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When it comes to choosing any insurance, say health, travel, student, home etc, you compare the various policies in the market. As each company offers innovative covers, it becomes easier for you to make a decision based on the coverage as well as the premium offered . However, it is not the same case of Motor Insurance.

Motor Insurance in India is governed buy the Indian Motor Tariff. The coverage for your vehicle would be the same no matter which company you would buy it from. Moreover, motor insurance is mandatory and needs to be renewed every year. So, how do you choose the right plan and where do you buy it from?

Here are a few pointers that shall help you to make a more sound decision.

Check out the premium
Even if the coverage offered would be the same, the premium charged by various companies would still be competitive. Study the cost involved with various companies and choose the one which gives you the best rate. However, don't let premium be the only deciding factor.

Name/ goodwill of the company
Try and buy insurance from an insurance company which has a good name and reputation. It always helps to go with the number one in the country!

Consider the garage tie-ups
All insurance companies tie up with various garages across the country for cashless settlement of claims. When you get your vehicle serviced at any of these garages, the claims are directly settled by the insurer. Always check the number of cashless garages the company has a tie up with. Also, consider the quality and the location of these garages.

Payment options
What are the various payment options available? Does the company offer you various options from which you can choose the one which is most convenient? Does it have an EMI option so that you do not have to pay in lump sum? Do get this valuable information.

Buy online, it has many benefits
When you buy online, a digitally signed policy is generated. This is a valid legal document. The soft copy of your insurance policy is available online and can be accessed anywhere and at anytime. Now you don't have to worry about being extra careful about your hard documents. Also, buying online is most convenient and hardly takes a few minutes.

Make the sound choice for your car insurance based on the parameters above and avail complete peace of mind.

Do check comprehensive Car Insurance policy by ICICI Lombard, GIC. Offering the most competitive rates in the country, ICICI Lombard gives you multiple payment options along with a 0% EMI facility. The number one general insurance company (in India) has one of the largest cashless garage network of more than 2,500 garages. Buy or renew your car insurance online instantly from http://www.icicilombard.com

Every year growing numbers of us pull our RV's out of storage and hit the road. One of the most important and frequently overlooked issues in preparing for the trip is insurance. RV insurance is more complicated than simple auto insurance. Too many people think they can just add their Recreational Vehicle to their car insurance policy.

Adding an RV to your regular auto policy will not give you the complete protection that a specialized RV insurance policy can give you. After all there are many differences between any RV and an automobile. Your RV is a home on wheels; it contains a great deal more personal property and represents a significantly greater investment than your car. Also it has a kitchen, a bathroom, heating and cooling systems and an electric panel, in other words it's more like a house than it is an automobile.

Many RV's cost as much as a luxury home and present other unique challenges to an insurance policy; vacation/trip interruption issues, towing, breakdown, generators and appliances, awnings, slide-outs, specialized repair requirements and liability issues.

Just think of the situations an RV faces on the road; hurricane force winds, water exposure equal to a flood and extended vibrations worse than most Earthquakes. You drive this home on the interstate at speeds of 75 mph (Category 1 hurricane force) in a heavy rain storm on some of our aging freeways (jolting and vibrations). How many of our real houses could stand up to this kind of abuse?

Also you have to consider the specialized equipment and costs of some of the RV features; awnings, generators, slide-out rooms, skylights, satellite domes, TV antennas, roof mounted air conditioner units, leveling legs and steps.

Most RV dealerships offer specialized RV insurance through the dealership and there are many companies that specialize in this type of insurance as well. You can get an insurance policy for every type and age recreational vehicle out there.

One of the most common claims associated with RV's is body damage from overhangs and gas station canopies; RV's are generally 11' to 13'+ high. We are always careful about that additional width but it's so easy to forget our height requirements, there's no mirror for that! Find out the overall height clearance needed for your rig and keep it posted prominently and handy to the drivers' seat of your RV or tow vehicle. A related type of these claims comes from forgetting to lower the TV antenna. The antenna itself may not cost much to replace but if it punches a hole in the roof you're in for a real problem and a much more expensive repair.

