Futbol!

The World Cup started in Cape Town's brand new stadium this morning with a match between South Africa and Mexico. Guess who I was cheering for?

No hosting country has EVER lost an opening match! Ever!

South Africa's Siphiwe Tshabalala's goal gave them an early lead but Mexico's Rafael Marquez tied the game for a 1:1 draw. I did not get to see it but I will have to tune in for their second match.

New Lens

When my first Old Age Pension cheque arrived I decided to celebrate and buy a new lens for my Nikon D200. The one I had was fine but I always wanted a little bit better one with a longer zoom reach. I eventually ordered an 18-250mm Tamron lens but when the dealer sent it, they made a mistake and sent the older 18-200mm instead. It came from the USA so the shipping and brokerage fees were quite high so I had a decision to make. Should I be happy with the one I got or should I exchange it for the one I wanted and pay the extra costs?

The original dealer (Samy's Camera in California) could not get the 18-250 so I ended up ordering it from Beach camera in New Jersey. They gave me a very good deal, selling it to me for fifty dollars less than what it was listed for on their website for. They had recently raised the price from $279 to $329 but agreed to sell it for the lower price. Their shipping cost to Canada is $29, making this a very good deal. The brokerage fees will remain a mystery until I receive the package. The fees for the original were $60. Sometimes I get charged and sometimes I do not. Even with these added costs it is still much cheaper than buying it in Canada where the best price I could find was $450 plus 13% tax.

The old Sigma 18-50 is for sale with my Nikon D70s. I hate selling it and will be happy to keep it as a backup if it does not sell.

I Wish We Were Back In Mexico!

Sorry Little Guys! I brought you from your sunny home in Mexico to sit here in the rain!

Passing Orcas

A pod of Orca wales went by just before dusk tonight. By the time I noticed them they had just about passed the house so I grabbed the camera, jumped into the car and headed down the highway. They were moving fast but I managed to intercept them at the city pier where they put on a show.








I think this is the same pod that Les photographed going past Nanaimo yesterday. They are probably headed up to Robson Bight for the summer.

Craigslist Ripoffs

I am selling my Nikon D70S on Craigslist, asking $475 for the camera and a Sigma lens. Almost immediately I got two people offering more than I was asking if I would ship it overseas:

Here is the first,

I actually need this shipped to my niece "Ilori" abroad I would have picked it up but i do normally have a mad shift at work because i am seriously busy at work during the season. I will pay $600 CAD including the shipping charges to the Destination.... Kindly get back with your PayPal Email address for the payment so i can pay you via my PayPal account and you do the shipping on my behalf....to make the whole transaction easier for us if you dont have Paypal account you can log onto www.paypal.com and get your account in less than few minutes as this is the best option for me.......
Kindly get back ASAP,,,,

And,

I'll like to buy your item and pay you with cash through my PayPal account.. Currently I'm out of the State and won't be available for pick up. moreover, I'm buying this item for my company agent located oversea as a gift, i`ll add the sum of $150.00 to the amount to cover the shipping expenses to him through (USPS) Global Express mail International 8-10 days business. i want you to send to me your PayPal account id, so that immediate payment can be done, and if you are new to PayPal, you can easily log on to http://www.paypal.com/us and set up an account with them with either your Bank account Information or your Credit/Debit Card details and its simple and easier, just in few secs; you get your account activated. PayPal is very secure and reliable.. anticipate a favorable response from you.

So what happens if I bite at these generous offers and send him my Paypal account information? In a few days I get an email from Paypal telling me the money has been deposited into my account. I send the camera overseas and then try to use the money held in my Paypal account only to find out it is not there. The email I got from Paypal is a fake and there never was any money deposited. I am out the camera and about $50 shipping costs.

A variation on this scam is where they offer to mail me a bank draft for more than I am asking. I get the bank draft and deposit it. The money goes into my account so I send the camera. A week or so later the bank tells me the bank draft was counterfeit and they take the money back from my account.

Always remember if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. A good indicator is that they do not ask any information about the item and it is usually being purchased for someone else, usually overseas. They also typically offer more than you are asking if you would be so kind as to ship it for them.

Be careful, it's dangerous out there!

If You Get Trapped Downtown

We have learned from experience what to do if you make the wrong turn and get trapped downtown in a Mexican city with the motorhome. This has happened to us three times and every time we have had a happy ending. As well as being downright silly, it is also illegal to drive a dual wheeled vehicle in most cities. The streets and traffic lanes are very narrow, streets are not well marked, no-one obeys stop signs or speed limits and it is generally a madhouse. Not the place you want to be in a fifty foot combination motorhome and tow car!

What we do as soon as we realize we are in trouble is pull over. We get out and flag down the first cab that happens along. We show him the map and make sure he knows where we want to go and make sure he understands that he is to deal with any polica that may stop us. After warning him to drive very slowly, Norma gets in the cab with the walkie talkie, everyone turns on their four way flashers and off we go.

