Eco footprints

I found this interesting bit of awareness forming from OWailyWaily's blog.
Most of my points come from transport because there just isnt any public transport alternative here and I fly alot.
Anyone else want to have a go it is done by ecofoot.org.
Only I cant get the pretty table to reproduce so it is ascii I'm afraid.

FOOD : 0.6 GLOBAL HECTARES

MOBILITY: 2.5 GLOBAL HECTARES

SHELTER: 0.5 GLOBAL HECTARES

GOODS/SERVICES: 1.4 GLOBAL HECTARES

TOTAL FOOTPRINT: 5 GLOBAL HECTARES

WORLDWIDE, THERE EXIST 1.8 BIOLOGICALLY PRODUCTIVE GLOBAL HECTARES PER PERSON.
IF EVERYONE LIVED LIKE ME, WE WOULD NEED 2.8 PLANETS.
Mars here we come!

I also filled it in for how I was living in NL, and I'm no better. It is flying that makes all the difference because of not having private motorised transport keeps my points on that real low. If I did no flying (unlikely if I want to keep travelling), and share my house with someone (hint, hope) I could live within the Earths sustainability limit.
Well food for some thinking maybe.

Public photos.

In lieu of getting a round toit in terms of writing some of the travelogues I have promised form previous hikes and trips (ie Mt Cameroon, Mt Oku, Zanzibar, Gabon Petit Luango etc...) I have stuck a few photos on Picasa to get a little flavour in any case.

Have fun.

Which Star Trek Character am I?

At least I am something definite I suppose. Always the bridesmaid...

My results:
You are Will Riker
http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/series/TNG/character/1112487.html

Will Riker 90% James T. Kirk (Captain) 70% Jean-Luc Picard 70% Mr. Sulu 65% Deanna Troi 65% Data 57% Leonard McCoy (Bones) 55% Geordi LaForge 55% An Expendable Character (Redshirt) 55% Mr. Scott 50% Spock 49% Worf 45% Chekov 40% Uhura 30% Beverly Crusher 20%

At times you are self-centered but you have many friends. You love many women, but the right woman could get you to settle down.

Houston, We have Separation.

Again, some people are more in the know than others so this is a bit of a baring of the sole and update to get everyone on the same page more or less.

I understand that after the last post which was abit depressing I need to raise the tone abit so here goes...

As of mid May i have successfully achieved freedom. At least on an interim basis. That is to say Shell and I have gone our separate ways via an amicable agreement between the parties. It was a bit of a wrench but to my surprise and delight I feel as though a great weight has been lifted. Currently there is no 'next' so this allows me some time to do abit of reflection in my life before whatever the Universe has in store for me happens in its own time. Seems that there is sort of a trend in these things seeing Hannah and now also Jorg taking abit of a break from the nosestone. In fact I hope to catch up with these and many other people as opportunity presents itself. Due course, fullness of time etc.

Meantime though i am not completely sitting on my alltogether but doing some stuff in Douala. My current project is helping out my friends Manfred and Elvira in the German Seamans Mission Douala. I am taking over the running of the place to allow them some time to have a real holiday without having to stress about the place falling apart while they are gone. Anyone who has been in Africa will know what i mean on that score. It is quite fascinating to see the level of detail required to run a modestly successfull business here. It also allows me some practical experience of the ideas i have been reading in Michael Gerber and R Kyosaki amongst others.

So current activities include running a hotel and restaurant, trying to learn French, Reflecting, and reading (latest Peter F Hamilton: Judas Unchained-MUCH better ending than the Reality Dysfunction! also Small is Beautifull by E. F. Schumacher, dating from 1973 but still remarkably relevant, showing that really very little has been learned in the intervening 35 odd years). Amazingly I am busier than ever! Dont know how I ever found time for a job.

Speaking of which, duty calls.

This is Traveller, signing out. Goodnight Houston!

Mortality

I am reminded of the quote: "Dont take life too seriously, after all none of us gets out of here alive" (Unattrib).

