Senior Living Magazine Vancouver Edition June 2011 by INSPIRED 55+ Lifestyle Magazine

JUNE 2011 TM

Vancouverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 50+ Active Lifestyle Magazine

The Travel Issue Costa Rica

South African Safari

Elephanta Island ...and more!

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JUNE 2011

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Publisher’s As you will see in this month’s content, seniors are not just travellers – they are radical travellers! They are adventuresome, inventive and enthusiastic. Whether you are a world explorer, or just an armchair traveller, you will enjoy the vast selection of adventures our intrepid writers have embarked upon. Criss-crossing exotic Costa Rica, exploring the caves of Elephanta Island, studying the industrious dung beetle while on safari across South Africa, skimming the Hawaiian Island waves in a zodiac, cycling through the historic countryside of French Canada, searching for ghosts on the island of Tetiaroa, embarking on a cruise/biking tour, or swimming with the endangered Manatees after an incident-filled cross-country train journey – these are just some of the high adventures you can read about in this month’s Senior Living. But, you won’t find all these excursions in this one particular magazine. To read about all these adventures, you will need to visit our website where you can access online versions of both our Vancouver Island and our Vancouver editions – each containing its own collection of travel tales. More and more, we will be linking our magazine to our website. The reality of magazines is that they are expensive to print and have limited space. Our website, however, can offer almost unlimited space at relatively low cost. This allows us to provide our readers with things like extra photos we could not fit into the magazines, and even videos. So, start your travel journey by turning the page, but when you’re done flipping through the last article, visit www.seniorlivingmag.com for more adventures. Happy travels! 2

SENIOR LIVING

FEATURES

COLUMNS 4 The Family Caregiver

5 Right Field

by Barbara Small

Memories of Dad on Father’s Day.

18 Forever Young

6 Artist Reinvented

by William Thomas

Artist Alice Rich expresses herself and makes sense of her world through art.

25 Ask Goldie

by Goldie Carlow

8 Adventures in Paradise

30 Have Fork, Will Travel

Active travellers are drawn to Costa Rica for pristine beaches, wildlife and eco-tourism.

by Sally Jennings

31 BBB Scam Alert

12 The Place of Caves

When visiting Mumbai, India, the cave sculptures on Elephanta Island are not to be missed.

14 Dung Beetles Have Right-of-Way!

by Lynda Pasacreta

32 Reﬂections: Then & Now by Gipp Forster

Two unusual African safaris for seniors.

20 Merrily, We eBay Along

Meet a couple who works as they explore new places and fulﬁll their dreams of the open road.

26 R&R on Hawaii Island

For those looking for more than laying on a beach in Hawaii, try riding the range or zodiac adventures. Cover Photo: Travel writer James Ellsworth enjoys adventure on a beach in Costa Rica. Story page 8. Photo: Barbara Ellsworth

Senior Living (Vancouver & Lower Mainland) is published by Stratis Publishing. Publisher Barbara Risto Editor Bobbie Jo Reid editor@seniorlivingmag.com Copy Editor Allyson Mantle Advertising Manager Barry Risto 250-479-4705 ext 101 Toll-free 1-877-479-4705 sales@seniorlivingmag.com Ad Sales Staff Mitch Desrochers 604-910-8100 Ann Lester 250-390-1805 Mathieu Powell 250-479-4705 ext 104 Barry Risto 250-479-4705 ext 101 WWW.SENIORLIVINGMAG.COM

Head Ofﬁce Contact Information: Box 153, 1581-H Hillside Ave., Victoria BC V8T 2C1 Phone 250-479-4705 Fax 250-479-4808 Toll-free 1-877-479-4705 E-mail ofﬁce@seniorlivingmag.com Website www.seniorlivingmag.com Subscriptions: $32 (includes HST, postage and handling) for 12 issues. Canadian residents only. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. Senior Living is an independent publication and its articles imply no endorsement of any products or services. The views expressed herein are not necessarily those of the publisher. Unsolicited articles are welcome and should be e-mailed to editor@seniorlivingmag. com Senior Living Vancouver Island is distributed free throughout Vancouver Island. Stratis Publishing Ltd. publishes Senior Living Vancouver Island (12 issues per year) and Senior Living Vancouver & Lower Mainland (12 issues per year). ISSN 1710-3584 (Print) ISSN 1911-6403 (Online)

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JUNE 2011

THE FAMILY CAREGIVER

Caring from a Distance

any family caregivers are presented with the added challenge of caring for a family member long distance. Though more and more families are dispersed across the country or even around the world, the demands of caring for ill or aging family members are still present. Long-distance caregiving often involves specific concerns that are different from those families who live near each other. Although one’s initial reaction may be to move a family member closer, consider first whether this might be more disruptive and stressful for everyone involved. Are you prepared to have them live with you? Or are you prepared to be their only social contact once they have moved away from what is familiar to them? If they are coming from outof-province, when will they qualify for medical services in this province? Below are some suggestions for bridging the miles and making caring at a distance easier: • Since you can’t drop in to see how things are going, call home often. Listen closely to their comments or complaints and ask questions that can alert you to changes in their health or routines. • Establish a support network in your

family member’s hometown with contact people who can provide you with a clear picture of the situation. These people might include a close friend, a minister, a doctor or others who regularly visit them. Ask them to alert you if they notice changes in your family member’s behaviour, appearance, memory, mobility or food habits. • Ask someone to check in with your family member on a regular basis. Keep the contact information of this person with you at all times and ensure that they have your contact information. If you are worried, you can’t call that “nice young couple next door” to check in, if you don’t know their name or telephone number. • Gather information about services, resources and other options for care available in their community. Do this in advance, even if you don’t need these services right now. Have them on hand before a crisis happens. You can find these resources on the Internet or pick up a copy of the local telephone directory next time you visit. • Schedule regular visits. You need to make the most of your limited time there, so plan in advance for what you need to

BY BARBARA SMALL

accomplish during the visit, in addition to visiting with your relative. Be observant while you are there. Are they eating regularly? Are their bills being paid? • Some communities offer telephone assurance programs usually staffed by volunteers, who check in on frail and disabled persons living alone. Many volunteer organizations also have friendly visitor programs that provide regular visits to those who are housebound. • In a non-emergency situation, try to step back and evaluate whether you need to travel or if you can send someone else. Can someone locally handle the situation? This will free up your time and money for emergencies or times when it is essential for you to be there. SL Next month: Compassion Fatigue Barbara Small is the Program Development Coordinator for Family Caregivers’ Network Society located in Victoria, BC. www.familycaregiversnetwork.org

Senior Living Vancouver is available at most Recreation Centres and Libraries in the following municipalities: • VANCOUVER • BURNABY • NEW WESTMINSTER • WHITE ROCK • NORTH VANCOUVER • LADNER / TSAWWASSEN • PORT MOODY • COQUITLAM • PORT COQUITLAM • SURREY • RICHMOND • WEST VANCOUVER • LANGLEY • ABBOTSFORD • PHARMASAVE STORES THROUGHOUT BC

Frank Wong at the war memorial in Chinatown. 4

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Father’s Day

Right Field “I

t says Rocky Colavito, he’s the Indians’ best player,” my father told me as he explained the squiggled signature branded onto my first wooden baseball bat. “When you get really good, a major leaguer,” he continued, “then they make you your own bats, and they burn your name into them.” I was five-years old, crazy for baseball, and my brand new Louisville Slugger became my favourite weapon. Soon, our backyard became a battlefield. Nothing was safe from me and the hard barrel of my treasured bat. Roses, rocks, dirt clods, dandelions, wiffle balls, bees and beetles were bashed, banged and walloped with my newborn hyperactive passion for hitting. A few days of this demented destruction became the inspiration for dad to take me to the nearby school field where he could constructively teach me to hit the moving pitch of a real hardball. “Keep your weight back, son,” he told me. “And yer eye on the ball,” he continued, as I swung, connected and fell in love with the solid feel of a line drive. A few weeks later, I got my first mitt – a real leather one and, with it, the manly experience of breaking it in. Endless nights of grounders and high pops with my dad made me a mitt shaped for my own hand. I now owned a bat, a ball, a mitt, and a father that always found the time. It seemed nothing could be better. The next spring I was old enough