Another common cause of loss for RV's is fire. The refrigerator, water heater, furnace, stove and generator are all sources of potential propane (or other fuel) leaks and fires. The propane system needs to be checked and maintained on a regular basis.

A third common reason for insurance claims on our RV's is damage from tires. A blowout, tread separation or even a standard flat will almost always cause exterior body damage but can also throw pieces of tire up through the vehicle causing extensive interior damage and even physical harm to occupants. The single most important precaution you can take with an RV is to check your tires regularly. Keep the pressure at the recommend level for the tire specifications and weight it carries and watch for signs of wear. RV tires are seldom replaced due to tread wear instead they are normally replaced due to age, dry rot, cracking and ozone or UV deterioration.

An RV is even susceptible to damage when it's stored. There are several possible perils to anticipate and take precautions against during storage periods. You have to consider the weather in your area of the country. The most obvious problem is freezing of water supply, waste lines and holding tanks. Not as obvious are heat or sun exposure causing stress to tires, propane and other fuel components. You should have your rig properly winterized or otherwise protected from the elements appropriate to your area.

Another storage issue is rodent infestation. Mice, squirrels and other pests can do a lot of damage to the interior and mechanical components of an RV. You can do a lot to protect yourself by thoroughly cleaning all food items and storage areas prior to storage. As with the weather the precautions you need to take will vary with your storage location.

It is very important to get good insurance coverage for your RV. Talk to a qualified specialty insurance professional or a full service RV dealer to explore your options. Shop around, do some online research and you can find a company and policy that will suit your needs. We will cover some of the coverage's you may need in our next article.

G Scott Lawrence is a 30 year licensed insurance adjuster and partner in Storm Survivor, LLC.

We offer web sites and products as a consumer resource for information and news about property insurance claims and insurance related topics. Informational original articles, excerpts from industry publications, links to insurance resources, consumer questions and answers.

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Anyone can now import cars from Japan into Canada. Due to its reputation of low cost and high quality goods, vehicles from Japan are selling like hot cakes. Make sure to do all the possible research and background check before importing a car. Here is how to do the deal.

In as much as you would like to deal to be done and over it, always be vigilant in making any purchase. Just a like saying goes, Caveat Emptor which means let the buyer beware. To prevent hassles in your car purchase, do research to save your hard earned cash.

There is a lot of real estate to cover to deliver you vehicle. And there are also a lot of documents to be filed since there are two countries involved.

Canada has strict regulations on importing cars from any country of origin. The rule states that if a car is under 15 years of age, it cannot arrive to its destination. No need to fret since cars from Japan maintains a very good condition. To import cars from Japan into Canada, you simply have to abide by the same policy. Check out the agencies involved in importing goods and follow all the requirements.

For a fee, you can hire a broker who could deal with necessary clearances. Your car will have to go through customs, be under import levies, and undergo inspection. Do not forget the registration and bill of sale of your vehicle for it will establish the identity of your new car.

Importing cars from Japan into Canada gives huge savings. Aside from plenty of options from different car auctions, you can cut the cost of a new purchase by 30 percent. Once it reaches its new destination however, make sure to check the market for the most reasonable insurance premium. Companies tend to double and sometimes triple the premium since you have an imported vehicle.

Above everything else, anticipate and prepare a budget to import a car from Japan into Canada. The list includes freight forwarding charges, licensing fees, local and overseas payments, etc. A recommended way of paying for your new car is using a credit card.

For customs information about importing cars from Japan into Canada, visit my blog. You can also check out www.epoi.com to know more on how to buys cars from Japans online auction. Lastly, The Japan Used Motor Vehicle Exports Association provides an accredited list of car dealers.

Davion is crazy about fast cars. Learn the A to Z on how to import cars from Japan such as where to find reliable used car agents in Japan, buying and importing Japanese cars and more at his wildly successful car blog. Also, read another of his popular article on how to find a used car exporter if you wish to import Japanese cars.