At the risk of oversharing, I need to get something off my mind before I can get onto more frivolous things. Be warned, and proceed at your own risk.

Many people around the world will have seen the reports of KQ507 DLA-NBO crash in the early hours of Saturday 5 May. I think it hit most major networks. As I was on duty that weekend I was alerted early on Saturday morning in order to establish if any of our staff were on board. This was verified not to be so by mid-day and we stood down any direct involvement. At this stage the plane was still "missing" and a search was underway.
So much for the clinical part. I must say my emotions were all over the place. I have been on that flight myself (twice), and would have had no hesitation in getting on that plane that night, despite the thunderstorm. Last time I was on it was on my way to Zanzibar for a holiday with friends. Imagine. What a way to start your leave. So: very close to home in so many ways. I managed to send texts and phone some of my friends and family around the world to stop some of the worry.
As Saturday evening rolls around i meet some friends in our regular watering hole. They tell me of some other people who were on board. Several staff from Schlumberger, who I have met but cant say I know. My friend Tony is also rumoured to have been on board but I am able to eliminate this as I see his wife in the pub. Relief.
Worse, and shockingly, I learn that my friends Adam and his wife Sarah were on board. Sarah worked here for MTN and they were on their way to Johannesburg for a meeting. I know them well. They just got back from leave in the UK. We had been enjoying the Cricket world cup together. We were looking forward to the England-South Africa rugby tests at the end of the month and the Rugby World Cup in September. They have a daughter at boarding school in England. I am devastated. Shocked. I cant think straight.
At this stage its Saturday night, the plane is still missing and there is still "hope", although it has been gone now for a full day. The search is called off for the night as nobody can see anything anyway. I am mentally blown away. Possible survivors (Adam? Sarah?) spending a (second) night in the wreck in the jungle is doing in my mind.
At a birthday party for a colleague that evening there is just no way I can get in the mood. I depart as not to spoil it for others. Its a tough night for me and I have trouble sleeping, which is a very rare phenomenon.
Sunday morning and still no new news. The search parties are out. Friends of mine from CHC (A private helicopter and plane charter company) are up at dawn flying in the search grid along the presumed flight path. Nothing. Hope is fading fast that any possible survivors can be rescued after 2 days in the deep jungle. It is frustrating for everyone and fuses shorten.
Finally at the end of Sunday a local village hunter in the mangrove swamps just south of Douala reports finding the wreckage. The search focusses to rescue/recovery. 2o km south of the airport in dense tidal mangrove swamp there is a crater with aircraft and body bits.
The bad news is that nobody seems to have survived the impact.
The good news is that even if they had been found earlier, it wouldnt have made any difference. There is a sense of certainty. Yes they have been found. No they are not alive. I am torn between wanting to see the site and emotional repulsion and horror at the thought. My friend Stan overflies the site and reports feeling sick and upset at seeing it from his chopper. He has seen a LOT in his life. It must be bad. The Grieving process continues. My emotions are volatile and my brain seems to be broken. I walk up and down the stairs to my apartment 3 times forgetting car keys, wallet, to lock the door. I find myself trying to open my downstairs neighbor's door as I havent walked up enough flights. Very very weird. Slowly as the days go by a sense of normality is returning (As Jane would say "for a given value of normal").

I have received some great support from many friends all over the world. I am reminded of and thankful for each and every one of the people whom I care about. And I am reminded and humbled that people care about me. I feel mortal. Yes, a surprise to some, certainly to me.
Clearly I have alot of thinking to do, and strangely the Universe seems to be conspiring to present me with an opportunity to do so. Funny old universe really isnt it. More on that later I think.

TO post or not to post? That is indeed the question. Having written this I wonder if it is ready for the harsh electron glare of the Interweb. It certainly needs a health warning. Now added (yes at the front). I think I will sit on it for a while and see if it improves with another reading.
2 days on: No it hasnt improved but I have tinkered. I wonder if one can put too much of ones life online? I suspect so. This may be over the limit. If one puts parts of ones life online, and the server crashes, is that lost? Or vice versa, if one crashes, does one continue to exist online? Strangely New Scientist has an article on the afterlife today...