BY DAVE O’KARMA

for Little League. My coach put me in right field. That’s the position, I learned from my older, more experienced Little League teammates, the coaches put the worst player on their team. I was crushed. “No, they’re wrong,” Dad stated, trying to soothe my ache. “Rocky Colavito is in right field. There’s hardly anyone better.” But my father knew something was wrong with my game. I missed easy balls at the plate and in the field. Routine stuff he knew I could do. A few games later, I was still rooted in right field, but now armed with a pair of Coke bottle-bottomed-thick Buddy Holly horn-rimmed glasses. They quickly put me on par with my peers, and I finished my first season strong. But the stigma of right field, of never quite being good enough, would always stick with me. It was early fall, and my father had been recruited to play for a company softball game. Here was my first chance to watch my dad in action. As the men warmed up with catch, a stray ball went rolling by me and I chased it down. The softball was huge; three times the size of a regular ball. The game was soon called to start. My dad picked up a mitt, and headed out to right field. Right field? Not my father. I tried to think about what he said about Rocky Colavito, as a sudden high pop headed his way. To my relief, he made an awkward, juggled catch, but the next batter up drilled a one hopper to him that he caught in knee-lifted self-defence. It seemed the other team was hitting to him to make WWW.SENIORLIVINGMAG.COM

me miserable. And I was. As the inning ended, I went over to sit by him, to console him for his shaky play, but he was laughing and smiling with all the other guys. He was having fun. Then I noticed the mitt he was using. It was mine. A kid’s mitt for a man; and I was angry and embarrassed for him. Why my father had bought a mitt for me, and not himself, was something I wouldn’t understand for a long time. In that time, I would lose my dad, and in that time, misfortune would make me a single father. A father to a little boy, whose wants and needs would sometimes be so hard to physically and financially satisfy. But, I always met them, because early in life, while hardly realizing it, someone had taught me the fundamentals of sacrifice and encouragement. Rocky Colavito was a six-time AllStar right-fielder in the major leagues. He led the league in home runs one year, and finished with 374 for his career. He was my father’s favourite player. But, he wasn’t mine. My favourite right-fielder will always be the young father of five. The man who worked two jobs his entire adult life as to afford his children the opportunities and privileges he rarely afforded himself. He played the field clumsily, with a small child’s glove and a smile. His name will never be burned into a Louisville Slugger. But he was a major leaguer in all the right ways, and his signature is forever burned in the memories of a long-gone little SL boy’s heart. JUNE 2011

Arts & Entertainment

Artist Reinvented W BY NAOMI BETH WAKAN

Artist Alice Rich in her Gabriola Island studio.

Photo: Adrian Palmer

hen entering the studio of Alice Parmelee Rich on a grey Gabriola Island day, one is immediately hit by the swaths of colour that radiate from her large canvases. They seem like landscapes, but not quite; like seascapes but interrupted with hints of foliage; like sky-scapes but deepening to sea or land at the bottom of the canvas. No wonder Alice has called her recent series of canvases “New Energy,” having evolved from her “Elements” and “Passages” series. Although Alice has a studio in Vancouver on Granville Island, it is on Gabriola Island, where she has a second studio that she keeps firmly in touch with the natural elements. Here she wanders her eight and a half acres, which she owns with her husband Adrian Palmer, accompanied by her devoted dog, Roxie. On balancing city and country living, she says, “Studio 13 on Granville Island allows me to interact with the public and gain feedback, but when I come to Gabriola, it is much more private, the space and silence of Gabriola allows me to start a painting and explore new ideas. Once the painting has begun, it might move back and forth between my two studios before it is finally completed.” When the couple first came to Gabriola eight years ago, they lived in an Airstream trailer and Alice’s studio was a tent. “Slowly we built the outbuildings, a barn and a studio. It was during those years that I also started evolving as a painter and was able to stretch to larger paintings such as the one I was commissioned to do for Nita Lake Lodge in Whistler. It is 13 feet by eight feet.” As her canvases expanded, so too did Alice’s other projects. She and Adrian managed to land a barged-on house onto their island property from Seattle late last spring. Now, nearly a year later, she continues to refit and renovate the house, much as she continues to do with her art career. “The house has been my biggest canvas to date,” says Alice. “But it is of course much different than painting. With a house,

there seems to be a thousand decisions to make – from handles and knobs to doors and windows – a thousand small pieces coming together and walls eliminated to finally make a whole – a creation of living space. With painting, it evolves much more organically, more like a conversation between me and the canvas.” Alice is not a stranger to island life. In the early eighties, she and her first husband were caretakers of a 200-acre sheep farm on Salt Spring Island. Of those years she recalls, “Living off of the land in those days demanded creativity in order to make ends meet. It was on Salt Spring that I started experimenting with different mediums from weaving with various fibres to photography.” Although almost a pioneer on Salt Spring, where she lived Warm Winds

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Wilds

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Experience why

To learn more about these shows, visit www.alice-rich.com or www.studio13fineart.com

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without water or hydro for those first island years, Alice’s art has a firm academic grounding. After receiving a BA in Fine Arts from the University of British Columbia, majoring in History of Art, she joined the staff of the Vancouver Art Gallery as an Extension and Education officer. In this capacity, she travelled throughout the province installing art exhibitions and lecturing to communities about art. She studied photography informally for several years, while she attended Emily Carr University of Art and Design; she graduated in the curatorial program. Alice commented on her change to full-time painter, “When 9/11 hit, I had just turned 50 and it was then I decided to become a full-time painter. I think a lot of people paused at that time and took stock of where they were in life,” she says. “I had already started experimenting with mixed media using photography, plaster and paint. From there, I hired a painting teacher and threw myself into the medium.” “I suppose we are all trying to express ourselves or make sense of the world around us in some way,” says Alice. “Painting allows me to do that. But it also allows me to connect with others, that’s when it becomes alive. When someone sees or feels something in one of my paintings – that it touches or moves them in some way – that is when it becomes good art.” Alice summarized her life so far by saying, “I reinvent myself from time to time to continue the challenge. I work well under pressure. As you get older, however, you don’t want that pressure to turn into stress.” She adds, “I am lucky in a way. The act of painting is in itself cathartic. The more stressed out I am, the more necessary it becomes for me to paint.” Alice is certainly applying a little pressure this summer. She will show her Passages and Elements series and their merger into New Energy in a show of just that name, “Passages, Elements and New Energy” at the Seymour Art Gallery in Deep Cove from July 5-31 and another show of new SL works on Galiano Island from July 29th to August 1st.

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JUNE 2011

Travel & Adventure

Adventures in Paradise

winter’s getaway to Costa Rica will provide experiences for all temperaments; from birdwatching and horseback riding in the volcanic rainforests to perusing coffee plantations (the golden bean to the country’s economy since the mid-19th century), and from colonial town buzz to Caribbean calm. While most begin their stay in San Jose, the capital city, there is an amazing microclimate and ambience to be discovered in the Pacific Northwest, the Nicoya Peninsula. Accessible from the airport in Costa 8

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Floating in an inﬁnity pool beachside. Rica’s second city, Liberia, the Nicoya Peninsula is a fun, adventuresome and relatively risk-free locale for seniors. Best visited in the hot dry season from December to May, our travelling group, ranging from ages 60-70, was able to continue with their regular activities, like swimming, running and walking plus push the envelope on new experiences too, like zip lining and boogie boarding in the surf. The full gamut of accommodation is available; from all-inclusive resorts and tours to VRBO (vacation rental by owner) and car rental, to suit all budgets and inclinations. But the adventure WWW.SENIORLIVINGMAG.COM

Photo: James Ellsworth

BY JAMES ELLSWORTH

is there to be grasped and rewarded. The Nicoya Peninsula is pretty much a four-wheeled drive experience on a five-grade road system that can take you to the most pristine palm-lined beaches or misted rainforests to hike, horse ride or canopy tour. Beaches & Beach Roads Over 40 beaches in the provinces of Guanacaste and Puntarenas help make up the coastline of the Nicoya Peninsula. From Liberia, the beaches stretch northwest to the Nicaraguan border and southwest from Playa Panama to Playa Tambor. There is no continuous