Exotic Foods Abound in Colombia

Although "exotic" foods abound in Colombia, the most succulent, flavorful offerings are its locally-made soups. One of the many pleasures of living and teaching English as a foreign language abroad is the opportunity to sample and savor a unique plethora of foods. From chilly Bogot, Colombia's mountain-located capitol city, through aromatic seafood soups from the Pacific coast to the steaming goodness of Cali, Salsa music capitol of Colombia, here are some of the country's best soups.

Here Are Six Succulent Soups from Colombia

" Sancocho de Gallina

The national dish of Colombia, this hearty soup is made with a whole stewed chicken or rooster including the feet. Added in are yucca, yellow plantain, potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, and seasonings. It's served with a bed of steaming white rice and fresh slices of locally-grown avocado.

" Mondongo

A truly hearty meal in which cubes of tripe are cooked until tender, then added into a stew of vegetables like yucca, yellow plantain, potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, peas and seasonings. It's also often served with a bed of steaming white rice. A cold, locally-brewed beer goes well with this too.

" Ajiaco

As creamy a soup as they get, this specialty of Bogot is made with tender chicken breast, two varieties of potatoes; small yellow potatoes and white potatoes, yucca and lots of fresh whole milk to give it its characteristic creamy texture and light color. It's served with Guasca (a green, leafy vegetable) and Alcaparras (capers) and is a taste sensation you'll likely never forget.

" Changua

Another milk-based soup commonly served in Bogot and environs for breakfast. It is simple with beef broth, milk, and eggs as its main ingredients. Parsley is often sprinkled on top for added color and bouquet.

" Sancocho de Pescado

Along Colombia's Atlantic and Pacific coasts, this full version of the national dish is made with several types of seafood instead of chicken. Fried slices of yellow or green plantain accompany this dish as does white rice cooked in coconut milk instead of water. Sliced fresh avocado, tomato and fried fish are often piled on a platter next to the bowl of soup which is actually more like a stew.

" Caldo de Costillas

The third highest capitol city in the world, Bogot can get quite chilly mornings and late evenings year-round. For a great chilly morning pick-me-up you can't do better than a bowl of this simple beef broth cooked with white potatoes and a healthy slab of meaty beef rib thrown in, always still on the bone. Bread or arepa (a thick flour tortilla-like bread) on the side help fuel you up for a busy day in Colombia's capitol city. Add a hot cup of Colombia's rich, mild coffee and you're good to go for the day.

Feeling Adventuresome?

If you're feeling adventuresome, then by all means try the "Hormigas Culonas" ants from Santander, the flaky smoked shark called "Tollo", or dip into a stew of Iguana meat. But for me, I'll savor the flavors of these wonderful broths and hearty meals served with rice, fried plantain or a flat, toasted "arepa". Any way you try them, they're all simply delicious. Whether it's "exotic" foods or one of the locally-made traditional soups, your taste buds are in for a treat when you come to Colombia.

Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an EFL Teacher Trainer, Intellectual Development Specialist, prolific writer, expert author and public speaker. He has written ESP, foreign language learning, English language teaching texts and hundreds of articles used in more than 120 countries. Get your FREE E-books, English language teaching and learning information at: http://bettereflteacher.blogspot.com Need a blogger or copywriter to promote your school, institution, service or business or an experienced writer and vibrant SEO content for your website, blog or newsletter? Contact the author at the above blog address for more information.

I have been busy with the tourist business lately (mostly promotion work), including getting my car registration taken care of among other things, and haven't been able to go with the brothers here on any missions trips. Alberto and I have wanted to go back to Cushpa, a small village up canyon above Cotahuasi, which is at 14,500 feet. Because most of the people live up to a couple of hours from the village, the only time they are all together is for the monthly village meeting. We had agreed to go to Cushpa on the 15th of this month, the day of their meeting, to minister there. However I got some last minute business last week, a very welcome four-day trip with a family of tourists from France, driving them to Arequipa by way of Colca Canyon. On the way we found out that there was going to be a transportation strike in Arequipa, so we had to cut out an extra fifth day that we had planned to go climb a 18,619-foot active volcano, in order to get them back to Arequipa before the strike began. Then the planned two-day strike turned into an indefinite one and I wasn't sure I would be able to leave Arequipa to get back to Cotahuasi in time for the mission trip.

