The unofficial web page of the greater Cuenca expat community

"What do you do with old cell phones, computers and cars? The waste is not healthy."  Better the kids use old technology as they get ready to compete with the rest of the world.  On the other hand, we now make our own stock for gravies etc as well as cakes etc so we know what we are eating.  Not having Jiff does suck....

I bought Peter Pan at Megamaxi here in Quito just a few days ago. I will be interested to see if they have any on my next visit.

Thanks for the news link Nards, good info.

But it mentions nothing about a peanut butter blockade?   

The liquor tax is absolutely exorbitant,
"The additional tax on imported alcholic beverages will be a flat 1% on each bottle with an additional tax of 25 cents applied to each percentage of alcoholic content. In other words, imported rum with an alcohol conent of 40% (80 proof) will be taxed an additional $10."

That should cause a normal fifth of say, imported Jack Daniels, to retail for about $70. Which should be a mighty enough profit margin to encourage smugglers to rev their engines. Government genius at work once again.

The absurdity of government provides endless entertainment no matter where you live.

Kick Me!!!!
Was at Super Maxi on Las Americas last week, and a guy I was shopping with bought 2 jars of Jiff. I thought I should pick some up, but was busy in another isle, and forgot!
As an aside to some of the herky jerky stuff we hear on certain publications: It was posted that the Government Insurance plan was no longer available to Gringo's. I had signed up the day before this was to go into effect, on February 28th. We returned to the office yesterday to verify one way or the other if I was covered. I was assured by the rep there that I was, along with the three others that signed up with me. The rep went on to say that there was NO change in the policy, and that if you are 18, and have a cedula, you can participate in the plan. Go figger!
And the beat goes on.

No posts for several days and yet this thread has blown past the competition. Who had March 8 in the pool?

Congrats, Nards!

BobH wrote:

No posts for several days and yet this thread has blown past the competition. Who had March 8 in the pool?

Congrats, Nards!

I had 3/19

I hope I am breaking this story. And to think, not only am I the spokesman for the Cuenca expat community, but I have its top web page:

Winner: Cuenca, Ecuador
This Andean town of 330,000, located 270 miles south of Quito, looks like a sleepy colo­nial city, but it's the gateway to a massive pile of fun. Cojitambo, 20 miles north, has more than 160 rock-climbing routes, from traditional lines to sporty 5.14's on 500-foot-high volcanic walls. Cuenca itself has Class II floating along the Tomebamba River through downtown, and nearby Cajas has trails, like the six-mile Parada Patul, that climb to ­nearly 14,000 feet. Go with South Expeditions (from $1,693 for three days; travelecuador.­com) or DIY and stay at ­Hacienda Caballo Campana (from $98; caballocampana.com), where you can hike, bike, and horseback-ride over the Yanuncay River—all just 15 minutes from the city center.

Congrats Nards, Cuenca only looks like a sleepy colonial city.

Since tax cheating is a hot topic on another thread of this forum, I thought I would cash in with a couple of links for a a story on tax cheating fby a couple of present or past Cuenca residents.

While I thought it might be good to post on that other thread or start a new thread, being that I am a shameless "views whore", I decided to post on my page:

http://lowres.jantoo.com/business-r-inl … 98_low.jpghttp://www.forbes.com/sites/jayadkisson … republica/

If Cuencahighlife already covered this story, my apologies.

P.S.
Hat Tip:Quito0819

No hay de que...

Due to the scarcity of food in my house I ventured into El Centro via bus line 22 at around 8:00. There was a light drizzle this morning, so that combined with it being Sunday, I had the whole courtyard at Coffee Tree to myself for about  an hour and was able to read both El Merucrio and El Tiempo in peace, without hearing any stories about cultural conquests from gringos.

Here is proof:



After a couple of capuchinos, I headed over to California Kitchen for the first time since it has been at that new location.  It is now under new management and from what I have been told, is now run by a former head waiter.