Travel & Adventure

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most beautiful beach in the country.” Getting to other beaches can be more challenging and may require a bit more of a courageous spirit but well worth the dust eating and washboard rattling of secondary roads. They are not paved and best driven in the non-rainy season. At Nosara, for instance, there is a “blue flag” or eco-beach, famous for surfers and yoga schools. Or if you don’t mind fording a river or slalom steering around potholes on a minor road/track,

your reward could be Playa Camaronal, site of a black-sand sea turtle egg refuge for the olive ridley species. After chatting to multinational students who stay in the wooden hostel and do three-hour night shifts collecting eggs (see www.fundacioncamaronal.org), you can carry on up the bumpy road to a 5-star resort, the Hotel Punta Islita with a 9-hole executive golf course and rooms starting at $300. The beaches are exquisite, often

An Invitation to all Seniors to experience

Thursday, June 16th, 2011 ~ 10:00 am to 4:00 pm

We are Proud to Present ~ Our 4th Annual ~ A Taste of Amica. If you have never visited your neighbourhood Amica Retirement Community, this is the day to satisfy your curiosity… and your taste buds! Throughout the day of June 16, we will showcase one of our true passions… the fine dining experience and the culinary excellence of our Chefs and staff. Join us any time during this complimentary day! 10:00 am to Noon Self Serve Continental Breakfast Noon to 2:30 pm Chef Action Stations 2:30 pm to 4:00 pm Chef Demonstrations & Food Sampling Port Coquitlam ~ Amica at Mayfair ~ 604.552.5552 Kerrisdale ~ Amica at Arbutus Manor ~ 604.736.8936 West Vancouver ~ Amica at West Vancouver ~ 604.921.9181 Burnaby ~ Amica at Rideau Manor ~ 604.291.1792 Victoria ~ Amica at Douglas House ~ 250.383.6258 Victoria ~ Amica at Somerset House ~ 250.380.9121 Sidney ~ Amica at Beechwood Village ~ 250.655.0849

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coastline road, however, so beach access wiggles through hilly cowboy terrain off the main regional Highway 21, which runs from Liberia to Nicoya down the centre of the peninsula and eventually to the Tempisque Friendship Bridge that reconnects with the major Inter-American Highway. Many of the side roads are classified as Secondary Paved Roads; quite good apart from speed bumps to slow you down past the many schools, or the occasional horse or cow that wanders down the road. After all, this is cowboy or sabanero country. But there are also blossoms that cover the road like confetti to add to the charm. The roads to Playa Hermosa, Playa Tamarindo, and Playa Samara are good ones but Hermosa and Tamarindo, no more than an hour from Liberia, are the most developed as a result. Samara, two hours’ drive, is a lovely laidback beach town with every amenity and close to Playa Carrillo, a beach that Fodor’s 2011 says is “perhaps the

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JUNE 2011

Travel & Adventure ideal horseshoe-shaped, and great for strolling or running (albeit in the early morning because temperatures do climb quickly), usually with nearby palm-shaded cafés and ocean-breezy restaurants to offer succour from the heat. Once recovered, you can snorkel, ride horses, boogie board or even take surfing lessons.

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Activities include zip-lining and boogie boarding (above). WWW.SENIORLIVINGMAG.COM

Photo: Bob Coulthart

Photo: James Ellsworth

Wildlife and Eco-Tourism The Costa Ricans or ticos value their environment. They have 85 national parks, wildlife reserves, forest reserves, biological reserves and protected zones. Over one-quarter, about 23 of these, are in the Nicoya Peninsula and accessible to both intrepid and somewhat trepid senior visitors. Some are volcanic rainforests, while others are mangrove swamp deltas or offshore islands. Our travelling group sampled many: • Kayaking from Samara Beach to Isla Chora and snorkelling with a local guide for $30 US per half day (tiotigretours@yahoo.es from a beachfront kiosk also offers horseback riding) • Driving to Puerto Humo on the Rio Tempisque (“how fast depends on how much your teeth can take the rattling,” said one) for a two-hour boat tour of the mangrove swamp. For about $35 US, they saw crocodiles, iguanas, roseate spoonbills, blue herons, reptilian-necked anhingas and great kiskadees in their tropical environs. • Taking a half-day boat tour from Playa Carrillo to see dolphins and olive ridley sea turtles in their natural sea habitat, and to snorkel off the reef of Isla Chora (samarabeach.com/boattours); or renting boogie boards for a toss about in the surf off palm-lined, moon-shaped Playa Carrillo. • Canopy tours or zip lining in the forest tops. In Samara, there is a 12 platform descent from 30 metres in the trees ending in a rappel for $55 US that puts you at eye level with howler monkeys, magpie jays and

the orange-bellied trogon (see Wing Nut Canopy Tours on samarabeach. com/wingnuts/). By the way, Costa Rica has more bird species (894) than Canada and the U.S. combined. • If you want more than a day trip however, there is the Rincun de la Vieja National Park. It is about an hour northeast of Liberia, has an active volcano and steamy fumaroles, over 250 species of birds with hiking, horseback riding trails, and canopy tours. Costa Rica, in general, and Guanacaste and the Nicoya Peninsula, in particular, are very progressive locales. Electricity is compatible with the North American system; the tap water is drinkable; its Arabica coffee sublime; its yogurt like ice cream, its people friendly and not tourist-resentful at all. The ticos provide a perfect paradise from which seniors and boomers can test their mettle with SL myriad adventures.

My goal is to help you reach yours. I’ll work one-on-one with you to develop a comprehensive investment strategy – one that’s right for you and your family’s unique needs and goals. And, I’ll maintain ongoing contact to ensure it remains flexible enough to move with you through each stage of your life. You can be confident I share your goal of enhancing your financial success over the long term. Call me, Peter Tsiandoulas, Branch Manager, Investment Advisor, at 604-654-5414.

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JUNE 2011

Travel & Adventure

Elephanta Island: The Place of Caves Mumbai, India

BY IRENE BUTLER

PHOTOS BY RICK BUTLER

wo colossal elephants once stood regally at the The door keeper. entrance of the island’s temple caves, hence the name coined by the Portuguese when they landed on its shores in the 1500s. In 1864, however, British attempts to take these elephants to England ended in disaster. While being hoisted onto a ship, the crane broke, shattering them. One was eventually salvaged and stands reassembled outside the Bhau Daji Lad (formerly Victoria and Albert Museum) in Mumbai. An archaeologist friend says the cave sculptures on Elephanta Island are some of the most impressive in all of India. Boarding a ferry leaving from Mumbai’s Gateway of India dock, an hour skimming the blue waters of the Arabian Sea brings my husband Rick and I to the shores of Gharapuri, the island’s local name meaning “place of caves.” A miniature train transports us to a lively area filled with handicraft shops and restaurants around the foot of the hill that leads up to the temple caves. Mouth-watering scents waft our way. Succumbing to temptation, we are soon sitting in an open-air restaurant lapping up yummy masala dosa: crispy rice flour pancakes filled with potatoes, spiced with cumin, coriander and mustard seed. The animals milling about outside the restaurant have us in stitches. Our server tells us they have wandered in from the village farms. Our take is that due to their isolated island upbringing, they think they’re human. A goat sits on a bench alongside an elderly gentleman. Cows walk whom these cave temples are dedicated. Before us is Shiva as about sticking their heads in the souvenir and handicraft the King of Dancers, with seven of his original eight arms still intact, although most of the hands are now missing, as is the shops seemingly checking out “what’s new.” Fortified by our zesty snack, we climb the 120 steps sided bottom of the sculpture. The top of one broken arm is draped by more souvenir stalls to reach the cave temples. With the across his chest in the characteristic dance pose; another arm animal antics so far, we’re not surprised to be greeted by a with the hand still attached holds a battle-axe. We walk on to see more of Shiva’s multi-accomplishments monkey swigging an Orange nta. a F a g carved in stone: his marriage to Parvati, bringing the sacred n Fanta at the top. The courtyi jo n Monkey e yards outside the caves are River Ganges down to earth, and slaying the demon Andhaka. I ponder how very little is known about the history of these rampant with these cheeky creatures, begging for a caves; however, from the costumes and jewelry that decorate handout of food or pilfer- the Shiva figures, it is believed they were carved into the basalt ing items from unattended rock between 450 and 750 AD. I am awed by the incredible size and the preservation of the sculptures – perhaps if Portuguese picnic lunches. Our focus leaves the soldiers hadn’t at one point fired a big gun into the caves to test mundane as we pass the echo, they would even be more intact. The light wanes as we travel deeper into the cavernous holthrough the giant pilof Fame low.Hall I peer up at one of the gigantic dvarapala or door keepers lars of the massive mainHockey Broadcaster Jim Robson cave and into the realm flanking the stairway leading to the inner shrine. Then, there it in his home ofﬁce. of Shiva, the god to is before me – in half-darkness in the deepest reaches, I stand 12