God worked it all out, and we able to leave for Cotahuasi on Friday as planned. Maribel, a friend from Arequipa, went back with me, to teach the children in Cushpa. We had quite a bit of trouble getting out of Arequipa, as many of the roads were blocked due to the strike, but finally made it. We thought all was clear, until we got to La Joya, about an hour out of the city. There the Pan American Highway was blocked and we had strikers threatening to bust out the car windows. We tried to talk them into letting us through but it was getting too tense, so we beat a hasty retreat. There was a gravel street just a block off the highway, and we were able to use that to get around them and continue on our way.

We arrived in Cotahuasi without any further problems, expecting to leave on Saturday for Cushpa. However, because the church was having a leadership-training seminar on Friday and Saturday, we couldn't leave for Cushpa until Sunday morning. My old car only held five people, where my new one has room for seven, so we left for Cushpa on Sunday morning with a full load of gear and seven people; Isedoro and Alberto, my regular ministry partners, along with Alberto's wife, and Fredy and his wife. We got to Suni, where Isedoro lives, and he asked if we could stop for a few minutes so he could get his things and say hi to his wife. As usual there are no quick stops here, his wife invited us for breakfast as well. Then Isedoro asked if his wife could join us, so they squeezed four people into the back seat.

We stopped in Machuancca, the next village, because the teachers there had asked us to hold a meeting there as well. We wanted to make plans for being there Monday evening, but the teachers were not there because of the strike. We continued on the rough road, arriving at the Cushpa River at about 12:15, where we found out that the bridge wasn't finished yet, and the river was too deep to drive through. We had all kinds of food, gear, and equipment, including a gas generator (no electricity in Cushpa) to show a Bible film. As we were trying to figure out how to get it all across the river, the bulldozer operator offered to take us across on his Cat. Then we had to make multiple trips from there up the hill to get all the stuff to Cushpa, which was about a mile away. We finally sent Isedoro on ahead and he got two men and two kids to come help us.

We had a good time of ministry there, with the local people as well as with the two teachers, who were not participating in the strike. After showing the film, we went down to the small community room, where they let us spend the night. I had made chicken noodle vegetable soup for dinner, but Fredy and his wife Bertha weren't there. Someone said they were visiting with one of the teachers, who was an old acquaintance of Fredy's, and thought they had been invited for dinner as well. We had just finished eating, when they returned. They had been visiting but had not eaten dinner. There was about a half of a bowl of soup left, so I was just ready to make some more, when someone appeared with a large pot of alpaca stew!

On Monday morning, we had oatmeal and bread, along with left over alpaca stew, for breakfast. We had not stopped to think about getting water the night before, and when I went out to get water, the faucet was frozen. We had a little water left, so I heated that and poured it on the faucet, but the pipes were still frozen. Thankfully the teachers had enough water to share with us, so we didn't have to wait for two hours until the sun came over the mountain and thawed out the pipes. After breakfast, while I went with Isedoro, Alberto, and their wives to visit a family of fairly new believers, about two hours walk away; Maribel taught a Bible story to about 30 kids at the school. We arrived at the families home, and of course were invited in for mate de manzana (apple flavored tea) One of them had wanted to be baptized but wasn't feeling well, so we weren't able to do that - in the ice-cold Cushpa river.

According to our plan, Fredy was to find help to carry the stuff back to the car, and after Maribel finished teaching the kids, they would transport all the stuff and we would meet them there at the car. I was hiking faster than the rest and got back to the river about 30 minutes ahead of them. As I came down the hill to the river, I was hoping to see them with some burros or mules, unloading all the cargo. Instead, I got there just in time to see Maribel and Fredy bringing the last of the stuff to the river. Two young boys had taken turns carrying the generator on their backs, but Fredy and Maribel had to make many trips to get all of the rest of the stuff. After seeing Bertha, who was pregnant, carrying a large load the day before, I had nicely but firmly told her not to carry anything more.

