After drifting off to the sounds of a pseudo-Santana band up at 07:30 for the trip to the exotic Yelapa Beach. Mango juice and some strange sugared pastry for breakfast. Took a taxi to Pier Maritima where in Mexican fashion the boat was an hour late. The taxi driver “claimed” he could not change a 1,000 peso note so I had to hunt down a shop that would change a 1,000 peso note. I have the feeling I am being scammed as the driver gave me change for a 500 peso note and he had a wad of pesos under his floor mat. In Mexico one is left with the impression locals are hellbent on ripping off the “rich gringos”. Taxis are plentiful and used by gringos whereas the locals will take a communal taxi, usually VW buses, for a fraction of what they would pay for a private taxi. The passengers on this rough crossing were Texans and Californians. Canadians are rare here. Well 40 or so of the gringos were puking up a storm. The beach is beautiful and sparsely populated and surrounded by tropically vegetated hills with clouds lazily rolling over their summits. The muddy river nearby full of bark clouds up the water on what could be a spectacular beach. There are many shacks with no roof just a hammock. Beach vendors thankfully are few just a couple of children selling coconuts and bananas. The Yankees loved the parasailing. At the boat for the return trip children were charging for photos with parrots or iguanas and the Yankees loved it! Thank goodness the return trip was smooth and was accompanied for part of the trip by jumping dolphins.
RKS Poetry “Canadian Media Toadies”
Canadian Media Toadies
We saw the Canadian media play toadies in the COVID manipulation playbook
Rush and get your lifesaving vaccine as your patriotic duty trying to inveigle the masses by line, sinker and hook!
What happened to reporting the news which instead was propping up the politico-medico elite
sucking on the profitable Big Pharma teat
And again impartiality with the old bird’s Platinum Jubilee
Eager newscasters try to whip up excitement for the “head” of our nation
an event “we are all looking forward to”
for “our queen”
what the Canadian media won’t do for a Covid-Royal dream team!
all between commercial breaks for a hand cream
Robert K. Stephen
“Travels to a Different Time” : 6September1983: Puerto Vallarta, Mexico: More Adventures with Hotel Night Clerk
Before going to bed that odd hotel night clerk phoned me at 23:30 to say today I would have to vacate the room for reasons which were not clearly stated. I asked the reception in the morning what the night clerk was babbling about. They had no idea. Is this typical Mexican confusion? Walked into town in a cloud of diesel fumes with more than a few vehicles requiring a new muffler. Even when you reach a sidewalk it is being torn up. In fact all of Puerto Vallarta seems torn up. Are they preparing for a huge tourist boom? Tomorrow off to the exotic Yelapa beach.
RKS FILM: “The Story Won’t Die”: The Maturing of the Syrian Artistic Refugee Community
Since 2011 over a half a million people have been killed in the Syrian conflict and 6 million out of 13 million Syrians have become refugees. Assad the Syrian tyrant teamed up with the Butcher of Bucha before he was slaughtering Ukrainians so he could learn how to slaughter Syrians with chorine gas and cluster bombs with hospitals a favourite target. Butcher in training.
This documentary focuses on many of the younger members of the artistic community who fled Syria after being targeted for repression or fearing imminent repression by the Assad regime or the friendship of Mother Russia’s bombing.
These are bright and talented dancers, visual artists and musicians who headed to Europe many through hazardous trips to the Greek islands of Samos and Lesvos. Initially they display an anger and sadness about the destruction of Syria but eventually the realization of some is that whatever they have done in protest has accomplished little as tyrant Assad remains in power. There appears to be a shift in this community based in Berlin, Paris and Amsterdam that their continuing stress is becoming self destructive so there is a focus to find joy in their new lives.
Have they abandoned Syria? Not really as many have families trapped there so the link to Syria is there but like most immigrants ties to the homeland slowly weaken over the years as they integrate into their new world. An effort from David Henry Gerson. It will be released in Los Angeles on June 10th and in New York on June 17th. VOD platforms will have the film ready for distribution on June 21. You can watch the trailer here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdfdS_Z-lLg
RKS Film Rating 80/100.
RKS Wine: Mayhem’s 2021 Riesling
No I am not going to kvetch about Niagara Rieslings this time. Enough negative vibes in a world that has enough negativity in it. So can Mayhem take it up a notch and introduce some positivity into the Canadian wine world with its British Columbia Riesling?