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riveted at the sight of a stunning 6.3-metre image of Mahesamurti, representing the supreme Shiva in its three-faced full manifestation – destroyer, creator and preserver of the universe. The face to the left is the face of destruction with a bulging forehead, cruel mouth, and serpents for hair symbolic of death. The right face portrays feminine features representing creation. The preserver’s colossal central face above a chest of mighty proportions is calm and serene; and this head is topped with a mountain of wavy locks and a three-point crown. After Rick’s reminder that we have only an hour until the last boat leaves for the mainland, we jauntily head for the other remaining caves on the island. They pale after the main cave, but the walk in the brilliant sunshine along the tree-lined paths to reach them makes a visit to each worthwhile. What a day! From our ferry rides, to mingling with the friendly locals, to the sophisticated and spectacular artistry of the cave sculptures – we concur with our Mumbai-born friend, who with an endearing head-bobble had said, “EleSL phanta Island must not be missed.”

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Housing Guide for Seniors Up-to-date listings of senior housing facilities throughout Vancouver Island, including Independent/Supportive Living, Assisted Living and Complex Care.

Entrance to the main cave.

Getting there and away:

This guide is an indispensable resource to:

Ferries head to Elephanta Island from Gateway of India every halfhour from around 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tues. to Sun. Boats cost approximately 120 rupees (C$2.60). Buy tickets at the booths lining the Apollo Bunder pier, across from the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. The ferries dock at the end of a concrete pier, from where you can walk (around three minutes) or take the miniature train (8 rupees) to the stairway leading up to the caves. Hire an English-language guide service from the ticket booth or if you prefer to explore independently, pick up Pramod Chandra’s A Guide to the Elephanta Caves from the stalls lining the stairway. For more info: www.incredibleindia.org www.sacred-destinations.com/india/elephanta-caves

• seniors looking for alternative housing • seniors moving to Vancouver Island from other parts of BC or out of province • children of seniors who are assisting their parent to select a housing option • professionals who work with seniors or their families • businesses that provide services to seniors

Listings include addresses and contact information, housing costs, number of units in the housing complex, hospitality services, optional home care services, amenities and security features.

TO ORDER a copy... Please mail a cheque for $5.25 ($5 plus GST), along with your name, phone number and address, to Senior Living, 153, 1581-H Hillside Ave., Victoria BC V8T 2C1. We will mail you a copy of this resourceful housing guide upon receipt of payment.

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JUNE 2011

Travel & Adventure

DUNG BEETLES HAVE RIGHT-OF-WAY! Two Unusual Safaris for Seniors

STORY AND PHOTOS BY JULIE H. FERGUSON

ung beetles have rightA male dung beetle gives his mate of-way here! Nothing a ride; he pushes upside-down. else, not even pedestrians, just dung beetles. I’m in South Africa and road signs proclaiming this law are everywhere. I first encounter the beetles in a game reserve, busily cleaning up after rhino drop their loads. The male rolls the dung into huge balls to attract females. Once successful, he rolls the ball with all his might while his mate rides on top. Dung beetles are part of the natural recycling system in Africa that keeps the continent clean and fertilizes the soil. “Are you as excited as I am?” I say when my travelling companions, Jan and Fred, arrive in Durban. We’re all over 60 and beginning our South African adventure with two safaris. We chose two lesser-known game reserves, which are home to the big five: lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, and buffalo, as fascinating contrasts. Both reserves are smaller and cheaper than the famous Kruger National Park, but have excellent accommodation choices, are malariafree, and allow the use of private vehicles for game drives. bra and cape buffalo, the most dangerous animal in Africa, Our first safari is an easy 280 km drive north of Durban at ignore our passing but enchant us. Hluhluwe-Imfolozi, a local favourite. It’s the oldest reserve The thatched lodge, at the heart of Hilltop where vervet in South Africa (est. 1895), once the hunting grounds of monkeys play, overlooks a wide, green valley. I push open Zulu kings, and pronounced “sh-shluey,” preferably with a the door of our comfortable cottage and my first sight is a spit! Here white rhino rule. warning about marauding baboons. “That’s why the winOur excitement surges when a warthog family with tails dows have thick grills,” Fred says. “Don’t leave the patio aloft greets us at the park gate. We meander along the rust- doors open – ever!” red dirt roads up hills covered with lush vegetation and By 5 p.m. in mid-January, it’s not cooled down much. through valleys with rushing streams to Hilltop Camp. Ze- Armed with camera gear and binoculars, we scramble into 14

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the back of a Land Rover for our first three-hour dusk drive. The canvas roof provides shade, but otherwise it is a high, open vehicle that ensures we see over the tall grass and shrubs. We’re off! Suddenly we stop, and the ranger points out a couple of nyala (antelope) on a distant slope. Over the next rise, a black rhino grazes not 15 metres away. We turn another corner and nearly run into a giraffe. It’s hard to not shout with delight but we stay quiet. After that, the game appears thick and fast until the sun sets. As a photographer, I welcome the “golden hour” but later the fading light is challenging. The supreme moment comes after dark when we disturb a lion in the middle of the trail. He hightails it into the bush but stops three metres away, and with the aid of a spotlight, I

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�� One of the 10-passenger Land Rovers used for guided game drives.

can count his teeth when he yawns. For two days, Hluhluwe never stops thrilling – in a pearly dawn, seven white rhino on a hilltop and two cuddling in a wallow, an elegant impala with his harem in a sun-dappled glade, seven giraffe with zebra at sundown, a half-submerged crocodile, and herds of jet-black cape buffalo. We quickly learn where and how to spot game. Employing our new skills, we use our rental car on a self-drive through the southern section of Hluhluwe before returning to Durban. We never see leopard or elephant here, but the

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latter are to come. After a short flight to Port Elizabeth, it’s 60 km to Addo: a small, very African village where I get my laundry done by hand for $7. The next morning dawns hot at Addo Elephant National Park where grey-green scrub covers dry hills – quite a change from Hluhluwe’s lushness. We book an afternoon guided tour, then head for a ridge overlooking the park, seeing little along the way. We stop at a viewpoint where a sign reminds us to “Beware of the lions” and spy an enormous herd of elephant in the valley below. Kicking up a plume of dust, we hurtle down to three waterholes. My long lens is useless – I’m now too close to the elephants. Two hundred strong, the herd surrounds us; some are grey and others covered in the rust-red dust. We marvel at their deep rumbles and grunts. A teenager leans on the car, while a monster bull trumpets a warning. “I wonder if our insurance will cover a dent,” Jan muses. “This herd is thriving,” Fred, the biologist, points out, never lowering his binoculars. “Just look at all the babies and juveniles.” He sports red circles around his eyes all day. A nearly-newborn slithers down into a big mud hole and disappears underwater. Up comes his trunk as a periscope. A female rescues him by shoving him up the slippery bank. Soon I realize that this muddy waterhole is their swimming pool and each family group gets about half an hour playing in it. Some wallow, while others squirt liquid mud over their backs to cool down. All emerge glistening in the noonday sun. On the right is their drinking hole where elephant stand around the edge sucking a gallon of water up their trunks before squirting it into their mouths. Our cameras nearly explode – it’s steamy in the car with windows open as our shutters fire repeatedly. After two hours, we need a beer and lunch. On the road back, inadvertently, we get between a female in heat and a randy bull elephant; we hold our breath 16

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Elephants enjoy their swimming pool. knowing that a male in musth can be unpredictably violent. Luckily, the bull is more interested in a mate than us, and after five anxious minutes, he follows her into the bush. It’s 40 Celcius in the open-air restaurant. “Make it three Heineken, please,” Fred says. “I’m having two!” “And I’ll try the kudu salad.” We eat fast – the humidity is brutal – and Jan cancels our afternoon booking. The air-conditioned car is the only way to continue. The afternoon sun has bleached the sky and deepened the shadows as we drive to Addo’s other waterholes looking for different game. “They’re probably all snoozing,” says Jan. But, no, we find a family of red hartebeest, Egyptian geese, and ibis on the edge of one pool, warthogs browsing WWW.SENIORLIVINGMAG.COM

