el_canuck has left 35 comments

el_canuck comments on Donut Business - Turn Key for sale

Watch out, Satan will be berating you fellas for not using the PM function as requested by the OP.

el_canuck comments on 2,500,000 COP: How will I live in Bogota on this amount??

Then there are the wobbly pops.

el_canuck comments on ENVIGADO - SELLING A HOUSE IN ENVIGADO!!

Satan, this is a forum. If you post in a public forum expect to get public responses. If you don't wish to have comments made about your post, then go and pay for an advertisement in a newspaper or hire a realtor. Only a complete idiot needs this explained to them.

el_canuck comments on NEED Info ON CALI DAS...

Yes, just bring the print-out of the itinerary that you got by email or the web page itinerary.

el_canuck comments on Exit Fee in Bogota

I was in Colombia for 4 1/2 months and left on April 26, 2009. I paid a departure tax of about 60,000 pesos to the check-in clerk. I was never given nor was I asked to produce any little white paper. It was a simple straight forward procedure.

el_canuck comments on NEED Info ON CALI DAS...

At the DAS office they will give you a form to fill out plus a list of items that you need to bring along with your passport. As I recall the list includes several photos (which you can get at photo shops adjacent to the DAS office), two photocopies of your airline ticket, two photocopies of the personal info on the passport, two photocopies of the entry stamp in your passport, two copies of the bank receipt for the ~60,000 fee. The bank where you pay the fee is a 20 minute walk or 5 minute cab ride from the DAS office (they will give you the address). One of the items on the application is the name and address of a Colombian citizen that knows you. If you bring this with you can get the application done in one trip (plus the back and forth trip to the bank). Once you get all this information and present it to the DAS official, they will take your fingerprints and tell you to come back on a certain date for the actual stamp. This can take several days - I think I waited 5 (including a weekend). I think the DAS office opens from 7 to 11, closes for 3 hours and then opens again from 2-5 but I am not sure. Don't stress, you have lots of time.

el_canuck comments on Acid Reflux - Lanzoprazol/Omeprazol

I see the topic has morphed into discussion on cholesterol. Funny thing that, my doc just told me the my cholesterol was a bit high lol. Maybe I'm getting old, but that can't be cuz I'm still so damn fit and good looking!

el_canuck comments on Charter Sailboat rentals out of Cartagena or San Andreas?

Have you considered going to Panama and sailing the San Blas Islands? www.sanblassailing.com

el_canuck comments on ENVIGADO - SELLING A HOUSE IN ENVIGADO!!

The better question to ask would be why would anyone who is selling a house not want to list the price? And an even better one would be why is someone who is not a principal more aggravated about this thread than the OP. Weird.

el_canuck comments on ENVIGADO - SELLING A HOUSE IN ENVIGADO!!

Satan, have you ever gone into a store that is advertising "blowout prices" or "going out of business" to browse with no intention of buying anything? But there might be something that catches your eye and is at a price that you can't resist. What if you went into the store and none of the items had a price tag on it and you had to ask the clerk for the price of every single item. Would that make sense to you? Has a salesperson ever asked if they can help you and have you responded by saying, no thanks, I'm just browsing. Has someone nearby ever overheard your response and said to you, "they are in the business of selling things. Why can't you respect that and not come in here and waste their time and track dirt on the floor? Why? Why? Why?"

el_canuck comments on Construction costs in Cali, Colombia

Greg, just to clarify your recommendation of post and beam construction, what materials are the walls made of? Certainly there must be some type of rigid material more than just styrofoam sheets to give it stability. Or am I mistaken?

el_canuck comments on

I was in Cali from Dec to Feb and was told about the cigar shop at the Dann Carleton but I went there and found nothing. I also walked around the area to see if possibly it was in the immediate area but again no luck. I then asked one of the guys at reception about it and he told me that it was now closed. Maybe I was looking in the wrong spot. Anyway the only cigar shop I found was in this hotel barber shop (not the Dann Carleton) very near the city square. Being too cheap to buy what they were selling as Cubans, I bought a couple of local Colombian cigars. I am no afficiando of cigars but these things were disgusting. On my way back to Canada I stopped in Tampa and picked up some in Ybor City. Great cigars but at $5 a pop for the cheap ones, that is no solution. So I am wondering how difficult it would be to import some from the DR.

el_canuck comments on Acid Reflux - Lanzoprazol/Omeprazol

Quantum, I describe my symptoms as persistant heartburn and the pamphlet I got from the doctor said to avoid the following things: fatty foods, alcohol, coffee, chocolate, and a few others. So I thought, what the hell is the point of living if you can't have the good stuff? I take the pill and eat what I want. Sometimes I do forget to take it and depending on what I am eating that day the heartburn can return. So I think diet is a factor and I think that I have set it off a few times with beer.