I like the decor. Lots of elbow space, padded chairs, free wifi, and lots of light.  However, too pricey for me to go with any frequency. I like the art on the walls. In the background there is a large mural painted on the wall and then framed in wood.  I am thinking I would like to have a mural painted on one of my walls. Anyone have a recommendation for me? Maybe I will ask the Fabianos the name of the artist who painted their mural.



Here is what I had for breakfast; something called a Frittada made with 3 eggs.  The fruit salad was dynamite.

I know having eaten cuy is a badge of honor for expats, but after two years in Cuenca I still havenŽt tried it.  It is not that I am opposed to trying it, it is simply that the opportunity hasnŽt presented itself and I havenŽt seeked out the opportunity to try it.  Eating rodent is not a priority.   Nonetheless, I stil like reading stories about cuy and I learned something interesting about cuy in this article.

Inés Campoverde, dueña del restaurante Mi Escondite, manifestó que el estado ideal para asar un cuy es cuando el animal tiene una edad de tres a cuatro meses y un peso de tres libras, puesto que así alcanza un nivel adecuado para asarse con una carne suave y deliciosa.
Campoverde expresó que para asar un cuy se necesita 40 minutos aproximadamente y se lo sirve acompañado de papas cocinadas, mote, ensalada, un huevo cocinado y el ají.

Here are two key points:

The ideal age of the rodent for consumption is between 3 and 4 months because it has reached a good size for barbecuing, and still has tender flesh.

You need about 40 minutes on the barbecue and it should be served with potatoes, mote (corn), salad, and a cooked egg, and chili sauce (aji).

Oh thanks Nards... now I'm hungry. That frittata looks better than good. In fact the only way it could possibly look any better, would be if it was here on my kitchen table (and a fork in my hand). Thanks for continuing the food/restaurant posts.

I would say this rant by beadwidow warrants hall of fame inclusion. Certainly better than any of my rants.  Not saying I agree with it, just admiring its literary qualities.

This place is like an 80th high school reunion; the expats are mostly (all) liberal who have a very high concentration of conspiratorial who think the government is out to get them with chemtrails and GMOs and foods with gluten, never mind the crop circles (and I suppose Nessie (Loch Ness). Most will finish their lives (5-8 years) here wihout ever eating at more than six restaurants [we speaky English only] and never learn enough Spanish than to turn left, turn right or stop here. How am I doing?

Seems most are running from the "change" on which they voted and few can barely afford the $125 insurance coverage here, never mind the "shared responsibility" program in the states. If it's so good, why come to Cuenca? I left to get away from Americans, not to come live with them. The cover charge for living in Mumbai is about 3-4K per month so there are very few there or most under fifty. In anticipation to your next question, I moved here for the elevation (a la Colorado) and to hike in the 15,000-20,000' mountains. Few here are going to be joining me on that.

Hasta luego, suckers

Of course, I have a heard a few conspiratorial theories which I donŽt bother contesting since there is no point.  As an example I was helping someone setup a security camera in a small café in El Centro ( a new niche of the BBRC) and an Expat who once told that he thought Obama was a Muslim conspirator set on destroying America, was very upset at the presence of the security camera since he thought the Ecuadorian government would be watching him. I allayed his fears by telling him that the camera was not going to be connected to the internet.

For the first time over two years, I was dinged with a tariff on a used $98 tablet purchase shipped via Club Correos. I am guessing it is related to that law passed  a couple months on import restrictions.  Other stuff that purchased subsequently have not been taxed, so it is depends on the item. I have previously ordered tablets so that is why I think it is something new.

Here is the letter I received with some slight modifications made by me to protect my identify and to avoid eviction from the country.  To get my package I went to Bank Pichincha and paid the tax, and a few days later the package was released from Quayaquil and shipped to Cuenca.

Estimado(a) Cliente.

