Safari at Serengueti and Ngorongoro

Hi,

will just tell you the following, then the pictures will speak directly to you.

In Swahili:

Safari - trip, going on a journey;

Serengueti – land of endless space

Ngorongoro – land where you listen to “goro goro” from the cattle’s bell.

Great migration is very great... and huge.

PhD project activities

Jambo Everybody,

Habari vipi?

I am Nzuri sana, asante sana.

Sorry for being away for so long.

As you know I spent Xmas and the New Years Eve with my family in Nordeste Brazil. During the New Years Eve almost everybody from the cost go to the beach dressed in white and give presents to Yemanjá, the goddess of the water and peace. It is very nice and special.

At the end of January I flu to Kenya for a 1 week meeting of the project I am involved. Then I came to Tanzania, where I am at the moment. At this moment I am doing some experiment in large scale, so I can better study the impact of sewage on key species of mangrove macrofauna. After adding the animals in October in some cages that were later flooded periodically with sewage and others with sweater, I am now studying the animal’s survival, growth, behaviour and others. The other thing I also doing is to study the impact that crabs and snails have on the increase of sewage filtration (treatment) of the whole mangrove system. Well, more in detail, I am trying to know how much shit are crabs and snails eating and how their bioturbation is affecting the efficiency of the whole sewage treatment facility (which is a planted mangrove).

I will stay here another month working, but because here is always a cherry on the top of the cake, I will take 8 days of safari to Serengeti and Ngorongoro.

You can check the picture. It is a photo of “my animals” inside a cell and they are taking care of the sewage from nearby hotels.

Asante sana. Tutaonana badaye,

Gil

Trip to East Africa Oct 2006

Trip to East Africa

Hi everybody,

Although this was a bid adventure in East Africa, mainly full of work and experiments.

This trip started in August 17^th. I have headed to Tanzania. Over there worked in some experimental plots that are design to test the efficiency of mangrove filtration sewage. Then, at the end pf August, I have headed to Mozambique where I have stayed for 1 month. Although had planned for 4 days of vacation … well had to postpone them to Tanzania.

In Tanzania stayed for also another month and although I was thinking of finishing everything by the 10^th of October, I flu to Kenya on the 19^th and was in the lab till 4am that day, and my flight from Dar to Mombassa was at 6.30am J

In Mombassa, things went smooth and nicely. I collected some samples from the places I had to and then took 2 days of before flying to Portugal in the beginning of November.

Had time to dive in Malindi, that was named after Vasco da Gama’s wife, called Melinda. Had also time to go to a snake Park where you are able to see and touch (in some cases) the most deadly snakes in Africa (like black manbas, najas and vipers). After this first day, I managed to go to Tsavo, one of Kenyan wildparks.

Hope to get news from you too. Will be in Portugal till December 16^th, and will only be back from Brazil (Xmas and New Years Eve with family) by January 11^th for 3 weeks, before returning to Africa.

A big hug and kisses,

Gil

Time for Poetry …at Mombassa, Kenya

Time for Poetry...

Be

“Be always where you are,

Be always who you are,

Be always …. You,

Because you just … Are,

So … just Be.”

Time for Thoughts...

“Happiness …

Some people may say it does not exist…

Some people may say it is something that comes, but always goes away…
Some people know how to show it, but they don’t know how it feels.

Well, Happiness is a way of living Life.

It does not come and go,

You need to choose to be Happy,

You have to learn, feel and most of all… you have to accept.

… Only then you will set yourself free”

Time for advices...

“Always choose wisely

Study the options with your mind

Choose with your heart

Set the way with the help of the mind again.”

The way

“The most important is not in which way you are,

Or where is this way going to take you,

Or if you are doing it slow or fast,

But if you really are in the way that you are,

And if you really enjoy yourself … and the way.

It is a question of how you walk the way,

Because happiness and beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”

Interesting Quotes … from the past.

“Few are those who see with their own eyes and feel with their own hearts.”

Albert Einstein (But, hopefully, this now is increasing a lot :)

“You cannot simultaneously prevent and prepare for war.”

Albert Einstein

“We must become the change we want to see in the world.”
Mohandas Gandhi

...and from the present

“A warrior does not give up what he loves, he finds the Love in what he does”

Dan Milan

...and others…

“Look with the eyes of the face and you will see an error,

Look with the eyes of the soul and you will see a lesson”

GPL

“Look with the eyes of the face and you will see an injustice,

Look with the eyes of the soul and you will see an opportunity to teach”

GPL

“People may know a lot of languages and talk with a lot of other people, but they only need to know one of them to start talk with themselves”

GPL

“If everybody would communicate with themselves for 30 minutes a day, the world would be in peace already”

GPL

“Put somebody in an empty room, alone, for 1 hour and I will tell you how he/she is. Put him/she for 2 hours and I will tell you who he/she is.”

GPL

Hobie Cat European Championship 2006

Hi everybody,

Hope you are having, had or will have very nice vacations.

I have spent the first 15 days of August in Quiberon, on the northwest of France. For 7 days I participated in the Hobie Cat European Campionship, 2006. The Hobie Cat is a catamaran, as you can see on the Picture.

