It’s easy to bike between Qualicum and Parksville on quiet roads.
click for details
Though I’d spent plenty of time – in the past – walking the shoreline, this time I stayed up above in town. Close to the railway track.
… a popular tourist destination, with many rental cottages dotting its coast. It is also a popular retirement community, and has the oldest average population in Canada with a median age of 60.9 in 2006. …
If you are looking for a cozy little retirement cabin …
I renewed my travel insurance for another year. This still looks the best deal for me. I haven’t made a claim … so I don’t know for sure.
__ original post April 2015:
What’s the best travel insurance for a 57yr-old who spends a good deal of time in the States. And who hikes remote nations?
Year round policies.
Budget backpackers, including myself, have long used World Nomads.
But the last time I went to book with them, there was some sort of weird exclusion for Albertans. 😦
Right now they want CAD$408.45 for 6 months. FAR too expensive.
The best site for Canadians researching the topic is Travel Insurance Review. Click through for a list of options with commentary.
There’s no coverage for anyone over 60 with many policies, including World Nomads. I’ve got a couple of years left.
World Escapade insurance is available to travelers who are 74 years old or younger. Travel CUTS Bon Voyage insurance is only sold to those age-50 or younger.
With my TD Bank account I can get less coverage for 1 year for $128.00. Rather than trying their lousy online system, call 1-866-566-1464.
TD uses Meloche Monnex to handle their insurance. The very inexpensive cost is offset by a deductible on any claim. $100 to $1000 deductible. I’ve never made a claim in the past. Don’t expect to make one in future. But this covers me (partly) for worst case scenarios.
I should start my review by saying that this book is a fine example of its type — the breezy travelogue — but if you prefer something meatier and more substantial, you’re likely to be disappointed. …
The city is famous for its German traditions, its natural environment, and its popularity as a tourist destination. It enjoys a scenic location close to mountains, lakes, forests and national parks. …
Chile is 2600 miles long and never more than 110 miles wide. From the main north/south highway it’s easy access to fantastic wilderness.
how could Rick not LOVE Chile?
Chile should be a tourist destination as good as New Zealand.
But it’s not. 😦
I’ve spent about 2 months total in Chile traveling most of the 2600 miles. Costs are similar to Canada … but quality of goods and services are poor by comparison.
If you find something of quality – Casa Azul hostel, for example – chances are it’s run by a foreigner. Probably German.
People on the trail are good. But I’m not much impressed with the interactions I have with Chileans in the towns and cities.
A currency exchange guy tried to give me only half my money one time. (I’ve seen scummy practice like this in Italy recently, too.)
The World Health Organisation (2013) says over 40% of Chileans smoke, compared with 27% of Argentines and 17% of people in Brazil, where curbs on smoking began in the late 1990s. Chile’s health minister, Jaime Mañalich, says that treating tobacco victims takes a quarter of the $10 billion public health-care budget.
Chile’s smokers are getting younger. According to the Tobacco Atlas, a study of the industry, nearly 40% of girls aged 13-15 in Santiago, Chile’s capital, smoke cigarettes. That is up from just 20% in 2003, and is the highest rate in the world. …
The population looks unhealthy. Walking the streets reminds me of walking in Mexico. A very high percentage of people are conspicuously overweight. This is new to these nations.
Rick McCharles 