NARDS BARLEY

Reciba un cordial saludo de Correos del Ecuador CDE. EP, el motivo de este comunicado es informarle que su compra Club Correos ha pasado por el proceso de declaración ante el Servicio Nacional de Aduana del Ecuador y han generado tributos al comercio exterior:

Guía Club Correos     Impuestos a cancelar *     No. Secuencial     Fecha máxima de pago
WRXXXXXX     12,13                         32XXXXXX                       15/05/2014
  (*) Los valores podrían variar dependiendo del día en que usted realice el pago respectivo.

Este pago debe ser cancelado de manera obligatoria. Con el número de Refrendo y/o Secuencial, usted debe acercarse a los Bancos que se detallan a continuación para que realice el pago respectivo en forma inmediata. Las formas de pago a las que usted puede acceder son:

1.- Pago a Aduana a través de las ventanillas de cualquier agencia de Correos del Ecuador EP a nivel nacional con el número de REFRENDO y/o SECUENCIAL si el valor a cancelar no supera los $250USD.

2.- Acercarse a los Bancos autorizados y realizar el pago respectivo con el número de REFRENDO y/o SECUENCIAL (Pacífico, Internacional, Guayaquil, Punto Pago del Banco Pichincha.)

3.- Si usted es cliente de uno de los bancos autorizados puede realizar el pago de sus tributos en línea a través de pago o transferencia con el número de REFRENDO y/o SECUENCIAL.

Este cambio en la política del servicio Club Correos le permitirá llevar el control de los pagos que usted realice por concepto de tributos y le brindará mayor facilidad en la gestión de recepción de sus compras, debido a que usted ya no tendrá que contar con dinero en efectivo o cheque para la recepción de las mismas.

Recuerde que si su pago no es efectuado, transcurridos 20 días de la declaración, su compra será declarada en Abandono Tácito y esto implica que el Servicio Nacional de Aduana del Ecuador genere una multa que corresponde al 50% de un Salario Mínimo Vital.

Es importante que usted remita su confirmación de pago de pago ÚNICAMENTE a la dirección electrónica [email protected]; para su verificación y distribución a domicilio. En el correo electrónico que usted nos remitirá con su confirmación de pago por favor, debe incluir la siguiente información:

Número de guía
Fecha de pago
Lugar donde realizó el pago
Cualquier otro requerimiento deberá enviarlo a [email protected] o comunicarse al 1700-CORREO (267736).

Una vez que SENAE verifique el pago y si la compra no presenta novedad alguna procederán a autorizar la salida para realizar la entrega respectiva. . Le recordamos que si la compra la va a recibir una tercera persona es indispensable que presente la carta de autorización en la cual debe constar los nombres completos y el número de cédula de la persona que recibirá dicha compra y adjuntar la copia de su cédula.

Missed Mr Beadwidow's rant...or maybe I saw it and just skipped over it.

I guess they are getting serious about the import tax.  Still wonder how the future IT folks are going to get ready to compete if products are so very expensive.  Some of the tablets that I have seen here are very expensive and old technology.

Congrats on the expansion of your enterprise.

Mike

Interesting. The one I ordered at an upscale restaurant in Quito must have been OLD. I could not even cut it with the steak knife they gave me. Horrible taste/smell.

aterosin wrote:

Interesting. The one I ordered at an upscale restaurant in Quito must have been OLD. I could not even cut it with the steak knife they gave me. Horrible taste/smell.

Hi aterosin,

Do you care to give the peep squad an update as to the pending status of your dream retirement in Ecuador, harvesting  fruits and vegetables on an organic farm?

Nards Barley wrote:

Of course, I have a heard a few conspiratorial theories which I donŽt bother contesting since there is no point.

I think much of the rant you mention is rather pointless, for the reasons I mentioned on the other thread, but I somewhat agree with Mr. Beadwindow in regard to conspiracy theorists.

