Mexico Passes $42 Immigration Tax for Cruise Passengers

There's nothing like being welcomed as a tourist to a foreign country. Unless, of course, that country wants to charge tourists an immigration levy who arrive aboard a cruise ship.

According to AP News:

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Cruise ship industry players are up in arms after the lower house of Mexico’s Congress voted this week to charge a $42 immigration levy for every passenger on cruise ships that dock in Mexico.

Two-thirds of the money raised, moreover, would go to the Mexican army, not to improve port facilities.

The Mexican Association of Shipping Agents cried foul late Thursday, saying the charges could make Mexico uncompetitively expensive for cruise ships.

In the past, cruise ship passengers had been exempted from the immigration fee, because they sleep aboard the vessels and some don’t even get off the ship during port calls. They would apparently be charged the $42 fee anyway, according to the new budget law.

To read more, go here. 

Osaka World Expo 2025

Above, the time capsule from World Expo '70 at Osaka Castle.

Osaka is getting geared up for next year's World Expo.

The city last hosted the World Expo in 1970. During G-TOUR in 2004, we saw a time capsule from the 1970 World Expo on the grounds of Osaka Castle (image above). Will it be opened during next year's World Expo?

According to AP News:

OSAKA, Japan (AP) — Visitors to Tokyo and Kyoto might not realize it, but Osaka — one of Japan’s biggest and oldest cities, known more as a business hub than a tourist destination -- is gearing up to host next year’s World Exposition.

The city has been plastered with the Expo’s red-and-blue “Myaku-Myaku” mascot for months and is abuzz with preparations. For many here, the excitement is mixed with nostalgia for the last World Expo hosted by Japan, back in 1970.

There are doubters, especially outside Osaka. Construction costs are turning out to be exponentially higher than expected. Preparations have been marred by political and business infighting. And many Japanese, jaded after Tokyo’s difficult experience hosting the Olympics during the COVID pandemic, question whether the idea of a World Expo is still relevant.

Many retain vivid memories of the 1970 Expo. They remember schoolchildren attending multiple times, particularly those from the Osaka area. There were long lines to see the moon rocks on view at the U.S. pavilion; prototypes of electric cars; displays featuring the first ethernet cables (LAN); and the introduction of Western foods like yogurt and baguettes.

To read more, go here.

Judge Stops Graceland Foreclosure Sale

Above, Graceland from Elvis Presley Blvd. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A Memphis judge has halted a foreclosure sale of Elvis Presley's Graceland mansion that was scheduled for today.

AP News reported:

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A judge on Wednesday said Elvis Presley’s estate could be successful in arguing that a company’s attempt to auction Graceland is fraudulent as he halted a foreclosure sale of the beloved Memphis tourist attraction.

Later Wednesday, a statement from someone who appeared to be a representative of the company said it would drop its claim, which the Presley estate has argued is based on fake documents. Online court records did not immediately show any legal filings suggesting the claim had been dropped.

Shelby County Chancellor JoeDae Jenkins issued a temporary injunction against the proposed auction that had been scheduled for Thursday in Memphis, where the king of rock ‘n’ roll’s former home is located. Jenkins’ injunction essentially keeps in place a previous restraining order issued at the request of Presley’s granddaughter Riley Keough. 

To read more, go here. 

Tribes and Feds Agree On Fort Wingate Restoration

Above, the front entrance to the Fort Wingate Army Depot. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

About 10 miles west of my home (as the crow flies), Fort Wingate sits unused since 1993. It is a former Army depot.

Two tribes have come to an agreement with the federal government on future restoration of the Fort Wingate property.

AP News (Associated Press) reported:

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Two Native American tribes, the state of New Mexico and the U.S. Army have finalized a restoration plan for a former military installation near Gallup.

Explosives and munitions were stored and disposed of at Fort Wingate until it closed in 1993.

The Navajo Nation, Zuni Pueblo and the New Mexico Office of Natural Resources Trustee reached an agreement with the federal government in March 2022 to settle claims that land, water and cultural resources were negatively impacted by hazardous substances at the site.

The site now is undergoing environmental cleanup before the tract of land can be transferred to the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs to benefit the two tribes. Both tribes have long-standing historical ties to the lands in and around Fort Wingate, which sits on about 24 square miles (62 square kilometers). The land is almost entirely surrounded by federally owned or administered lands, including national forest and tribal lands.

