead I started looking around to see what I had ...
Wow! We sure do. We've sold just about everything. All the stuff we are taking would just about fit in the back of a pickup. We're taking the piano because we could never get another one in Ecuador, and we're taking our TV and computer because they ... Read More
Packing Vital Documents by Dispirit
Hello Expatriates: My name is Diane and I will be coming this year to Cuenca. AS I am doing my packing up, I am concerned as to how I should transport vital documents such as tax returns, bank documents, etc. These documents have vital ...
Hi Diane, We are taking our tax returns for the past seven years, some veterinarian papers for our puppies, our wills, and the final papers for the sale of our house. Everything else we have or will have shredded. We're not keeping any banking ... Read More
Canadian Bank Accounts and Visa
We're wondering what options we have with respect to our bank accounts and visa in Canada. Can we keep our accounts (chequing, savings, etc.) as well as our Visa cards? Has anyone investigated the banks here? We're with TD and CIBC. Thanks Cheryn ... Read More
Moving to Ecuador...Learning Spanish...Selling Everything by ecuadorgeorge
This morning I woke up saying Buenos dias to myself and Como estas? And my answer was Me siento bien (I feel good). Waking up and speaking Spanish is a pretty good sign that I am learning this new language. Albeit slowly, learning is ...
Mitri and Edith, Good luck and all the best! Maybe our paths will cross in Cuenca. Read More
expats in ecuador by katet1955
looking for expats in ecuador to communicate with. we are planning to move there in 2012 but would like someone to email with about questions and experiences. thanks
Here's my impressions: Quito is 2.5 million and so is big, dirty, noisy and dangerous (I was pick-pocketed on our first day there). Cuenca is about 440 thousand and is quiet, peaceful and safe. Bruce Read More
Paying Taxes In Ecuador by jctex7
Hi, how does an American retiree living in Ecuador pay taxes on his pensions?
If you are moving to Ecuador permanently then you become a non-resident of Canada. You indicate on your tax form the date you left Canada. You pay Canadian taxes on all your world income (i.e. income made anywhere) up to the day you left Canada. ... Read More
Moving to Ecuador...Learning Spanish...Selling Everything by ecuadorgeorge
This morning I woke up saying Buenos dias to myself and Como estas? And my answer was Me siento bien (I feel good). Waking up and speaking Spanish is a pretty good sign that I am learning this new language. Albeit slowly, learning is ...
"Great minds think alike" - we too have put everything into one room. I created detailed lists as I packed so I know what is in each box. Cheryn didn't though and so I have some blank lists on which she can write down her stuff as it is packed. I ... Read More
Moving to Ecuador...Learning Spanish...Selling Everything by ecuadorgeorge
This morning I woke up saying Buenos dias to myself and Como estas? And my answer was Me siento bien (I feel good). Waking up and speaking Spanish is a pretty good sign that I am learning this new language. Albeit slowly, learning is ...
Hi Mitri and Edith, We are still in Edmonton. We have had our police reports approved by the consulate. They will be translated into Spanish once we are in Ecuador. We bought our house when it was under construction. We were lucky to get it as ... Read More
Moving to Ecuador...Learning Spanish...Selling Everything by ecuadorgeorge
This morning I woke up saying Buenos dias to myself and Como estas? And my answer was Me siento bien (I feel good). Waking up and speaking Spanish is a pretty good sign that I am learning this new language. Albeit slowly, learning is ...
You all sound like you are having way too much fun! :) Our house in Edmonton has finally sold and our new house in Cuenca is ready for us. We have sold everything but people have been nice enough to let us keep it until we go. As it is though I am ... Read More
Getting Real about Moving to Ecuador by ecuadorgeorge
When I started talking to my friends about a possible move from California to Ecuador the naysayers came out of the wood work. Out of 20 or so friends and family, only 4 were really excited about my dream of such an adventure The others warned me ...
We are moving to Cuenca at the end of April. We are bringing 2 small dogs and so would like to know all about your experiences bringing your dogs with you. What was involved in getting their paperwork together, translated into Spanish and then ... Read More
Anyone flown a dog from Quito to Cuenca? by Newfie 11
I am curious how it went. I have 4 VERY large dogs, Newfoundlands. I see the taxi's are to small to transport them to Cuenca. I did read somewhere about a van transport. Anyone know anything about that? This would be a deciding factor on where to ...
We'll be flying our two dogs from Quito to Cuenca in early May. I have researched the AeroGal website and it seems to be pretty straight forward. They go as part of our checked baggage and if they are too heavy we just pay the excess baggage. Here ... Read More
Where to start? by Nancyc
We are near retirement and thinking about living in a beautiful place that has good healthcare; clean, quiet and furnished rental apartments or condos; good food and coffee; food and water safe to eat/drink; no car; REAL information other the hype ...
Well, it's time for an update I guess. There is so much to tell and so many questions to answer so here goes. Our house is supposedly completed. We have seen some pictures but are expecting others soon. It is a 2000 sqf 2 storey concrete and brick ... Read More
Medications available in Ecuador (Cuenca)? by Wanderlusting
Hi all, My boyfriend and I are planning to come to Cuenca for 3-6 months and we would like to know about the availability of the medications below. Any information you can share on any of these, including (a) whether they are available at all in ...
I was able to get some prices for drugs directly from a small pharmacy in Cuenca when I was there in January. Wellbutrin 300mg $40 for 30 ($36 in Canada) Zoloft 50mg $38 for 28 ($24 in Canada) Zoloft 100mg $25 for 10 ($17 in Canada) Seroquel 25mg ... Read More
How Safe is it ? by josectech
Hi, I'm from U.S.just like to know how safe is Ecuador?
If you check out the special report "7 Critical Factors You Need To Know Before You Decide To Retire In Ecuador" on this site retirement-in-ecuador.com you'll find information about the safety of Ecuador. Based on information collected by Interpol ... Read More
Where to start? by Nancyc
We are near retirement and thinking about living in a beautiful place that has good healthcare; clean, quiet and furnished rental apartments or condos; good food and coffee; food and water safe to eat/drink; no car; REAL information other the hype ...
Hi Nancy, We just returned from a short but sweet jaunt to Ecuador. We bought a house in Cuenca, have returned home, and are working as fast as possible to return there permanently. We hated Quito as it was way too large, dirty, smelly, noisy and ... Read More
Looking for Real Estate in Quito
Is there anyone in Quito who can assist me with a real estate search in January 2012? If not personally do you know a trustworthy agent and can you provide contact information? Thanks Read More
Coming for a pre-move visit and need advice
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One Visa Question
Hello All, We have what we hope are three simple questions about real estate and the resident visa. If someone could answer each one with a 'yes' or a 'no' then that would be great. 1) If I buy a house or condo for more than $25,000 USD which I ... Read More
Coming for a pre-move visit and need advice
Hello Again, Here is our itinerary so far. If you have any comments or suggestions of things we need to do and see, please feel free to add them. If there is anything we can't do (such as fly from Cuenca to Salinas) then please point them out. ... Read More
Formalities to bring your pet in Ecuador by Julien
Hi all, What are the formalities and paperwork required to bring your pet in Ecuador? How long do formalities & paperwork usually take in Ecuador? What are the relevant authorities to contact? Which vaccines are compulsory? Do your pets ...
Thanks for all the great info! Does anyone know the process for Canadian animals? Thanks Read More
Coming for a pre-move visit and need advice
Hello All, We are hopefully coming down to Ecuador in the middle of January 2012 for about 2 weeks. What we are hoping to get from this post is a short list (whatever that is - 10, 20, 30 items) of all the things we need to checkout and understand ... Read More