Both here and in my former place of exile, the Philippines, I have noted that there seems to be an unusually high proportion of conspiracy buffs in the expat communities, which probably isn't particularly surprising since expats are not an random cross-section of their home countries – obviously, people who choose to leave their country differ from those who choose to stay put.

Where I would disagree is that I don't think if they are strictly from the far left – I've noted many who seem to be aligned with the right, and others whose political leanings seem to be rather inscrutable.

Some of the theories are very entertaining. My favorite is that the government is trying to trigger a humungous earthquake on the New Madrid Fault in order to create a big inland sea where the Mississippi River currently resides. Why this is being done is unclear, but apparently the Illuminati is involved.

The Illuminati are always involved.

There are many who do not know that Dan Brown is a FICTION writer.
I have read of many who fled the USA for various reasons about what the government is doing, and they blame whoever is occupying the white house at the time, or blame the IRS without knowing very much about taxes at all.  Many believe they are fleeing something, not realizing their thought process is the problem, hence they never escape the problem, for wherever they go, there they are.

Back in the day, when I was a P.O., we called it Greyhound therapy....

We purchased five acres outside Cuenvaville in a VERY small town called Tutupali. There are a couple of other gringos out there - one of whom we correspond via FBook since we are still in Oregon enjoying our spring greens and peas.
We used a lawyer (Andrea Jaramillo) and a great do-everything guy (Eddie Remache) for the purchase. We did hit a small snag for the deed - I understand there is a new law: The Municipality has put in place a new code for property sales but only for new sales, which has delayed the arrival of our deed.
We are planning on coming down in October for about a month to enjoy the Fall, lay on the ground up there in Tutupali, meet our neighbors and possibly break some ground for a simple house and maybe even put in a few fruit trees.
I'm enjoying the last 30 days of my teaching career and looking forward to my LAST orchestra concert on May 21st. Retirement here I come!

Boomer clients of mine were out to dinner with a friend of theirs at some semi-upscale Italian restaurant on Gran Columbia that I have never heard of (probably because I stopped reading Gringo Tree recommendations some time ago.)  They were having a conversation on ObamaCare and had already changed the conversation to something else and a guy across the room got up and came over to their table and told them that he was American and that he didnŽt want to hear any talk about Obama or Obamacare.  They were quite ticked off by  his rudeness and complained to the owner as they were walking out.

I ordered a tablet and was worried too about a tariff, I got a Kindle Fire HDX 8.9" Tablet
8.9" HDX Display, Wi-Fi, Optional 4G LTE Wireless, 16GB, ordered it through Amazon and watched and waited to see what would happen on Club Correos,, well, I attached the paperwork and lo and behold,, no tariff, delivered for 14.95 to my door 2 weeks later.  Woot!!
I was thrilled.  I didn't know if I would love this as much as my ipad,, but I do so far.  The screen is great, the apps are excellent and it is really light and I didn't have to go to the bank this time to get my order!!

Sorry Nards that you had to pay, that is a pain.

Amusing antedote..... from my boys..... on Facebook of course....
* In Line At "Duffy Roll"(Restaurant) Near Overstreet Dance Studio, Denver Colorado*

Clerk: Will you be paying together or separate?

Gabe: Together.But were not like that..
...
Gabe: Were Separate

Gabe: .Which is weird because were brothers.right?

Me: What are you doing? Just shut up.
...
Gabe: Well we are brothers.

Gabe: Im just gonna stop talking now

Gabe: WHY CANT I STOP TALKING?!  with Gabriel Toepel.

Denise in Denver wrote:

I ordered a tablet and was worried too about a tariff, I got a Kindle Fire HDX 8.9" Tablet
8.9" HDX Display, Wi-Fi, Optional 4G LTE Wireless, 16GB, ordered it through Amazon and watched and waited to see what would happen on Club Correos,, well, I attached the paperwork and lo and behold,, no tariff, delivered for 14.95 to my door 2 weeks later.  Woot!!
I was thrilled.  I didn't know if I would love this as much as my ipad,, but I do so far.  The screen is great, the apps are excellent and it is really light and I didn't have to go to the bank this time to get my order!!