For some reason, when the police see you are being lead and have your flashers going, they leave you alone. Taxis are very cheap in Mexico and even though Norma tips way too much, we always find our way safely out of town using this method. One has to swallow one's pride once in a while. A tough thing for a man to do!

The Neatest Thing That Happened In Mexico

The neatest thing that happened to us this year was in Villahermosa. We had to change highways there and of course we hit the city just as rush hour was nearing. The highway from the Gulf Coast that we were on continued on into the heart of the city where there is no room for a motorhome! The highway we wanted turns off to the right just as you enter the congested area. I had moved into the second lane of three to avoid the double parked vehicles near the university and suddenly, there was my turn! I was in the wrong lane with no hope of moving over. The light had turned red and there we were, stuck!

A small bus was beside Norma's window with the driver waving frantically at us. She rolled down her window and he told us we could not take the rig downtown. We told him we wanted to be on the highway north and he started giving rapid directions in Spanish that we could not follow. The light had changed by now and the horn choir started up. He called at us to let him in front and he proceeded to go off his route to lead us about six blocks to another entrance onto the highway.

We pulled up beside him and offered him some money which he refused. The bus was full of university students who were all laughing and yelling at us in their best English and snapping photos with their cell phone cameras. We thanked them, waved for the cameras and pulled onto the highway. It was another case of a potentially horrendous situation turning into a memorable, happy Mexican adventure.

I cannot imagine this happening anywhere north of the border. Buses just do not go off their routes to lead stupid tourists around town. I am sure any driver caught doing it would face severe discipline. In Mexico it is "No Problema". Another story to tell their families at dinner.

Internet Radio

This is probably another one of those "Everyone knows about this but me" things again but one of my commentors told me about "Radio Time". It is an Internet radio site that lets you listen live to radio stations from all aver the world. I set mine for the local Vancouver talk radio station CKNW so we can keep up with BC news and politics on the road and also some USA talk radio programs I like to listen to. It works great!

History Repeates Itself

How short is the Israeli memory? Maybe they need a reminder...

On July 11, 1947 the SS Exodus set sail from France carrying Jewish Emigrants. Its destination was the British Mandate of Palestine, a desolate piece of Mediterranean Desert subject to British control through a 1922 instrument passed by The League of Nations.


These Jewish people, mostly Holocaust survivors, were seeking a land of their own. A homeland or a Jewish State, a place to call "home". They had no legal rights to this land and on July 18 the Exodus was confronted in International Waters by the British Royal Navy cruiser Ajax and a convoy of destroyers. Refusing to obey orders to stop, the Exodus was boarded by British Sailors who after meeting some token resistance from the Jewish Emigrants killed several passengers and crew of the Exodus. Again, this occurred in International Waters where the British had no legal jurisdiction.

Sound familiar?

Attacks on shipping in international waters is piracy. In the old days pirates were hung from the yardarm. Now, State sponsored piracy seems to be gaining word wide acceptance. Or is it? Piracy is piracy, whether committed by Somalis or Israelis. In either case it must be met with international condemnation and action. It cannot be tolerated by a just society.

Taking the position of "We don't know enough about it to form an opinion" recently voiced by Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State is a cop-out! We know all we need to know about it. A ship carrying aid was attacked in international waters and people were murdered. This is an illegal act and cannot be justified in any way. The USA had no problem condemning and threatening North Korea after the alleged torpedo attack on a South Korean ship. Nor do they have a problem condemning Somali pirates! What is the difference? What more is there to "find out"?

Israel is saying they had no choice because their commandos were met with resistance. Well, when someone illegally boards a ship at sea they should be met with resistance! With this action Israel has destroyed a sixty year old friendly relationship with Turkey. Their only ally in the Islamic World is now gone and the West's tacit approval of this action threatens to alienate Turkey from the rest of the Western World.

Another flotilla of aid ships is heading towards Palestine at the present time. Is Israel going to further infuriate the world by attacking them as well? What if it is escorted by Turkish Navy vessels? Will Israel engage them? Is Israel trying to start a war?

Israelis must remember the Exodus. They must remember when they had no country to call their own and took part of Palestine for their own. Israel has enjoyed decades of world support and maybe have gotten too used to it. They must lift the illegal, immoral blockade of Palestine immediately!

The Exodus:

Rain Rain, Go Away!

It has been raining pretty much since we got home at the end of April. Our letter carrier, whose husband watches the weather sites says it will rain every day for at least the next two weeks! It is depressing. Norma is way behind in her garden work and my outside projects are piling up. I have to replace the tail lights on the car dolly and do some wiring in the motorhome to install a second StarChoice receiver in the bedroom. This involves crawling under the rig which I do not want to do with water running under it! Everything is on hold.

Our son has a fencing company in Victoria. I talked to him last night and he says they have been working in the rain for ten months! He and Linda, who works right beside him, are looking for a quick escape to a sunny climate for a few days even though it is coming up to their busiest time of the year.

It has to stop! We have used up all of our allotted "Out of the country time" and are stuck here. This crappy weather does not extend everywhere in Canada however. Our friend Rae is in the Yukon and is reporting very warm weather up there. Maybe that is where we should go!