The author’s ﬁr of a lion in the st photo wild.

at another, and several greater kudu stare at us from the bush. We are drawn back to the elephants at day’s end. Two juvenile males spar on open ground, while females gently touch trunks in greeting. Mothers hum to their babies to keep them close as they tear strips of bark off prickly brush. I concentrate on photographing their eyelashes and wrinkles, and marvel at the dung beetles manoeuvring their balls between massive grey feet that are constantly moving. Eventually, we drag ourselves away at dusk, and delete No. 2 from our bucket lists. The memories of Hluhluwe and Addo fill my dreams for months – Africa has captured my heart. SL

If you go: • South Africa is price-friendly. • Best time of year to go to South Africa is April-June – it is the cooler, dry season. • Bed and Breakfasts and guesthouses are plentiful: www.bedandbreakfast.com • Safaris work well for seniors, even those with mobility challenges, as long as you book those reserves with accessible accommodation and use the guided or self-drive game drive options. • Guided game drives are best at dawn and dusk, so meals have to fit around them. It makes for long days, late dinners, and short nights. A nap is sensible if visitors want to survive; so are insect repellent, sunscreen, snacks and water. Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve, KwZulu-Natal: www.sa-venues.com/game-reserves • Choice of accommodations, with or without meals. You have to stay in the park, as there is little available close. • Activities: guided drives and day walks with an armed ranger; boat tours. • Self-drives allowed. Amatikulu Tours: many packages available, some with transport from Durban included.

Our Hilltop package (Hluhluwe) included the park fee, two nights in a two-bedroom cottage, delicious meals in the main lodge, and two game drives, and cost C$410 per person. (Additional 3-hour drives – $42 each.): www.amatikulu.com Nearby and worthwhile – St. Lucia Wetlands Park, stlucia.org.za/ Car rental: All major companies at Durban airport and some downtown. Addo Elephant Park, Eastern Cape: • Park fee – $20/person. • Official park website: www.sanparks.org/parks/addo Click on “Travel” (left) for all the info. Choice of accommodations; meals not included. • Guided game drives (2 hours), C$32. Self-drives allowed. • Activities: horse rides, walks, birdwatching, camping, and hiking. • Package tours with transport to and from Port Elizabeth available. B&B accommodation near Addo is in Sunday’s River Valley: www.addo-accomodation.co.za/kirkwood For more photos and video, visit www.seniorlivingmag.com/ gosouthafrica

Heart of the Arctic With the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and Adventure Canada

September 12 – 24, 2011 aboard the 81-Passenger Ocean Nova

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Adventure

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JUNE 2011 17 ��

FOREVER BY WILLIAM THOMAS

We Now Need a Dress Code for Dogs

hey’re dressing them up, they’re making them over and in the process, they’re wearing them down. People, people, these are your pets, not Barbie dolls or stuffed animals! Oh wait, there goes a sheepdog with his legs and ears dyed black and his eyes heavily made up with mascara to make him look like a panda bear. It’s the latest fad in grooming circles – making over your dog to look like a wild animal. Wearing vegetable-based dye, mini-spray cans, coloured chalk and water-soluble glue, owners and groomers can make Sparky look like a bear, a snake or even a dinosaur. I’m not making this up. “I sprayed the hair up the centre of the back straight up,” explained a groomer who placed third in a recent dress-up contest. “I cut it into spikes like the ridges on a dinosaur back. He looked absolutely adorable.” Yeah, until he went behind the building to take a leak and he ran into a Rottweiler who had been dressed up as a mastodon. In China, there are an unusual number of golden retrievers being dyed orange with black and white stripes to look like ferocious felines. I saw a photo of one such made-up retriever at the opening of a pet park in Zhengzhou, China. He doesn’t look majestic or dangerous. He looks stupid. He 18

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looks like somebody talked him into playing a transvestite pooch in a Will Ferrell movie. So, many pet owners in North America are dressing their pets up for Halloween, for Christmas, for Easter and for no particular reason. Websites are now putting their pictures on display. There’s a picture of a pug dressed up as a gunslinger with cowboy hat and boots, gun and holster. He looks like he really could kill somebody, namely the guy who dressed him up. There’s a photo of a pug in a pirate’s costume, complete with a skull and crossbones headscarf and a patch over his eye. Another small dog looks completely embarrassed in an Easter bunny bodysuit with floppy ears, while a cat dressed up in a Santa suit looks like he’s going to rake the nose of the woman holding him as soon as he gets out of those black leather boots. And there’s a boxer, of course, looking punch-drunk and wearing four huge blue boxing gloves on his feet. I didn’t see a German shepherd sipping schnapps while guarding a herd of sheep but trust me, it’ll be up there someday. A clever man, American Duncan Birmingham, has put pictures of pets dressed in costumes on the website petswhowanttokillthemselves.com He’s also a skeptic: “It’s like there’s nothing good on TV. Waddayasay we marry the cats?” WWW.SENIORLIVINGMAG.COM

I am opposed to dying or dressing up pets. Okay, once John Grant and I decorated his huge Husky named Nukey with deer antlers and we attached one of those safety flashers to his ass that beeped when he backed up. And yes, it was hysterical but we’d had a few drinks and promised never to do it again. No, unless it’s a sweater to keep him warm or snow boots to protect his pads, pets do not need clothes. I never thought we would ever need one, but here it is: A DRESS CODE FOR PETS • No high heels, no spiked heels or stilettos. An older dog with fallen arches, however, can wear sneakers. • A ball hat at the ballgame? Okay. An umbrella hat for a concert on a hot afternoon? All right. But religious headgear of any kind is strictly prohibited. I don’t care if his name is Moshe Dayan, no yarmulke and no patch over the eye. An Afghan must not be seen in a burka. (Under certain circumstances, however, say a Hannah Montana birthday party, a cat wearing a Mickey Mouse hat with the spinner would be cool.) • No piercing of any kind. No stud in the ear, no stud on the tongue and don’t even go looking for a belly button.

• Bras, panties, thongs and nighties are entirely out of the question. However, if the Bouvier next door is kicking your Lab around, a protective cup is in order. • Leggings are out unless they’re lederhosen and you can prove your dog is a German schnauzer with papers from Bavaria. • Formal wear should be avoided unless your pet is attending a legitimate pet wedding both sanctioned by the state of California and taking place in a vineyard; tuxedos for males but nothing too frilly or revealing for the females. (Do not get me started on gay pet marriages.) • No cargo pants or camouflage. They should be illegal on humans, too. • No hairpieces, no hair extensions and no rugs, especially on Persians.

• Walking around with a small blanket or a towel with a clip at the throat is OK but anything that makes him look like the Pope of dogs doesn’t go. Bottom line – if it keeps the sun off or the heat in, your pet can wear it. Otherwise, it’s no shirt, no shoes, no problem. Sorry, but people who dress their pets up should be run naked through the streets, which would be the irony of all ironies – a nudist who puts clothes on his pet. SL William Thomas is the author of nine books of humour including The True Story of Wainﬂeet and Margaret and Me and The Cat Rules. For comments or ideas, visit his website at www.williamthomas.ca

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A Great Gift Idea! Reﬂections, Rejections, and Other Breakfast Foods

Next Month in Senior Living...

