6 kms uphill all the way! And with a bit of a head wind. At least it was paved. And it made for a pretty easy ride back to Max, although we sure got our exercise on the way up.
And, I forgot the phone, so no photos of any scenery along the way.
Hardly saw the sun all day until ten minutes before it set when it gave us a bit of a show...
Nice sunset.
I renewed our travel medical insurance for another couple of months.
We are on the Heymondo Long Stay Plan. You have to sign up for an initial three months and the cost of those three months is $319 USD ($3.55 USD per day) per person.
But when you extend when those three months are almost up, the renewal price drops dramatically. We are now paying only $68 USD ($2.29 USD per day) per person per month for the balance of the one year policy. It's actually pretty cheap as far as travel medical insurance goes.
Valid anywhere in the world, including the USA, and you can even sign up after your trip has already begun.
Minor detail, but you also save 5% because you are a Travel with Kevin and Ruth reader!
And speaking of medical stuff, there are a couple of younger Germans here trying to get booster shots in Greece. It turns out that it can be done. Anyone can do it... you have to go to any KEP Citizens Service Center (most larger towns have one and all cities have several) and register to get a temporary AMKA number. Everyone is accepted, however it can take up to 21 days for the registration to be effective. Once registration is effected, you can go to any pharmacy for your shot. Registering in more populated areas should make it faster than 21 days, but no guarantee.
So, we're thinking about it. Part of the problem is that we only plan on being in Greece for about another three weeks at the most. Then we will be in Turkey. But we know that we can't get a booster shot in Turkey, and we will be there for close to three months. The problem of course, is not knowing what changes in policy around the world will affect our future travels when we are ready to leave Turkey.
Here in Greece, anyone over the age of 60 is considered unvaccinated 7 months after their last shot. We are now at the 5 1/2 months mark, but it's kind of irrelevant because we will be out of Greece by the time we get to that mark.
And, the EU is recommending a booster at six months, and considers you unvaccinated at nine months. Despite the fact the the European Union makes recommendations to the individual countries, the individual countries still make their own policies. They are far from united in that regard, as you can see from Greece already having different rules.
So, we'll see. It's not a priority for us, so we'll probably just let it slide and deal with it when we absolutely have to. Or, if we see ourselves in a town in the next few days where we can register, then we'll probably just do it... even though of course, it would be better if we just stayed away from anyone!!
In the meantime, we are headed out for some fresh air and exercise before the rain returns after lunch.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And in Canada...
Personally I think it's a good idea to grab vaccines when you can. So many rules keep changing. We hope to get a booster in Greece but may need to repeat it in England to get it logged!
ReplyDeleteYeah, we don't think the same on this. Worst case scenario is that we need to get a negative PCR test to cross a border if our vaccination status runs out.
DeleteGood news on both the booster and the insurance. I am surprised it is inexpensive. I need to follow the link you've posted.
ReplyDeleteKevin did his homework on Heymondo and for our age we think that it is deal, having said that we haven't had to use it yet but from the reviews we have read they are a good company and not just because of their prices.
DeleteThat sounds like a pretty epic bike ride! Too bad about the forgotten phone; I would have loved to have seen photos. Uphill and into the wind is not my idea of fun. Good thing you got to enjoy the reverse on the way back to Max.
ReplyDeleteIt was definitely not an epic bike ride, lol but it was a good one. Really there wasn't a lot of scenery along the way, just lots of olive trees for the most part. We loved the ride back! :-)
DeleteRules for what qualifies for fully vaccinated are changing daily if not hourly. A booster is probably a good idea just a thought. Also if you received J&J the medical communities are saying it us a very good idea to get a booster.As all the vaccines seem to be wanning. Also a lot of countries now are imposing quartine on unvacinated. Stay safe and enjoy your travels.
ReplyDeleteYes, rules are constantly changing and we are very aware of that. We have also taken into consideration that there is the possibility of having to go into quarantine or having to pay out money for PCR tests when you enter a country. We are thinking about all our options and we will probably good ahead and at least register for a temporary AMKA number then it will be in place should we decide to go ahead with the booster. If they want everyone to be vaccinated we can't understand why they make things so complicated, not just here but in any country around the world!
DeleteGet whatever shot you can get. Dh and I were fully vaccinated, had our booster scheduled and on Dec. 12, our first symptoms appeared. It was brutal. On Christmas Eve morning, dh woke up panting "Help me". I called 911 and they were here in minutes. Dh's heart rate was 275 and while sitting in his chair, completely conscious, in our living room, they defibrillator him and I heard a scream I've never heard in 29 years of marriage. He was stabilized and rushed to the hospital and not thought to have permanent damage at this point. Sorry for the long story, but wanted to put a personal voice to it. I'm on Day 16 and almost back to normal, although I'm constantly tired, can't smell or taste and don't want to eat.
ReplyDeleteWe are very sorry to hear that you have both had COVTD but good to hear that you are also both recovering.Hopefully neither one of you will any lasting effects of it.
DeletePerhaps if they made the whole process of getting the vaccine or the booster easier maybe more people would get vaccinated or get the booster, it's this jumping through hoops that is so frustrating. We are going to go ahead and do the registration and then make the final decision later. Getting the vaccine or the booster doesn't stop you from getting the virus only that it helps prevent you from getting seriously sick or dying and even then people still do, we think that we are pretty health;y and we keep to ourselves for the most part which we think is the best preventative medicine.