el_canuck comments on Acid Reflux - Lanzoprazol/Omeprazol

Wow ... looks like about the same price as my friend paid in Mexico. Screw getting my prescription filled here before my next visit. Thanks everyone. Now about those golf courses .........

el_canuck comments on Electric bill on the high side

Interesting discussion. With respect to insulation, I believed that the cement block walls are usually just plastered over and there seems to be little or no use of insulation in the ceilings. I wonder if anyone has considered putting 1 or 2 inches of styrofoam insulation on the inside of the exterior walls and plastering over that. It might help reduce the noise in the home as well, if that is an issue for anyone. And insulation in the ceiling is a no brainer even though those pretty open beams would be covered. I'm always interested in discussing methods to cut down on utility bills. Has anyone considered using solar panels to cut down on usage off the grid? What about running pipes on the roof to preheat the water before it gets to a water heater? I would think that with pre-heated water one those small capacity inline water heaters would be sufficient. And to get further off the topic, does anyone catch and store rainwater to cut down on water costs?

el_canuck comments on Colombia-golf

I found this forum about golf in Colombia. It might be interesting to someone. For some reason I have this impression that in Colombia is very exclusive and expensive. If anyone has first hand information about the procedures for getting to play and the costs I would appreciate it. The next time I come to Colombia I would like to bring my clubs. http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=688190

el_canuck comments on ENVIGADO - SELLING A HOUSE IN ENVIGADO!!

Below market value. What is that? Realtor talk? Whatever the agreed upon transaction price is becomes the market value.

el_canuck comments on Finca Santa Fe de Antioquia

All that information but could not bother to add a couple of lines that indicate the price.

el_canuck comments on Finca Santa Fe de Antioquia

I just arrived and was given (I think) a 60 day stamp, but no official looking card. I have also heard somewhere that if you go to San Andres Island (which I am thinking of doing) that you must pass through immigration again. Has anyone heard that? Since I'll be here in excess of 4 months, I have a bit of administration to do. Any advice?

el_canuck comments on unbelieveable situation in baq

Of course it would happen in the US. Didn't you hear about the Goldman Sachs executives foregoing their annual bonuses?

el_canuck comments on Taking advantage of the USD/COP exchange rate right now

Buy gold, if you can get it.

el_canuck comments on

If the world reverted to the gold standard, central bankers and politicians would have a difficult time manipulating currencies to their advantage. When fiat currencies are the basis of the capitalist system you don't have pure capitalism, you have crony capitalism, which allows the cronies to steal your money legally, without most even realising they have been robbed.

el_canuck comments on

Cain never needed weapons :)
Cain never needed weapons :)

el_canuck comments on Cali to Ecaudor by bus

I did the trip both ways about 6 years ago - once at night and once in the day. I lived to talk about it but it wasn't the most pleasant experience. Going south from the border to Quito was a miserable bus trip. The bus was stopped at least 4 times by police. Ecuador buses were not nearly as comfortable as Colombian ones.

el_canuck comments on EAFIT

Thanks Markiev, I'll look into these. Of course the peso needs to stop gaining strength or I'll never be able to afford it. LOL

el_canuck comments on

Currencies Everyone should just go back to the gold standard so central bankers and governments can't manipulate exchange rates.

el_canuck comments on EAFIT

Thanks Markiev yes I do speak some spanish and want to take a course to improve it. But I also want to take some other classes. I am looking for a university that I can study at on a letter of permission from my university here so I am trying to gather information to present to them. There are some Universities in Latin America that have some courses in English for foreigners to study on an exchange basis. I am just wondering if EAFIT could be one of them. Thanks for the help, I'll try to call them for some info.

el_canuck comments on EAFIT

What is funny? I'm not in Colombia, otherwise I might just go there and inquire in person. Thanks to the others who made the effort to help with useful suggestions and comments.

el_canuck comments on Deleted Threads again

Nobody wants to invade? Well there goes my self esteem ..........

el_canuck comments on Holy Cow! Just got all this Fish delivered to my door for 40k

Untreated Do you live in Santa Marta? Cuz if one can eat seafood so damn cheap, maybe I should move there.

el_canuck comments on Holy Cow! Just got all this Fish delivered to my door for 40k

Is that wild salmon or Chilean farmed?

el_canuck comments on Furbished Apartment to Share - Bogotá

Lost Gringo Ok, I only feel a little stupid. Thanks for pointing that out to me. LOL

el_canuck comments on Furbished Apartment to Share - Bogotá

Late November I'll be arriving in Bogota in late Nov. I'm interested for a short stay but you aren't accepting emails. You can send me one if interested.

el_canuck comments on Budget Accomodation in Bogota

Hotel El Virrey Thanks for the info. Sounds good to me.

el_canuck comments on Calí budget hotel for december?

I can't load the page I'm interested in the sanfernando too. I can't seem to load the web page.