Day Trippin’ B.C. travellers delight in holidays close to home, both locally and in surrounding areas. Join them as they share their adventures in the July issue. WWW.SENIORLIVINGMAG.COM

JUNE 2011

Merrily, We eBay Along Travel & Adventure

BY BILL BESSER

h, to be a vagabond. To drop everything at a moment’s notice, set sails to catch the prevailing whims, off into adventure. A traveller’s life, that’s the life for me. But travel costs money, and if you are not independently wealthy, how do you justify such footloose and fancy freeness? The obvious answer: make money as you travel. My wife and I have a small antique/collectibles business, doing mainly shows, and listings on eBay when conditions are right (like free listing fees). I handle the eBay side, my wife almost everything else. We’ve always known we could buy on the road, relying on my wife’s eagle eyes and consummate knowledge of all things antique and collectible. But could we sell? Could we keep the money rolling in as we rolled along? Having recently returned from a 5,000-mile (8,047-kilometre) road trip, from Colorado to Key West and back, eBaying all the way, we might have found the answer. Here’s what I did: First, I convinced my wife, Stephanie, that we could remove both middle-row seats from our Honda Odyssey, and replace them with four tubs of small, well packed collectibles. She raised a discerning eyebrow, but went along with me on this – a real trooper. I wanted to take advantage of eBay’s 100 free listings per month deal. Also, I didn’t want to interrupt our sales flow as the holiday season approached. So, the tubs contained all 100 items I had either just listed or planned to list, as we travelled. Among the items packed was a Nippon vase that had been bid on in an auction set to close on our third day out, so I knew I would have at least one sale as we travelled. The question: How would I handle this transaction, along with the many others I hoped would materialize? It turned out to be much easier than I had anticipated, although there were some hitches. Let’s face it, we are a connected society. 3Gs, 4Gs, Gee Whiz – it’s all there at our thumb tips. In fact, we humans have already given in to the next level of evolution: compose-able thumbs. I still prefer to do my emailing with my laptop, however, and I use my phone for talking, not texting. I realize I will eventually have to up my game, but even with my Neanderthal approach, there was no problem keeping in touch. Save one stop at a casino hotel, we had free Wi-Fi available at every night’s lodging throughout the trip. And any20

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where you can find a public library you have most likely found free Wi-Fi, as we did in the Florida Keys. It was easy to keep track of the auctions and communicate with potential buyers who had questions, and the winners of the auctions to let them know the details of their shipments. Stopping at one McDonald’s for breakfast in Missouri, we found a pleasantly appointed separate Wi-Fi café set up for web surfers, complete with flat screen HD TVs. Do you think Ronald tweets? Packaging items to be shipped was a bit of a challenge. I had brought along some bubble wrap and newsprint that came in handy. To save money, I typically take a box cutter to large boxes, turn them inside out, and whittle them down to size to match the requirements of the item to be shipped. With the proper amount of packing tape, also brought with

The work portion – the author’s wife, Stephanie, searches eBay online at a Florida library.

me, they do just fine. However, finding enough working space in the typical motel room can be a challenge. At one stop I will leave nameless, my box cutter cut through the box and newspaper underneath, almost scoring the desk below. There were clearly blade marks on the desk, and I blanched at the prospect of reimbursing the motel for my damage. It turned out, though, that I could fix the problem by rubbing a little baking soda paste on the scratches. After that, I was more careful with my box making. I must also confess to one almost grand mistake, from which I was saved by, you guessed it, my wife. At one point, I plucked the wrong child’s dish from the tub for mailing. I was about to stuff it in a box when Stephanie spotted it

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as the wrong one, not the Haviland Limoges dish that was sold. Whew! The Great Wall Mailing the packages was no problem at all. Post offices and Fed Ex providers were easy to find. And my little Garmin Nuvi made it all the easier. We were able to list all 100 items we had brought with

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Photos: Bill Besser

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paramount

The play portion – Stephanie takes a relaxing stroll at sunset on a Florida beach.

us as well as a few treasures my wife had found at thrift stores along the way. A white motel towel works fine as a visual backdrop for photos, making it easy to process the new items. All in all, we were able to handle 11 separate sales totalling $868. It didn’t cover all of our expenses, but wasn’t a bad take for doing it on the fly. I mentioned my propensity for box surgery. Finding those boxes led to one memorable encounter, in Natchitoches, LA. I was in need of a sturdy box to mail a fragile sugar and creamer. Where better to find a sturdy box than a hardware store, which accepts shipments of nuts and bolts all the time? With this in mind, I went into the Kaffie-Frederick General Mercantile Store, one of the oldest hardware stores in Louisiana, and asked a clerk if he had an empty box to spare. “Does it need a lee-add?” he responded. A lee-add? I puzzled to myself in uncomfortable silence. What on God’s green Earth, or at least in this Louisiana Parish, is a lee-add? What language was he speaking? Thankfully, he then demonstrated an imaginary box formed by one hand and a closing lid (lee-add) with the other. “Oh, yes, that would be great.” I thanked the kind man profusely when he handed me the box and lid that was just the size I needed. Travel is fun; you can never predict the small gems of interactions that make it so. And now that I know I can make money as I travel, I will be doing more of it. Will I ever become the out-and-out sashayer of my dreams? You can be assured I’ll look at Stephanie’s eyebrows first. SL

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JUNE 2011

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grandchildren, and now is the time to ask for their support in maintaining your independence. It is natural for your BY GOLDIE CARLOW, M.ED children to be concerned about your welfare, but Dear Goldie: I feel confused about my life right you are in good health and should make now, and hope you can offer me some your own life decisions. advice. Although I am 80 years old, my health is good and I lead an active Dear Goldie: Well, here I am, a 76-year-old widlife – walking, bowling and attending ower asking for your help. My wife weekly exercise classes. I live alone in an apartment, close to shopping, died three years ago after a lengthy theatre and restaurants. My children, illness. We had a wonderful life tograndchildren and great-grandchildren gether and were blessed with a son and daughter and three grandchildren. visit me often. So, what is my problem? Well, it My problem is that one of my sons wants me to move into a care resi- seems my family does not want me to dence. His mother-in-law lives in one resume my normal life again. I have and now he thinks I should do the been an active member of a veteran’s same. She is an invalid requiring daily social club for many years. Most of my friends are members, too. Now that assistance, which is not my situation. How can I stay in control of my my wife is gone, my offspring think I should give up these activities and find life? –D.B. new interests. Goldie, these people have been my Dear D.B.: You are in good health and capable (and my wife’s) friends for many years. of caring for yourself, so I don’t under- I still want them to be part of my life. stand why your son is advocating this At my age, it isn’t easy to make new change. You need to help him realize friends. So what do you think I should that you are not in the same state of do? –M.C. health as his mother-in-law. You mention your other children and Dear M.C.: Your family is concerned about your welfare, but you need to make Goldie Carlow is a retired registered decisions about your life. Perhaps their concern is that if you nurse, clinical counsellor and senior peer counselling trainer. Send letters to continue to socialize at your old haunts Senior Living, Box 153, 1581-H Hillside you will be more depressed about the loss of their mother. I think you need Ave., Victoria, BC V8T 2C1. to have a family discussion to clear the air. Tell your offspring that these peoSenior Peer Counselling Centres ple are old close friends of both you (Lower Mainland) and their mother and that if you lose New Westminster 604-519-1064 them too, your loss becomes greater. North Vancouver 604-987-8138 Families really do care about each Burnaby 604-291-2258 other, but seldom discuss matters of Richmond 604-279-7034 death and loss. Because of this resistance, Vancouver West End 604-669-7339 Coquitlam – Tri-Cities 604-945-4480 many assumptions are made and they are Vancouver Westside 604-736-3588 SL seldom beneficial to anyone.

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Travel & Adventure

R&R on Hawaii Island BY JANE CASSIE

PHOTOS BY BRENT C ASSIE

hat types of R&R come to mind when you think of Hawaii Island? Relaxing on beaches, rolling in the surf, revitalizing at a spa? How about riding the range? Paniolo Adventures has paired up horses with holidayers for more than 25 years, at the 11,000-acre Ponoholo Ranch. And today, they’re pairing up me. But when it comes to the giddy-up-and-go thing, I’m no Calamity Jane. “No worries,” my ponytailed wrangler Corrina says with a cheeky grin. “Laka will live up to her name.” I’m tempted to whip out my Hawaiian dictionary and make sure this thoroughbred’s title means “calm and gentle.” But when she bats her long lashes and looks flirtatiously my way, I relax. After one loving nudge, I’m convinced she’s a keeper. Hanging out with my new mate mare are paints, palominos and up to 8,000 head of cattle; the second largest herd on the island. Parker Ranch takes the blue ribbon for the biggest – and oldest – with roots that stretch back to King

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Kamehameha I. It all started with five scruffy longhorns, a gift brought oversees by Captain George Vancouver in 1798. Free to graze, they multiplied and, soon, ruled the range. In 1816, John Palmer Parker came to the rescue – both as Romeo for Kamehameha’s granddaughter Kipikane, and as master wrangler to two of these cattle-clogged acres. Before long, the problem turned into profit. With help from Hawaiian ranch-hands, beef was butchered, hides were dried and sales to sandalwood trading ships soared. In 1832, Parker contracted Mexican vaqueros, (skilled horse/cattlemen) to train locals how to rope while riding. Their Espanola title was shortened to paniolo, cowboy culture melded with the rolling landscape and, as the cliché goes, the rest is history. “We can go any pace you like,” Corrina says, after helping us straddle our saddles. “Walk, trot or rev it up a notch. These guys know all the speeds.” Whether it’s her infectious

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laugh or my nervous qualms, I giggle back. And beneath my trembling thighs, Laka responds with a tender nicker. I’m told not to worry. Her grunt is all about affection. Feeling even more of a bond to my equine companion, we plod on. All Paniolo Adventures are kept to a minimum and range from the pokier City Slicker Ride to the higher-cali-

We saunter through green pastures where cattle graze. I give Laka a brush and biscuit goodbye.