To read more, go here. 

Heavy Snow Hits Tokyo Area

Above, snow in Chiba Prefecture in 2014. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The following story reminds me of my February 2014 trip to Japan when a heavy snowstorm arrived ther at the same time I did. Another heavy snowstorm arrived a few days later.

I was stuck in Chiba Prefecture on a commuter train for several hours while trying to head into Tokyo from Narita Airport.

For the first time in two years, the Tokyo area has been hit be a heavy snowstorm.

The AP News (Associated Press) reported: 

TOKYO (AP) — Heavy snow hit the Tokyo area on Monday, disrupting trains and grounding more than 100 flights, with transport officials cautioning drivers to avoid nonessential travel.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said the snowfall was expected to peak Monday night, with up to 55 centimeters (21 inches) predicted in mountainous areas north of Tokyo.

The snowfall was much less in central Tokyo, where more than 1 centimeter (0.4 inch) was reported for the first time in two years, Kyodo News said.

To read more, go here. 

US To Propose New Flight Cancellation/Delay Rules

Above, at Twin Falls Magic Valley Regional Airport in 2020. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Since 2019, I had two flights cancelled allegedly due to weather conditions.

The first was in 2019 when I was returning home from G-FEST in Rosemont, Illinois. My flight was cancelled allegedly due to weather. This was in the middle of July, so I had to wonder what weather condition would cause the cancellation. This forced me to stay overnight at a Motel 6 in Rosemont near Chicago O'Hare International Airport.

The second time came in 2021 (July again) as I was returning home from the Wells Fun Run in Wells, Nevada. The closest airport was the Twin Falls Magic Valley Regional Airport. There were thunderstorms everywhere during the trip, including Wells. My connecting flight from Salt Lake City, Utah to Albuquerque was cancelled allegedly due to thunderstorms. I had to stay one night in a motel in Salt Lake City. 

Of course, the airlines claim that both instances were "beyond their control" due to weather. Don't they fly above the storms? And, one has to ask, why couldn't they just have the planes fly around the storm cells? It seems that this would eliminate the "beyond control" issue.

The Biden Administration is going to propose new rules on flight cancellations and delays. 

According to the AP News:

President Joe Biden said Monday his administration will write new regulations that will require airlines to compensate air travelers and cover their meals and hotel rooms if they are stranded for reasons within the airline’s control.

The compensation would be in addition to ticket refunds when the airline is at fault for a flight being canceled or significantly delayed. It would give consumers in the United States protections similar to those in the European Union.

“I know how frustrated many of you are with the service you get from your U.S. airlines,” Biden said. “That’s why our top priority has been to get American air travelers a better deal.”

Biden added, “You deserve more than just getting the price of your ticket (refunded) — you deserve to be fully compensated. Your time matters, the impact on your life matters.”

Biden’s pledge comes just weeks before the start of the peak summer travel season, when air travel could exceed pre-coronavirus pandemic records.

It would have been nice to have my hotel bills reimbursed by the airlines in both instances.

I remains to be seen what proposed new rules they will come up with.  

To read more, go here.

Reservations Needed To Visit Diamond Head

Above, a view of Diamond Head from Waikiki Beach. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Out-of-state tourists in Hawaii will have to make reservations to visit iconic Diamond Head on Oahu.

AP News (Associated Press) reports:

HONOLULU (AP) — Out-of-state visitors will soon need reservations to visit one of Hawaii’s most recognizable natural sites.

State land officials announced Monday the new policy for Diamond Head State Monument will take effect on May 12.

The iconic ancient volcanic crater stands at the end of Waikiki Beach on the island of Oahu.

Diamond Head is the third state park to have such a rule. Non-residents must also make reservations for Haena State Park on Kauai and Waianapanapa State Park on Maui. Reservations are required at certain times to visit Haleakala National Park on Maui.

To read more, go here. 

Morro Bay Votes To End Waterfront RV Camping

Above, Morro Rock. Kjkolb photo via Wikipedia.

One of my grandfather's favorite places to fish was Morro Bay, California. He had taken my family there several times. It is also where I caught my first fish, a red snapper.

The last time I was there was around 1991 and we camped at an RV park not far from Morro Rock.

The city council of Morro Bay created several RV sites on the waterfront near Morro Rock. But due to complaints from locals, those are going to be gone in April.

AP News reported:

MORRO BAY, Calif. (AP) — RV camping may be experiencing a surge in popularity, but not in one California coastal destination.