It has some aromatics that get my positive Riesling meter clicking not with radiation poisoning but with an aroma that is laid back yet assertive enough with apple, pear, lemon meringue pie, icing sugar and slate. This is no doubt a dry wine but absent a vicious acidic streak like Riesling in the Ontario Ford Nation. The palate is discrete interwoven shyly with apricot, peach, tangerine and a gentle acidity. More in the Germanic style than a Niagara Riesling. I am taken aback by the 15.2 grams of residual sugar per litre. Riesling has an uncanny ability to hide its sugar. As it stands in the bottle I think it is a food centric wine with a pork schnitzel with some pig knuckles on the side. Dry enough for lake fish and if you are in Ontario with a Lake Erie fish fry. If in British Columbia perhaps with some grilled Snapper filet.
The grapes were picked from the Garagan vineyard in Naramata from 18-year-old vines. The grapes were whole bunch pressed and fermented in stainless steel then aged on its lees for 6 months before bottling in neutral French puncheons (36%) and stainless steel (64%).
I have noted the residual sugar and as the wine warms up and you concentrate you will note some faint sugar. The winery suggests pairing with pulled pork sandwiches, mulligatawny soup or fish and chips. I’ll agree with that.
As only 161 cases produced best to contact the winery for shipping at www.mayhemwines.com
(Mayhem 2021 Riesling, Naramata Bench Okanagan Valley, BC VQA, Mayhem Wines, Okanagan Falls, British Columbia, $20.87, 12.60%, 750 mL, RKS Wine Rating 89/100).
“Travels to a Different Time” : 5September1983: Puerto Vallarta, Mexico: The Great Mexican Gringo Divide
Woke up to a spectacular view from the 16th floor. Tropical vegetation with an abundance of palm trees. The hotel is about 15 yards from the Pacific Ocean. In the Bay of Banderas with mountains on both sides of the bay. The water is rough and is fed by two muddy rivers. A very different breakfast of scrambled eggs, refried black beans and salsa. $4.50. Walked along gringo gulch into town. For half the 2 km walk there were no sidewalks so it is walk on the edge of the road and hope the good graces of drivers protect you. Our end of town seems poverty stricken and raunchy. The tail end of rural squatters? What a dichotomy between gringos and locals. There is no such thing as a local restaurant a tourist would feel comfortable eating at. There are no Mexicans at tourist restaurants except for staff. How could a local eat at such expensive restaurants? Took a rest along gringo gulch and sat on a bench where two rivers flow on either side. Had a snack of shrimp, guacamole and a beer. Back home and out to dinner to the reputable and highly recommended “Moby Dick” a name only a gringo could appreciate. And the gringos, mostly “Yankees” were lined up. Avocado stuffed with shrimp, seafood soup, red snapper filet and a glass of overly sweet “Hidalgo” wine. A whopping $12!
Michigan’s Attempt to Control Invasive Species
MDARD asks public to help prevent spread of invasive pests, protect plant health during national gardening week
LANSING – Summer weather has finally made its appearance, and many Michiganders are stocking up on new plants for their garden or landscape. With people headed to their local greenhouse or nursery, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) is asking the public to help be on the lookout for invasive plants, pests, and diseases.
When selecting plants and flowers, homeowners and gardeners should keep in mind the impact those plants may have on other plants cultivated around their landscape or garden. Invasive, non-native plants have few or no natural predators in their non-native environments and can quickly spread—disrupting ecosystems by pushing out native species and reducing biological diversity.
Invasive plants are not the only problem. Many plants and flowers, including those native to Michigan, can be hosts to invasive plant pests and diseases. These invasives can hitch a ride on plants and be transported to homeowners’ yards and then quickly spread to the surrounding area. Warmer weather can magnify their impact, increasing the level of plant pest infestations and disease infections, allowing pests to produce more generations each year, and extending the suitable habitat for plant pests.
“People can unintentionally move pests around the state,” said Robin Rosenbaum, Plant Health Section Manager of MDARD’s Pesticide and Plant Pest Management Division. “Many of the pests we are most concerned about can hide in or on untreated firewood, soil, seeds, and plants. Some pests such as spotted lanternfly can lay eggs on conveyances in an infested region and then be transported into Michigan.”
To help combat the spread of invasives pests and diseases, MDARD has implemented several plant pest quarantines. These legal documents issued by the department limit the movement of specific plant material within, into or out of the state of Michigan. The United States Department of Agriculture and other state’s quarantines help combat the movement of invasives such as spongy moth (formerly known as gypsy moth), Asian longhorned beetle and others. MDARD’s plant heath inspectors work throughout the summer months inspecting plant material and ensuring compliance with state and federal quarantines.