Koninginnedag 2007

Culturama.

For those of you that have been in Amsterdam on Koninginnedag (Queens Day= The NL monarch's birthday observance on 30 April), you will know that the central city effectively turns into one big party zone for the day and the police spend most of the afternoon fishing plastered foreigners out of the canals.

For this year a small group of us here in Douala

decided to mark the occasion by having a bit of a barbie. Fortified by a number of our Southern Neighbours (ie Belgians), one of whom kindly made his residence available.

We were introduced to the art and craft of "spijkeren". Take a log of wood about a meter long and stand it on end. Take some big nails and hammer one per participant just in, starting it so it doesnt fall over. Then one at a time have a whack on your nail. The object of the game: first one to hammer in his/her nail nominates what gets drunk the next round. Last one to hammer it in PAYS for said round :)

Whaddayareckon? We will be transferring the log to our favourite pub this weekend to continue this tradition. Photos will come in due course.

Meantime this is me enjoying Queens Day 2007 in Douala Cameroon. Cheers!

Funny

For those who know me you will be aware that i am a bit of a DILBERT fan. So often a relevant Dilbert will pop up just as I am working on something, like Scott Adams is reading my mind. So I started my blog recently and LO! A Dilbert to have a giggle at... Posted without permission but with credit...

Thought for today (as proven once again last night...)

Language Barriers are soluble in Alcohol.

( I cant attribute this but before I claim it as my own advice from other Netizens will be appreciated.)

Time to go.

Another day in Tropical Paradise...

(Yes this Is a quote but I wont embarrass myself by attribution. If you know, you know)

Wibble....

OK some surfing and from Jenny's blog I got the link for the worldmap, and the counter too (thanks Jenny). Adventuring into HTML country to get the map to fit in my sidebar. I love the Interwebs!

Thanks to Hannah for linking us up.

Also seeing quite a few kiwis have been commemorating ANZAC DAY around the world

I just wanted to let everyone know that a remembrance was held in DOUALA CAMEROON this year. A small and select group came together to raise a toast and take a moment to Remember Them.

test post for my photo.....

OK so that didnt work but its still an OK picture.

After some heavy fiddling about I managed to set this to be my profile portrait.

Taken: September 2005 on the Highway to Ceti Cama, near Gamba, southern coast of Gabon. As i was having a weekend in Petit Loango National park. Spoiled? You bet. More please.

I guess I'll have to post more of this story another time...

Korup Trip Post 2

In the interest of keeping things reasonable (ok theres a first time for everything) I thought I would set this into a second post.
So:
Day 3 of the trip after a truly wonderfull night rest at Rengo camp began with a marvellous breakfast accompanied by a dawn chorus of epic proportions.
Once a gain we trekked to the famed Picarthes rock but no joy, they didnt show up. So from there we went on to Rengo Rock itself, which was a fair hike and kept us well entertained for the morning. Again we spotted a troop of monkeys in the trees but once they knew we were around they wandered off deeper into the jungle. We discovered some fresh elephant tracks and the guide figured out that this one had circled the camp overnight. It put us on our toes a bit because it could still be in the area. Equally it could be 5 km away. Everywhere there were sounds and glimpses of a cornucopia of *bulls (Greenbulls, Bullbulls, etc), basically a African thrush with a habit of speciation. On the way we saw a Rufous-Sided Broadbill doing display flights which was pretty cool, and a Bare Faced Trogon. Once on Rengo Rock Estella spotted a African Crowned Eagle which although quite distant was still a great sight to see. Also from there we saw a Shrike Flycatcher in the treetops.

We had a bit of a lunch break on Rengo Rock, and then carried on back to camp for a short break before making our final attempt at the Picarthes. Still no joy, although a flock of Forest Swallows buzzed us quite closely to roost in a single Picarthes nest.

