Category: food

Spelunking Riverbend Cave, Parksville

On By Rick McIn food, friends, health & fitness1 Comment

Ron and I had lunch at Realm.

Kate was in town on a media junket. They treated me to join them on her tour of Horne Lake Caves.

Though it’s #1 of 29 things to do in Qualicum Beach I hadn’t been there since my Dad brought the family on a camping holiday 50 years earlier. (Closed that day for renovations, he tells me.)

There are some short sections you can explore yourself for free. Or sign up for one of the award winning tours. (From $27 / person.) An expert guide like Myles Fullmer makes for a far richer experience. Myles is a passionate caver. Seven years guiding here. He met his wife at Horne Lake Caves.

Though I’d been to a few wheelchair accessible caverns over the years, I’d never caved for real before.

It’s adventurous. Physically challenging.

Myles showed us dozens of things we’d never have noticed on our own. Best was a stone Buddha formation protected by a perfectly clear reflecting pool.

Fantastic. I’d recommend this attraction for anyone physically mobile enough to scramble. I’m already planning to return for the 5 hour advanced version.

Surprisingly, Myles likes winter even better than summer as there is more water. The caves are open every day of the year aside from Christmas.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

more photos 

details – Horne Lake Caves

By the way, Myles explained the difference between caving and spelunking. Caving means to explore, survey and document the caves, main purpose is the accumulation of knowledge. Spelunking is the visit of caves without any kind of justification, the touristic visit of caves.

Will Aspartame Kill You?

On By Rick McIn food, health & fitnessLeave a comment

“… aspartame has been approved for human consumption by regulatory agencies in more than 100 countries and received wide consumer acceptance with consumption by hundreds of millions of people over the past 20 years, representing billions of man-years of safe exposure.” 

No, Dumbass. Here’s Why.

This in response to a study out of University of Manitoba – Artificial sweeteners are tied to long-term weight gain, diabetes risk, Canadian docs say

When it comes to nutrition, there’s more crap written than eaten.

Thanks Dave.

This is Us – Kate and Toby

On By Rick McIn food, happiness, TVLeave a comment

Have you been watching This is Us?

It’s excellent.

One of the story lines is the charming romance of two obese characters.


That’s Chrissy Metz as Kate Pearson. And Chris Sullivan as Toby, her boyfriend.

37% of Americans are currently obese (50% obese by 2020).

34% more are currently overweight.

Fad diets and reality TV doctors don’t seem to be helping. Overweight in the 1st world is here to stay, I think.

tea in Turkey

On By Rick McIn food, travelLeave a comment

Turkey has the highest per capita tea consumption in the world, at 2.5 kg per person—followed by the United Kingdom (2.1 kg per person). …

Tea is an important part of Turkish culture, and is the most commonly consumed hot drink, despite the country’s long history of coffee consumption. Offering tea to guests is part of Turkish hospitality. …

Turkish pizza – Pide

On By Rick McIn food, travel1 Comment

Any visitor will tell you Turkish cuisine  is one of the highlights.

Not me. I found it a bit bland. Predictable.

Restaurants all tend to have the same things on their menus. Similar ingredients are used in traditional meals.

One highlight for me, however, is Turkish Pizza.

 Pide is a flat-bread of a similar style to pita, chapati, or western pizza crust. A proper pide should be baked in a brick or other stone oven.
“stuffed” version

Over a week in Goreme I ate at Firin Express four times. Three times I had Turkish pizza (Pide). Once pizza pizza. Also excellent.

Once exception was the Nazik Ana restaurant in Bodrum. Popular with local workmen and police, it delivers typical Turkish food with a twist. And in a stylish, unique space.

 

Bodrum, Turkey

On By Rick McIn food, travel1 Comment

Lonely Planet:

Although more than a million tourists flock to its beaches, boutique hotels, trendy res- taurants and clubs each summer, Bodrum (ancient Halicarnassus) never seems to lose its cool. …

Built by the Knights Hospitaller in the 15th century, Bodrum Castle, overlooks the harbour and the marina. The castle grounds include a Museum of Underwater Archaeology …

Bodrum is OK but it was the least favourite of my stops in Turkey.

The castle and museum are over-priced and not particularly well maintained. This strikes me as a tourist trap with far too many tourists for the available space. Rats crowded into a small cage.

The very interesting Theatre of Halicarnassus is locked up. It should be a major attraction.

I finally found the Mausoleum of Mausolus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. But it was closed.

My favourite place in Bodrum … Starbucks.

Turkish food – Testi

On By Rick McIn food, travelLeave a comment

I met Rosie and Patrick from the U.K. while visiting the famed Outdoor Museum, a World Heritage site. A Byzantine monastic settlement, the monks had time to paint their caves.

We drank some wine at sunset point overlooking Göreme.

Then I recommended we go for a nice dinner — traditional Turkish food of this region called Testi.

A mixture of meat and vegetables cooked in a clay pot or jug over fire (testi means jug in Turkish). The pot is sealed with bread dough or foil and is broken when serving.

They were half way complete a cycling trip from England to China. Next up is Iran which they feel will be the best section of all.

Goal is to get home in time for Christmas.