So nice to come home to. bre Wrangler. Our sunset experience caters to any ability and usually comes with a colourful finale. Unfortunately, tonight’s cloud diminishes the viewing. But it doesn’t slow the show. We saunter through cattle-grazing pastures, stroll beneath native Ohia trees, and trot the open range. “If you’re into cantering, this is the place,” Corrina says, when we come to a flat stretch of grass. So far, the ride’s been relaxing, but I can sense Laka’s excitement. She wants to please and go with the breeze, but am I ready? “Grip the reigns and relax. She’ll show you a good time.” I follow Corrina’s suggestion and with a “yeehaa,” we’re off! Like the flowing tide, my body melds with her gentle gait and by the end of this final connection, I feel like a genuine paniolo. But our affair ends quickly – a brush and biscuit goodbye. And it’s only after checking my Hawaiian dictionary that I realize my thoroughbred has truly lived up to her name – “a seductive goddess.”

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Three days later, we’re R&R-ing it on another Hawaii Island adventure. “Put on your feet belts,” Shane instructs. “And hang onto your hats.” Our Captain Zodiac skipper and his first mate, Tetau, know how to create waves. With toes tucked beneath the floor straps of our 24-foot (7.4-metre) zodiac, we skirt the Kona Coast like training diehard Navy SEALs. But there aren’t any military prerequisites required for this mission. As long as your back likes the bumps and your soul loves the sea, you can be seven years old or 70. Soon after leaving Honokohau Marina, a pack of dorsal fins break the cerulean surface and put on a show. “These spinner dolphins are like playful pups,” Shane explains as one does a front flip. “And they’re just as intrigued by us as we are by them.” Based on all the camera action, I’m almost sure our group wins this curiosity poll. And the shutters don’t stop here. During this five-hour “Beat the Crowd” adventure, I fill a GB memory card. Our craft skims the water like a motorized surfboard and, while perched on pontoons, we’re privy to close encounters. Unlike larger-hulled cruisers, we navigate shallow coves, Our 24-foot zodiac skirts the Kona Coast.

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wave-worn caves and coastal lava tubes. Shane and Tetau fill us in on everything from famous folk to folklore: Volcano Goddess Pele, beloved King Kamehameha I, and an intrepid Captain Cook. And when there’s action on the horizon, our outboards don’t disappoint. “Let’s go for the blow,” Shane says, while opening the throttle. Within seconds, we’re jet-propelled and in search of beauties that thrive beneath. Maintaining a respectable distance, we scan the rippled Pacific. Then, like a fusillade of fireworks, the show begins. First a spout, then a fin, eventually a slap - two coal-black 40-ton Humpbacks arch the water’s surface like inflated balloons and a third gives his gusto. Although partly for our benefit, the male’s out-of-water breach is more to lure the ladies. “It’s like the bar during happy hour,” Shane jests. “The biggest entertainer gets lucky.” Even though we’re spectators to this dating game, it’s a stunning sight to see – as is our next stop. An ivory obelisk, commemorating Captain Cook, pre-

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sides over the sheltered waters of Kealakekua Bay, a popular haunt for snorkellers. After lunch, when the other tour boats depart (hence the name “Beat the Crowd”), we submerge to watch the marine life graze. Orangespine surgeon, yellow-tone tang, and aqua-green parrotfish – they all have a feeding frenzy on the food-rich coral. But the afternoon clouds soon roll in and our once glassy surface turns choppy.

“Time to head back,” Shane says, surveying the scene around us. “Hang on!” We do as we’re told and, like seaward mariners, go with the flow. Over turbulent swells and through gusty crests, he manoeuvres the craft with ease. As a grand finale, he does a few doughnut loops, churning the waves into a swirling vortex. And after cleaving through his massive wake we’re privy to a little more Hawaii Island R&R while riding these rollers! SL

When You Go: Where to Stay – Kohala Coast: The Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii One North Kaniku Drive Kohala Coast, HI Tel: 1-800-257-7544 (toll-free from N.A.) Email: reservations@fairmont.com www.fairmont.com/orchid Where to Stay – Kona Coast: Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort & Spa 78-128 Ehukai Street Kona, HI Tel: 1-808-930-4900 www.sheratonkona.com For a Little R&R Paniolo Adventures Mile 13.2 Kohala Mtn. Rd. (Hwy. 250) N. Kohala, HI Tel: 1-808-889-5354 www.panioloadventures.com Captain Zodiac Honokohau Marina – 5 miles (8 km) south of the Kona Airport Book Online or Call: 1-808-329-3199 www.CaptainZodiac.com

Spinner dolphins put on a show.

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Have Fork, Will Travel BY SALLY JENNINGS

Lemons Add Zest

he English name “cabbage” comes from the French word “caboche,” meaning head. It has been cultivated for over 4,000 years and domesticated for perhaps 2,500 years. The Celts brought cabbage to Europe from Asia in about 600 BC and as it grows well in cool climates, it soon became a major crop. It’s prolific and can be stored through the winter as sauerkraut, thus fending off scurvy. Interestingly, kale, kohlrabi, cauliflower, broccoli and Brussels sprouts are the same species, altered by selective propagation. If your grandchildren won’t eat cabbage, this delicious recipe will change their minds. LEMON CABBAGE Melt butter in a large saucepan on medium heat Slice an onion and add to the saucepan Finely slice a Savoy cabbage and add Sprinkle over lemon juice and salt, and toss Put the lid on to steam rather than cook. It will take only a few minutes – the vegetables need to be crisp, not limp. GREEK POTATOES Here’s another way lemon juice uplifts a dish. Peel potatoes and cut them lengthways. Boil them briefly in water. Before they are fully cooked, take them out, discard the water, and put the potatoes into a frying pan with olive oil, sea salt, pepper and oregano. Turn regularly to cook on each side and create a crispy brown exterior. Alternative: you can omit the boiling and put the potatoes straight into a baking tray in the oven with all the above ingredients plus a cup of water. It takes longer; don’t forget to turn the potatoes.

2 eggs 1 cup sugar 4 tablespoons lemon juice Lemon essence 2 oz (1/4 lb) butter Grated rind (zest) of 1 lemon (Meyer lemons are recommended) Beat eggs. Add sugar. Add melted butter, lemon rind, juice and essence of lemon. In a double boiler, cook until thick (30-40 minutes), stirring occasionally. Put into sterilized jars, store in the fridge and use quickly. For orange curd, use 2 oranges with rind and juice; omit lemons. Variations: limes, tangerines, passion fruit, mangoes, berries, lemon and lime, pineapple with Malibu, orange with Cointreau, or cherry with cherry brandy. LEMON CURD DESSERT 1 1/2 cup whipping cream 3/4 cup lemon curd to mix with cream 3/4 cup lemon curd to layer 1 box vanilla of lemon wafers Whip cream until soft peaks form. Add 3/4 cup lemon curd to the cream and fold in gently. In 8” x 8” square baking dish put one-third of the cream and spread. Put a layer of wafers and cover with lemon curd. Repeat, finishing with a layer of cream. Cover and refrigerate SL for 24 hours before serving.