The Cat was nowhere in sight, so I ended up making a half dozen or more trips across the ice cold river to bring all of the gear across, except for the generator, which had already been taken across, so I was the only one who had to get my shoes wet. I almost fell in a couple of times carrying a large box of electronic gear on my back, with no trekking poles to balance me. The river was only knee deep but rocky and had a fairly strong current. Finally the other two couples showed up, Alberto was wearing rubber sandals, so I borrowed them and took them over to Fredy for him to use. I then carried Maribel on my back while Fredy walked along to steady me. Then we went back to get his wife, who I thought was about seven months or so pregnant, and he carried her while I helped him.

We got everything loaded into the car and took off, on the four and a half hour drive back to Cotahuasi, when a few minutes later Fredy's wife started having labor pains! It turned out that she was in the last week of her pregnancy! We got to Churca, about an hour away, and stopped to see the obstetrician there. She checked Bertha and said there was nothing to worry about; it was just the rough car ride. She said Bertha wouldn't deliver the baby for at least 8-10 hours, and we could easily make the trip back to Cotahuasi. We asked her to go with us but she said there was no reason to, so we took off. Fifteen minutes later Bertha started to cry out, and soon the pains were coming every four to five minutes. We decided to try to get to Puica, about an hour and a half away, as that was the nearest village with a medical clinic (except for going back to Churca).

I was trying to drive carefully to avoid bouncing too much on the very rough mountain road, as well as because of all the switchbacks. We got to Suni, about 20 minutes from Puica, and the pains were about two minutes apart, and Bertha was screaming. We were all 'praying without ceasing', and Fredy said to forget about the bumps and get to Puica as fast as possible. Fortunately that stretch of the road was fairly level, just lots of curves and animals on the road, cows, sheep, burros and llamas. By this time the labor pains were almost continuous, and then Bertha said that her water had broken. I was driving as fast as I dared, horn blaring to clear the way, and we came flying into Puica and pulled up in front of the clinic. People had come out to see what the noise was all about so I yelled that we needed a doctor right away.

They helped Fredy carry Bertha into the clinic (no wheelchairs there) and less than 15 minutes later, baby Abigail was born! Praise God that we made it safely and in time, and mother and baby are both healthy and doing fine. We left them, along with Fredy, at the clinic that night and went back to Suni to spend the night with Isedoro and his family, who live there - we hadn't even taken time to drop them off on the way through. Tuesday morning we went back to Puica and waited about an hour until they released Bertha and Abigail. We had a much quieter finish to our drive and got safely back to Cotahuasi just before noon. It was one of the most adventure filled mission trips I have been on!

The adventure didn't end when we returned to Arequipa on Thursday evening. I needed to take my car to the parking lot where I keep it while here, and Maribel needed to go to her class at a university near there, so I offered to give her a ride and stop for a roast chicken dinner on the way. We had just been in the restaurant a few minutes when a woman came in and said someone was robbing stuff out of my car. I went running out but they were already gone, and had taken my backpack and Maribel's wallet out of her book bag, which we had foolishly left in the car. My backpack had my passport and cell phone in it, because I was planning on leaving on a trip to Chile right after that.

Maribel's father called my cell phone and the thief answered. He agreed to meet Lucho and return the passport and other documents for a "reward". He was supposed to call tonight to arrange a meeting time and place but he hasn't done it yet, and hasn't answered the cell phone today. Hopefully he will return the documents tomorrow, so that I don't have to replace my passport, and Maribel her DNI (National identity card that every Peruvian has to carry). If I don't get it back by Sunday, I will have to go to Lima to get a replacement passport.

Vic Hanson is the founder of Adventure Cotahuasi Tours, which offers pre-planned and custom adventure travel tours in Cotahuasi Canyon and other areas of Peru. If you are interested in your own adventure in Peru, check us out! http://www.adventurecotahuasi.com