The Morro Bay City Council this week voted 4-1 to end a pilot program that created 19 RV campsites on the waterfront overlooking Morro Rock, a volcanic remnant that rises dramatically on the coast between Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area.

The move followed a citizen-led effort against the RV campsites, which were created to generate revenue for the city’s underfunded harbor department but generated complaints, local media reported.

The opponents had gathered enough petition signatures to bring the issue to a vote in an upcoming election.

Petition organizer Carole Truesdale said that camping has its place “but not on our Embarcadero, that is such a beautiful, pristine location,” KSBY-TV reported.

This time, I have to agree with the locals who are against waterfront camping.

To read more, go here.

Yellowstone Bison Species Decision Questioned By Judge

Above, Yellowstone bison sunning in a meadow. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Plans to not protect some herds of bison at Yellowstone National Park is up in the air as a federal judge questions findings of whether some herds of bison are genetically distinct from others.

AP News reported:

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (AP) — A federal judge has ordered the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to revisit part of its decision not to protect Yellowstone National Park’s bison as an endangered species.

The Buffalo Field Campaign and Western Watersheds Project groups have been fighting since 2014 to have Yellowstone’s bison declared endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

They have argued that two separate groups of bison in the park are genetically distinct. Rather than set a population limit of 3,000 animals for the entire park, they said, the limit should be 3,000 for each herd, or 6,000 overall.

The Fish and Wildlife Service, citing a different study, has argued that the herds are not genetically distinct and rejected the listing petition in 2019, the Billings Gazette reported.

To read more, go here.

Why So Many Vaccinated People Getting COVID-19?

The omicron variant of the coronavirus seems to be spreading like wildfire. It especially raged during the holiday season.

People are wondering why so many vaccinated people are getting COVID-19 lately. AP News gives some answers.

They reported:

Why are so many vaccinated people getting COVID-19 lately?

A couple of factors are at play, starting with the emergence of the highly contagious omicron variant. Omicron is more likely to infect people, even if it doesn’t make them very sick, and its surge coincided with the holiday travel season in many places.

People might mistakenly think the COVID-19 vaccines will completely block infection, but the shots are mainly designed to prevent severe illness, says Louis Mansky, a virus researcher at the University of Minnesota.

And the vaccines are still doing their job on that front, particularly for people who’ve gotten boosters.

Two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine still offer strong protection against serious illness from omicron. While those initial doses aren’t very good at blocking omicron infection, boosters — particularly with the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines — rev up levels of the antibodies to help fend off infection.

I got my two Pfizer shots in February and my booster in October. So far, so good.

To read more, go here. 

Utah's Tourism Industry Bouncing Back

Above, rocky cliffs at Zion National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It is hard to believe, but we're heading into the third year of the coronavirus pandemic.

Many industries have been hit hard, some of them won't recover. But, fortunately, the Utah tourism industry is bouncing back.

According to AP News:

ST. GEORGE, Utah (AP) — As the world nears its third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is at least one industry that is bouncing back — Utah travel and tourism.

It’s one of the most profitable industries in the state, contributing $7.07 billion to the economy and supporting thousands of jobs last year, according to a new report released Wednesday by the Kem C. Gardener Policy Institute at the University of Utah.

Compared to the rest of the U.S., Utah saw more visitor spending and more in-person trips as people ventured away from cities and toward outdoor destinations like the state’s five national parks, the Spectrum newspaper reported.

“Overall, Utah travel and tourism fared better than the industry in neighboring states and the U.S. as a whole,” the report said.

To read more, go here. 

Twin Arrows Resort Casino Reopening Monday

Above, Twin Arrows Resort Casino in 2017. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Some good news!

The Navajo casino with a great restaurant that I like stopping at when crossing Arizona along Interstate 40 is finally reopening.

AP News reported:

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — The Navajo Nation’s largest casino is preparing to reopen for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic began.

The Twin Arrows Resort Casino east of Flagstaff has been closed since March 2020. Officials there have scheduled a job fair Saturday ahead of the planned Monday reopening.

Tribal President Jonathan Nez recently signed legislation that allows visitors to travel on the reservation and visit popular attractions like Canyon de Chelly and Monument Valley. The action paved the way for Twin Arrows to reopen.  

The casino will have limited hours and a 50% occupancy level to start.

To read more, go here.