“Quarantines are a useful tool to control the spread of invasives, but we need help from the public to stop the spread of pests we’re most concerned about,” added Rosenbaum.
Michiganders interested in buying plant material online should also be aware that many websites and social media groups lack adequate information about state and federal quarantines and concerns about pest movement.is. Buying locally from an MDARD-licensed nursery is a great way to minimize risk as these firms are inspected annually and are aware of Michigan-specific laws, regulations, and pests.
Here are some simple steps you should take to help limit the spread of invasive species:
- Visit the Michigan Invasive Species website to learn how to spot invasive pests posing a threat to plants and agriculture in your area.
- Don’t move untreated firewood. Buy certified, heat-treated firewood or buy wood where you burn it and burn it all before you go home to avoid unintentionally spreading species that hide inside untreated firewood.
- When returning from international travel, declare food, plants and other agricultural items to U.S. Customs and Border Protection to ensure these items are pest-free.
- Make sure seeds and plants you buy online are not invasive to your region.
- Report signs of invasive plant pests and diseases to MDARD through the Michigan Invasive Species website or at 800-292-3939.
For additional information about MDARD’s Pesticide and Plant Pest Management Division, visit www.michigan.gov/mdard/plant-pest.
RKS Wine: Tavel Rosé
The Château d’Aqueria Tavel is dark pink. Take it up a notch or two and you would have red wine. It’s dark colour doesn’t surprise me considering it is from the Rhône. Rhône wines are seldom dainty. A blend of Syrah, Grenache and Clairette.
As far as aromatics go chock full of raspberry and strawberry. There are also generous waves of red cherry. Overall there is sweet red fruit ruling the roost. The palate presents the same combination and type of fruit that is on the nose but there is a twist of dark chocolate and white pepper at the end of the palate. Straightforward, simple and delicious. Perfect for sipping but with substance enough to handle wild caught salmon and rainbow trout filets topped with yogurt, mustard and tarragon sauce. It would also suit grilled chicken with a spice rub. While it won’t improve in the bottle this can be held until 2027.
(Château d’Aqueria Tavel 2021 AC Tavel, Jean Olivier, Tavel, France, $24.95, Liquor Control Board of Ontario # 319368, 750 mL,14%, RKS Wine Rating 91/100).
“Travels to a Different Time” : 4September1983: Puerto Vallarta, Mexico: Pig Slop, Puking and a Near Passport Heart Attack
The flight from Montreal to Puerto Vallarta was delayed by one hour because one engine aboard the antique DC-8 did not start. That gives you a feeling of extreme confidence. We were delayed by an hour. Severe turbulence for the entire flight and the vomit bags were well used. I am sure the pig slop served on this AeroMexico flight exacerbated the puking. A very rough landing. Remind me not to travel on AeroMexico again. A Sunquest rep met several of us and a small group headed to a VW bus to a dearly expensive room at the Sheraton. I was miffed at being given a room on the ground floor with a flooded terrace. Complained to reception and was told to come on down for a room change. Upon approaching the reception area the clerk knew nothing about the room change but a few dollars in his hands reminded him about the the situation with a beautiful room overlooking the ocean the result. A few passengers were puking outside and a pool of vomit had settled nicely behind a potted plant in the lobby. As I was unpacking I realized I had left my passport under a pillow in the rejected room. A surly night clerk took me to the room where in a sigh of relief my passport was recovered. Crashed out to the delectable sell of sea air and the sound of pounding waves.
“Travels to a Different Time” : 27July1978: Torremolinos Good Riddance! On the Wrong Plane: Choking on Cheap Spanish Cigarettes on an Army Flight
I was swept up in a stampede to the flight to Madrid. Had I hesitated I would have been trampled. A brand-new Iberia DC-9 to Madrid then on to Lisbon. Unfortunately, I had been directed to the wrong plane but going to Madrid. They snooped me out and ejected me from the plane. Instead, a dingy Boeing 707 which was a charter flight to Madrid full of Spanish soldiers smoking cheap Spanish cigarettes. What a stench. At 4 a.m. in the morning finally back in Lisbon for the flight back to Montreal. A rough sleep at the airport and in the afternoon a flight on Air Portugal back to Montreal.
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