Thursday, August 28, 2008

Apwe de semen...

As promised, here is a blog from yours truly. I figure those who actually wish to keep up with my exploits would take the time to actively read about them, as opposed to skimming through a blanket email that invades your inbox, which may be missed at times.

I have been in Seychelles a total of 13 days. The flight was one of the worst experiences ever - apart from being transported in conditions that veal would turn their noses up at and trying to get rid of the constant worry of contracting Deep Vein Thrombosis, the flight was simply too long. The journey was eased by the fact that I was travelling with 3 cousins, 2 family friends and an old school mate that I had not laid eyes on in 13 years. Bumping into Jovan was quite surreal I must say. I challenge anyone to step off the plane, out of the airport and not smile. I might be slightly biased but Seychelles is just simply stunning.

The variety of flora and fauna that greets you as you scan in the horizon is amazing. David Bellamy wouldn't be able to contain himself. The first week was spent getting accustomed to life here, the ridiculous heat and Seychellois ways (i.e booze, food, drink, food, animated discussion and even more booze). Even though most of the family live on the same plot of land up on Mont Buxton and are practically neighbours, it was a challenge dragging myself away from one set, onto another and most of my time was taken up with my great aunt 'Titante' (little aunty). Most people in Seychelles have nicknames and thats how they are known, especially the older generation. It took a while for me to find out my grandma was called Anne because the island simply knew her as Didi which I think is quite cute.

We commenced field work on Monday, which entailed Simon (head entomologist) and I travelling to each and every district on Mahe Island setting down ovitraps. I was quite upset with myself when I discovered on monday morning that I had lost 150 of the 200 ovitraps that I was supposed to lay. Cue lots of phonecalls to england and much stressing out. Simon eventually told me to 'chill' and that everything would be fine. Although Mahe is really small, it is very mountainous and some of the terrain can be quite a challenge. We decided to set a trap outside Titantes house and it tooks a couple of attempts to get to her house on the top of a little hill after sliding backwards. We even passed a guy who had driven his truck into a ditch. He said he was ok and waved us along. The team I am working with is great. Three lively women who we call teh 3 musketeers. They constantly sing and dance while all hunched up in the back of the car, Simon laughs along while blasting his sega music at full volume. Even though it can be quite difficult working in the intense heat, its never dull and always full of laughs. Without them I'd never be able to do this field work on my own, each house in Seychelles has a guard dog and they guard their territory well. Some are chained up, others are not.

I like the way they treat their dogs here, the seychellois actually have a lot of respect for them. They are treated like people with 4 legs. They get good food, poisson, curry and rice, lentils, a bowl of milk. Bush, a dog that has befriended me, refuses to eat bread without butter and jam on it.

We've also been greated by rats, drunken folk and a man whose house was enclosed in a swarm of flies. In between trips we stop off for a local snack, eat lunch by the beach or if its towards the end of the day, have a beer. There has not been much rain here and so I await the results of our first trap monitoring exercise next week. At an orphanage we happen to find a container with literally thousands of larvae, a mixture of Aedes and Culex mosquitoes which we are breeding to adulthood (by the way the lab here consists of one on its last legs light microscope and 3 mosquito cages in the staff canteen).

I'm off to the Regatta this weekend with my cousin Jimmy, the Regatta is a beach festival at Beau Vallon beach. It will be interesting to see how that is. I think I'll be in for a good time as he won big on roulette last night. The shower of rupees which adorned my pillowcase come 3am was most welcome I must say :-)

2 comments:

Sísifo said...

I'm so envying you right now!!!

me said...

Makes me feel as if im there with you.