This boat class has a very special family spirit, and very relaxed (sometimes too relaxed). Although it is a very competitive fleet, most of the people feel that they belong to a big family.

For example, from Portugal, we were 5 teams, from 17 to 50 years old boys and girls. We went all the way together from Lisbon to Quiberon.

During the championship, the Spanish teams invited everybody for some spanish “jamon” and wine.

Everyday, the jury had to remember all the sailors that the regatta would start in 15 minutes and that everybody should rush into the water and start paddling to the regatta course.

Lots of parties before, during and after the championship. Because the most important is the Hobie Cat family gathering, even at an European Championship event.

Me and Nuno got the 3^rd place in the bronze fleet. Not bad, but next year we hope to be competing on the silver or even gold fleet.

Will go to Africa on August 17^th and will return to Portugal by the beginning of November.

Big hug to everybody and have fun.

P.S. – Check the webpages: http://www.eurohobie2006.com/ and http://www.portugal.hobieclass.com/

Vacations in Science? Mission Impossible

Hi everybody,

Just came back to Portugal after a week in Belgium. What had begun as a 4 days vacations and 2 at the lab, turned over to become a scientific week of work.

Never try to do vacations were you are supposed to work, because you will work. Usually I am always thinking that is very good to go to work at these other countries, like Mozambique, Tanzania and Belgium, because you can always take some vacations before or afterwards. And I will tell you something, this never works. Or because you try to go before, and then you realize you still have several things to do before your work (what had happened to me in Belgium), or because you always have some things that did not went well or you try to improve your results, as always happens to me in Africa.

In Europe I am lucky, because at least I can take the weekends and holidays off… not because I do it with conscience of it, but because the labs are closedJ. But in Africa, the mangroves (till this moment) do not close on weekends or holidays.

Resume of the Belgium week.

Went to Brussels on a Saturday after lunch. Got there and a friend of mine picked me up and we head home. Sunday I got to know Brussels and Monday (a Belgium holiday) went to see Bruje, which I advise everybody to see it (or Guent).

Worked from Wednesday to Friday from 8:30 to 21h, however life did not stopped after 21h. In Brussels there are a lot of pubs and bars with life jazz and blues, as you can find now all over Europe. However, not in every city you can find every Tuesday a pub with a good Dixieland band (also known as New Orleans style band) playing.

I went there and I can tell you that I listen to one hell of good jazz from the beginning of the past century. Other than the music, there were several old couples dancing swing, the traditional dance of Jazz. It was beautiful. I even thought about working less in the lab so I could stay there till next Tuesday, but…

Well, Saturday was a day to go to a wedding, see Antwerpe, and buy several different Belgium chocolates. And don’t try to get a sample from my BC (BC has nothing to with catholic religion, it only means Belgium Chocolates).

Hope to get some news from you.

Hugs,
Gil

Kruger Park 2006

Dear friends,

Finally I got 2 days off and guess where did I go. Sorry for those of you that are working at the moment, but believe me when I say that I am busting my ass here (sometimes happens to be working from 6a.m. to 1a.m.) for the entire period I am here in Africa. From time to time, in one or two months of work I have 1, 2 or at the most 3 days off. However, I have to agree that when off I have a lot of new things I can do. And even during working days, just living here is by it self and adventure.

During the last 2 days I spent my time at Kruger National Park, in South Africa. At this time of the year (summer) rains cats and dogs all over Mozambique and South Africa, which means the grass is tall and water polls exist everywhere. So, as well as the water, animals can be anywhere. Last time I went to Kruger it was winter, the dry season, and it is very easy to see all the “Big Five” (for those who don’t know, the big five are the lions, leopards, buffalos, rhinos and elephants), as I did, because they are all gathered in few “swimming” pools This time I did not see the lion and all the others where not very abundant.

I advise you to visit an African Wild Park as Kruger Park or, if possible, Serengeti, in Tanzania.

Check the pictures in annex and enjoy your life as much as possible.

Big Hug,
Gil

Inhaca Experience 2006

Dear all,

Things at Mozambique have been very amazing and interesting.

During the first week I have been in my project meetings, finishing the first year report and stuff. During daylight, we have burocratic and scientific discussions, as well as some new ideas for future research. At night, I have been out with some European and African partners. It is amazing how different our cultures are, but how well they can combine when listening to music, dancing, drinking and of course enjoying the African “wild” life.

After this first week I when to Inhaca, the almost desert island 2,5 hours away from Maputo by boat. During the first week I was with 2 professors and another student, and together we manage to do our planned experiments as well as to search for other island potentials (publications and fun … of course).

Because it was a non-stop research week, the small breaks between sorting animals, and counting and analysis, it was time for taking pictures and to play with the kids from the island. This time I brought some football balls and those animation balloons and did a small party. The marine biology laboratory became a place where pirates, cowboys and ninjas were “fighting” with each other. (And nobody wanted a balloon flower… J )

At the moment I am getting back to Maputo, in a crowded boat with tourists and locals. While writing this small email I was listening 5 women and one man arguing (very laud) about the women rights, and it is amazing how everybody was laughing, even talking about their own problems. In these moments we remember that the ability to live happily with a smile it is not a question of money and/or social status, but of personal confidence and interior peace.

Hope to hear from you soon as well.

Hugs,
Gil