Aunt Theo was a dear old lady who lived in an immaculate Victorian house, full of original furniture, in Auckland. Time had been on hold for many years. Luckily, her recipes were good and traditional too. Lemon curd can be spread on bread, scones, muffins or tarts. It’s the filling for lemon meringue pie. Note: it keeps for a month in the fridge. 30

SENIOR LIVING

Sally Jennings is a writer, editor, tour guide. She has lived and dined on ﬁve continents, with no regrets. pto_edit@yahoo.ca

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Photo: Caroline Mufford

THEO’S LEMON CURD (LEMON CHEESE)

BBB Better Better Better Better

Business Business Business Business

Bureau Bureau Bureau Bureau

SCAM ALERT

BY LYNDA PASACRETA

Vacation Scams

acation scams and travel-related frauds cost consumers tens of billions of dollars every year. As it is with many industries, scam artists are unscrupulous when it comes to ripping people off and upsetting travellers’ holiday dreams. The key to protecting yourself from becoming a victim of a vacation scam is to become educated about the tactics used in the most common vacation frauds.

3) Prize Pitch Similar to the above scams, victims are informed they have been specially selected to win a prize or vacation or the option to choose from a variety of prize or vacation options. In some instances, the victim may have recently filled out a ballot or entered to win a vacation (often at a home, boat or auto show). Victims are then told that in order to receive the vacation prize, they must purchase a product or service or pay an amount in advance. In some cases, victims end up purchasing a real Whether it is a free cruise, all-inclusive product or service, without resort, airfare or other holiday travel ever receiving their vacation prize. In other circumstancpackage, the scammer usually requires es, the victims send money that victims secure the holiday or conﬁrm and personal information to never hear from the scammer the booking of the vacation package again.

1) Unsolicited Free Holiday Prize Offering This is probably the most common form of vacation scam. A telemarketer (often using the name of a reputable company, organization or financial institution) contacts victims to tell them they have won a free holiday prize offerthrough their credit card. ing. Whether it is a free cruise, 4) Foot-in-the-Door all-inclusive resort, airfare or Scam other holiday travel package, the scammer usually requires While this “scam” may not actually be fraudulent in its that victims secure the holiday or confirm the booking of entirety, the victims have often been deceived into particithe vacation package through their credit card. The scam- pation. In some instances, businesses will contact consummer collects the credit card information and other personal ers and offer them the opportunity to win, or to be entered information for the purpose of identity theft. to win a vacation prize, by merely sitting through some sort of sales pitch. Timeshare and door-to-door sales companies 2) Vacation Rental Scam sometimes use this tactic. While the prospect of winning In this fraud, scammers typically use classified adver- a free vacation may sound enticing, the reality is that the tising sources in local or national newspapers, on bulle- high-pressure sales tactics often employed by the company tin boards or online (such as Craigslist) to lure in victims. offering the prize, result in victims purchasing products that SL Promising a fabulous vacation rental destination, the scam cost much more than the prize offering is worth. artist may provide pictures, testimonials and offer great discount rates on a vacation rental. For more information on protecting yourself from beIn many cases, the scammer has no affiliation to the coming a victim of fraud or to check out a company’s BBB rental property advertised, or has made up a great-sounding Business Review, visit mbc.bbb.org accommodation. Victims are required to pay in advance for the rental property, usually via cheque or money order or sometimes credit card. Once the payment is made, the scam Lynda Pasacreta is President of the Better Business Bureau artist disappears with the money, and the victim is left outof Mainland B.C. www.mbc.bbb.org To contact Lynda Pasacreta, e-mail president@mbc.bbb.org of-pocket for the cost of the accommodation. WWW.SENIORLIVINGMAG.COM

JUNE 2011

SENIOR? I DON’T THINK SO!

Photo: Krystle Wiseman

Reﬂections THEN & NOW

BY GIPP FORSTER

t’s funny – at least to me – I’m 74 years old, but I literate. But that’s only because I don’t want some machine don’t feel like a senior. Granted, my body has a few “thinking” for me. I can think on my own. It may take me creaks and I don’t move as fast as I once did. But I longer to come to a conclusion, but at least it’s mine and still move and my shadow manages to keep pace with me. my brain trudged the miles to find it. Computers scare me. I My best friend is seven years older than me and has the don’t think we’ll ever be friends. Computers are fickle. You energy of a teenager. My wife is full of energy too and, ad- never know what they’re going to do next. The other day, I glanced over my wife’s shoulder when she mittedly, I get lost in their dust! But that’s understandable. I got lost in their dust 20 years ago, so I don’t see why it was on her computer and the screen said: “You’ve got mail.” I went to the mailbox and it was empty. Computers are evil, should be any different now. It’s my kids and my stepkids I’m worried about. Every I tell you! They can’t be trusted. At least that’s what I think, time I see them, they look and seem much older. One had the which proves I’m still thinking. Years mean diddlysquat when it comes to a functioning temerity to turn 56 recently! In another nine years, he’ll be brain – not always, but a good what the government considers portion of the time. And even a senior. And that’s what makes then, if the brain chooses to this whole thing ridiculous! We I have 74 years under my belt. switch to another channel, who’s can’t both be seniors at the same So what? That doesn’t mean I to say it isn’t thinking there? I time! think that needs to be thought I never think of my wife as can’t party to the wee hours of the about – without the aid of a coma senior, and she’s 11 months morning, rev my car engine at a older than me. My dad was 92 puter – the old-fashioned way. and my mother 87 when they I have 74 years under my red light or wink at a pretty girl. graduated from this place to the belt. So what? That doesn’t next. I saw them as my elders, mean I can’t party to the wee but never seniors. In my mind, hours of the morning, rev my my dad could still leap over tall buildings in a single bound. car engine at a red light or wink at a pretty girl. I just don’t He had just decided not to leap anymore, that’s all. feel like doing any of those things anymore. I think I may be Many of my younger friends move faster than me, but growing up! But that doesn’t mean I’m getting old. only because I’m resting. In fact, I’m enjoying my rest so I have a cane, a walker, a scooter and an electric wheelmuch that I may never move fast again (My wife just mur- chair – just in case I ever DO get old. But they’re just props mured, “What do you mean ‘again’?”). She’s not too quick, so I don’t razzle dazzle everyone with my hidden youth. I’m so I’ll explain it to her later. a deep thinker and though my body gets a little confused, at I guess it’s true that my body is getting a bit older, but not times, my mind is always on the go! my mind. More mature, to be certain, but not old. ExperiTeenagers think about what they consider to be good times, fun times. But the true thinkers, like you and me, enced. Debonair perhaps. I can still think along with the best of them. And I can think about important things, like not getting medications still count to 20 without taking off my shoes and socks mixed up, or slipping on the ice, or finding something on (Just a little joke there. My wife: “It was ‘little’ alright!”). I TV that we can understand and doesn’t offend. Our minds are constantly on the go. The racers of time who refuse to shouldn’t think aloud. SL Granted, I will be the first to admit I am computer il- give up. What’s so senior about that? 32

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To Move or Not to Move?

BC EDITION

A Helpful Guide For Seniors Considering Their Residential Options

Published by Senior Living January 2009

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9.95

To Move or Not to Move?

To Move or Not to Move? A Helpful Guide for Seniors Considering Their Residential Options

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If you are a senior who has been wondering lately whether you should consider moving - either because you find the maintenance of your current home more difficult due to diminishing ability or energy, or you simply want a lifestyle that allows you more freedom and less responsibility - then this is the book that can help you ask the right questions and find the solution that is right for you. • What residential options are available? • Define your current situation - What residential option is right for you? • How to research and assess Independent and Assisted Living residences. • What do Independent, Assisted Living and Complex Care facilities have to offer? • How much does it cost to live in an Assisted Living residence? What subsidies are available? • Thinking of moving in with family members? Questions to consider before making your decision. • Are there any other residential options besides Independent, Assisted Living and Complex Care facilities? • If you choose to stay in your own home, what are your options and what should you plan for? • Who can help you decide what you can or cannot afford? • Funding sources available to seniors - tax deductions, housing subsidies, home care subsidies, equipment loan programs, renovation grants, etc. • Selling your home - how to find the right realtor or relocation services to assist your move. • Downsizing - Where do you start? How do you proceed? • Adapting your home to meet your mobility needs - tips and suggestions • Hiring home care services; do it yourself or hire an agency? • Legal matters - how to make sure you receive the care you desire should you not be able to communicate due to some incapacitating condition • AND MUCH MORE

Advice from professionals who are experts in the area of assisting seniors with their relocation questions and concerns. A handy reference guide for seniors and their families wrestling with the issues around whether relocation is the best option. This 128-page book provides helpful, easy to read information and suggestions to help seniors and their families understand the decisions they need to make.

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