Bruce Holtby
@bholtby
Canadian expat in Ecuador
Forum
39 posts
About me
Canadian
Lives in Cuenca
Speaks English
Registration: 20 November 2011
Activity
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 by Txsbigfoot
Curious about the bus system there. I have been to Mexico numerous times and can say the bus system is not too good. Cramped, hot, sometimes share space with 4 legged creatures and break down constantly. Are the busses in and around Cuenca clean and ...
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 by creosote7
Greetings, Looking to come to Ecuador in near future to check out the coastal areas from Salinas up north to Bahia, etc. I'd be traveling with one other person most likely. My goal is to find a town where we would want to rent for 1-2 months when ...
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. by Anglfsh07
Hi, My name is Angie and I'll be moving to Ecuador within the next several months. I'm looking for someone to help with the search for a small apartment in an area such as Cuenca, Guayaquil, Manta or any larger area that also has a language school. ...
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? by bholtby
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
Thanks Vinny 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
We Made It / Looking for other Canadians in Cuenca by bholtby
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
Thanks Armand 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 ...
We sure did! 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