Travel: Finding Medical Help!

Oh my gosh! You worst fears! Here you are in another country and you are sick!


Well, you'll be able to whip out your laptop and find good old Lucy's Blog and look up how to find a doctor in a foreign country!


Be prepared before you travel and save yourself some hassel. Dick and I never travel without our laptop, but, last year when we went to the Barrett Jackson Auction, we didn't bother to take it with us to Vegas, because we knew we just wouldn't have time to use it. Las Vegas is one thing, but if you're going to north Timbucktoo and you don't speak the language, you better go prepared!


Your Embassy or Consulate can provide you with a list of appropriate doctors and hospitals in their region. Before you travel, look up the phone numbers and locations for those in the areas you are visiting.


Our Canadian Government also recommends purchasing travel insurance and frankly, if you don't you are an idiot to travel without it. 
If you have existing medical insurance, check to make sure it will cover you in the country you are visiting. For instance: our wonderful Canadian Health Insurance that everyone is so envious of, will cover my having a heart attack in Florida, but only up to what the same service would cost here in Ontario. (If a hospital room was $200.00 a day here and $500.00 in Florida, they would pay the $200.00 and I would have to cough up the rest.) We are lucky that our work coverage will pay most of the rest.

CAA and AAA and likely BCAA all have travel insurance you can buy. Your bank as well and also the up and coming AARP or in Canada CARP. 






Who wants to worry about this kind of stuff, I know! But better safe than sorry!


There's a list of Canadian Offices abroad, by country, can be found at the Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada website.




Good Links:


www.travel.gc.ca
http://www.caasco.com/
http://www.aaa.com

One of my Hobbies: More Faces of the Market

This fellow is one of my favorite market people. He is very South American and very Gallant! When Dick and I were at the market a few weeks ago together, this chap and I flirted shamelessly, I must admit! 
All in good fun though! He gives free samples of his delicious coffee!

No market would be complete without the tiny donut machine and this one just keeps cranking out those little circles of pleasure!

The mushroom ladies were in the season's spirits!

This woman looks so sweet with her antlers on!  I was going to snap the smoked meat hanging behind her, but she is more fun to look at!

This is where I buy the most of our meat. (When I'm not buying my cousin's!) These sweet Amish people are from Mitchell, Ontario and have a butcher shop there. They also have a stall at the Aylmer, Ontario market on it's Tuesdays, but working full time, I never get to that. They're meat is so delicious because it doesn't have any drugs or chemicals.


I bought six T-Bones and Six smoked pork chops to BBQ (or grill in American) on Christmas day.      Yum! Yum!

This robust fellow is also found every Tuesday in Aylmer and we always smile and nod whenever we see each other. 

As you can see.. He's the tool guy!

And last, but not least, I couldn't help but snap this little girl. Perhaps wishing for some grown up jewelry from Santa?

Well, thanks for coming along. I hope you've enjoyed watching my people as much as I did!

The faces of the market. Call it a hobby!

I love to go anywhere and watch people! There is nothing more fascinating than a human being in the process of just living and today, at the market, I had the best time with my friend! I took tons of pictures and will post them today and tomorrow so you to tag along!

This fellow was intent on pedaling a peeler, seed scraper tool. He would peel a fine sliver of cheese, offer it to whomever was standing next to him and if they refused, (which was every single time I saw him offer,) he popped the morsel in his mouth. From the contented look of him, he works a lot!

This couple is a fixture at the market and make and sell jewelery and other oriental pieces.

This young man was touting the freshness of his piglets and rabbits and they must be.. he was busy!

Concentrating on slicing a wheel of cheese. Drat! I can't remember what kind! Sorry!

One of my favorites! I call him Baconator!

I have tons more and will post more tomorrow! I love the market! Yaay!

Travel: Store Windows 4

An Antique store: Stan Portleys

Already with the sales!

Travel: Store Windows 3

This is a new store this summer. Used to be occupied by Robin's Nest.

Simple windows, but nicely arranged.

Enjoy!

Travel: Store Windows 2

Another Port Stanley Boutique for home decor and clothing.

This is in one side: Brambles an awesome store with really excellent prices!

A Clothing store in the other side called Studio Style.

PS: Sorry for the glare!

Travel: Store Windows

My Daddy used to load my big sister and I into the old Pontiac and drive us into London to see the Christmas windows. I'm not going to London, but here's one of our home town stores.

Joshua and Company. A home decor store that takes up most of the retail space in Harbor House.

Their windows are so pretty and showed well in the evenings dusk.

Enjoy My Town!

No Leg Room... No Problem!

Apparently, the airlines are finding ways to try to make our trips more comfortable and isn't that good news? 

As a fairly tall person, I am always cramped in an airplane and every time I fly I try to pre-book the bulkhead, swearing on a bible that I will assist everybody else out the escape hatch if the plane goes down! (I know if I'm stressed, I can still heft 40 lbs, the requirement!) 

American Airlines is among those that have added thinner, high density seat backs that add a few inches of extra space between seats with out the need to shuffle the existing seats. 
The latest Boeing 737's also boasts increased headroom, giving the feeling of more space. Studies show that the mere appearance of extra space creates a feeling of comfort. 
They're adding USB ports, (good for all us Bloggers) and power outlets for Ipods and laptops. 
Individual in flight movie screens on seat backs and more selections of movies, TV shows, music, video games and computer applications that are for you alone. (Wow! Personalized serviced in this day and age?) 
So we may be all able to bend our stiff joints into the newer, wider spaces and enjoy a flight now and then. 

No one reported increased Liquor giveaways though!

Travelling with physical disabilities.

I'm so glad our countries have made travel available to folks with disabilities, seeing as us retired folks are quite often the ones with the time and money to travel! 


Maybe this information will give you some tools to get back out and wander the world... or at least the next province or state! 

Take Charge of Your Travel is a guide for persons with disabilities.

The website for Canada is: www.cta.gc.ca 

The website for American's is:

http://www.dot.gov/citizen_services/disability/disability.html




Click on the menu and you will find several subcatagories including all the regulations for travel by in North America and internationally. Also covers air, rail, ferries and buses and I found the section with frequently asked questions particularly informative.
If you are in an airport and see someone struggling... give a helping hand. If you see someone pumping up to a door in a wheelchair... take two seconds and hold the darn door. Smile and say hello and chat if you can because... someday it might be you!