Sorry Nards that you had to pay, that is a pain.

Denise,

I am glad you avoided that tax on your tablet.  It has been weighing on my mind in part because I want to buy a used laptop computer and was wondering if they are going stick it to me if I do.   Of course they still may....Speaking of tablets, I think I want my next one to be a Windows 8 tablet. Microsoft is now giving away the operating system for mobile devices, so we should see some decent pricing in the near future.

P.S.
Nice anecdote.

Not the first time, unfortunately, I have heard a story like that.  Wonder what color the sky is in his world.

I had lunch at terra today on Benigno Malo near Juan Jaramillo (maybe). I guess you can call it a sports bar since it has 5 big screen tvs with a tennis match on.



Decor:



Lomo Sandwich at $4.00 including fries:



Impressions:

Decent food, decent value and I will probably go back. 

Warning: no free wifi service was available which could dangerous to your health..

I've been using "La Vacquita"its dried milk a 900m bag goes for $7.99
and lasts me a month or more. I find it tasty and has all the vitamins

Is there a supermarket called AKI in Cuenca?

I can't bring myself to eat cuy, I've had opportunities and reject
them. When I see them being roasted I get sad and nostalgic
my son had a gerbil, that we loved and cared for until he passed
You can understand my sentiments

Excuse me But what is this Govt. Insurance about

There must be a Mercado Artesenal in Cuenca, where you can buy paintings
rugs and ornaments for the house

what about if some one returns to the US
for a visit. That person can bring a couple
of jars over. I used to do this way before
I moved here,my mom in law loved US
peanut butter

My name is Roy and I am making some guacamole and will be serving it Jodoco's (next to the San Seban Church).  I am just doing to repay the kindnesses of Carlos the owner and his wife and for my new Ecuadorian friends who took me to a pig roast last weekend.  I laughed so much my stomach hurt!  So swing by it promises to be a good time.  Between Carlos and his wife they speak 6 languages so all are welcome.

I purchased a new Asus, with Windows 8 it had only a small touch pad for navigating the windows8,, too difficult to use the pinch and swipe screen,  I was moving things and trying to switch screens and have multiple pages up. I returned it and got a mac. 

If you are truly considering a Windows 8 config,, use a touch screen computer,, it was truly made for that not a touch pad. 

Just my thoughts...

Gavilanes Evelyn wrote:

I've been using "La Vacquita"its dried milk a 900m bag goes for $7.99
and lasts me a month or more. I find it tasty and has all the vitamins

Is there a supermarket called AKI in Cuenca?

Yes, there is although I think they call it the Gran Aki or something. I pass it on the way to Monay Mall taking bus lines 50, 3 or 15, I think.

what about if some one returns to the US
for a visit. That person can bring a couple
of jars over. I used to do this way before
I moved here,my mom in law loved US
peanut butter

I am adjusting to the Scholls peanut butter. I haven´t been to Supermaxi lately, so have there been any Jiffy peanut butters sightings lately?

"I've been using "La Vacquita"its dried milk a 900m bag goes for $7.99
and lasts me a month or more. I find it tasty and has all the vitamins!

That is an interesting suggestion.  The only time I buy milk now is when I make smoothies or mashed potatoes which is not very often.

There must be a Mercado Artesenal in Cuenca, where you can buy paintings
rugs and ornaments for the house.

Paintings and ornaments, yes, but rugs seem scarce.

Excuse me But what is this Govt. Insurance about

I have seen things mentioned here and there on Gringo Post or wherever, but haven´t looked into it.

I was sent an email today with the title " Retired & Bored? try this!

Sometimes being retired is not very exciting...

However, you can make things more interesting on  garbage day!

Then watch through the window !!!!!

Gives a whole new meaning to the moniker  " Garbage Man", huh?