Once again back to camp after dark and some great food, well cooked indeed and even a salad! Our porters had returned to take our gear back out the next morning, so we were abit more populated than the previous night.
We had quite a thunderstorm after lights out, so we were glad of our solid roof above us, very spectacular in the forest with the rain drumming on the roof and lightning throwing the forest into stark relief.

Our last morning after breakfast we saddled up for the trek back out, still taking our time to look at the pristine untouched rainforest. Some weird trees with flowers on the trunks or in the middle of leaves, really alien looking termite nests, and a huge variety of fungi and mushrooms were admired.

Eventually we once again reached the river and the edge of the forest, and returned to the river to meet up with the boatcaptain. On the way we saw a flock of blue throated bee-eaters which was also cool, and some barn swallows just freshly adorned in summer plumage ready for the trek to the North. We started slowly down the river while having some lunch, spotting a woolly-necked stork and black-capped heron in the trees. High overhead the Swifts were seen to be migrating toward Europe and their breeding season.
Eventually we reached the estuary again and poured on the power to return to Idenau and the cars.

Back in Douala and a hot shower was very welcome!

Trip to Korup National Park, Cameroon, end March 2007

Bear with me folks this is my first attempt...

At the end of March I had a 4 day hike in Korup National Park, at the western border of Cameroon (where it joins Nigeria). A very beautifull place. The first stage of the trip was by boat along the coast and up the Bakassi magrove forest to Mundemba.

A very beautiful and relaxed trip and a good way of getting there avoiding the 6 hour road trip and getting to see some more of this beautiful nature at the same time.

We saw very noteworthy a large flock of African Skimmers (or Scissorbills) which was a real treat, as well as pelicans, a great variety of terns including large flocks of Black terns ready to migrate, and a family of Osprey.

Moving up the river amongst the mangroves we also saw the very rare and beautiful Hartlaub's Duck and some African River Martins. Finally we spotted the African Finfoot.

We spent the night in the thriving metropolis of Mundemba, where we were fortunate to see a colony of Preuss' Cliff Swallows who were nesting under a nearby bridge, as well as a beautiful African Pygmy kingfisher that was struggling with a cricket. We roused at dawn to start our trek into the park itself. The entrance is across a foot-only suspension bridge that crosses the river marking the eastern border of the park. We arrived at the river and sat down for a while to look at the wildlife as it was still early morning a lot of things were moving. We saw a number of Hornbills flying across to their feeding ground in the Palm Oil plantations. Piping, Pied, White-Crested, Black-Casked and Yellow-Casked hornbills were all seen (pretty cool really). As well as this the pied kingfishers were giving a great display in the curve of the river and we were visited by a lady Giant Kingfisher. The Rock Pratincoles also were very pretty. Finally we managed to see a small group of monkeys appear briefly before once again dissolving amongst the leaves. We saw our bags getting hauled across the bridge too.

We followed our packs into the forest (Yes luxury and all that having porters to carry our gear but i tell you it was HOT!) Temperature from early morning quickly climbed into the mid 30s and stayed there with 99.8% humidity under the trees. This was occasionally relieved by 100.1% humidity when the rain fell :)

We sat down to have lunch on one of the bridges that cross the various streams that run through the place. Being a RAIN forest it does get quite damp and all that water needs to go somewhere. Spotted a ShinyBlue kingfisher.

Eventually we reached Rengo Camp which is quite basic facilities. 3 huts plus a cookhouse. no electricity, no running water (apart from the stream around the camp), no TV, Radio, interweb, no cellphone coverage, outdoor plumbing. Beautifull. We settled in with a brief rest and began our first attempt at spotting the Yellow-Headed Picarthes which apparently roosts in some rocks about 30 minutes walk from the camp. I say apparently because it didn't show up. But we happily trekked back to camp in the dark, accompanied by owlsong. We took a dip in the stream before getting our dinner (we brought a cook along, again luxury but it was well worth it to come back to a proper hot cooked meal!)

Next: Day 2! i might turn that into a separate post though...

Trial and Error

Well having a go at this Blogging think.
Marc enters the Century of the Fruitbat, kicking and screaming all the way.

Lets see what this does aye?