... last day in Horta, Faial, Azores ... started the trip back home ...
But first had to get several things done ... woke up at 7am ... grabbed sheets from under me ... and pushed them into washing machine together with the pillow-case as well.
Had breakfast ... closed the plastic recycling bag and took it out to the Yellow bin ... threw away my torn trainers as well ... was keeping them as they served as an excellent door holder for the entire duration of my stay.
As the washing machine came to stop i gave it an extra top spin to ensure the sheets don't take too much to dry ... and hanged them outside ... hopeful that it won't rain at all.
Grabbed my stuff ... as i needed to return to the department ... and walked there ... but met Marcus outside who was waiting for some local surfers to go surfing as the weather was favourable.
Nobody at the department as it was 8.30am ... returned the book about Seamounts ... checked in ... printed out the boarding sheets ... returned the DOP key to the secretaries ... and checked my email.
At DOP i also met the Aquipelago captian ... Seta ... and was pleased to see his smiling face ... we went to Paula together and set up a time for her to pick me up from the house and take me to the airport ... its all set now.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Tuesday 27th September 2011
... early morning as the downpour that continued through the night kept me sweet company ...
Had breakfast and prepared to get the bus to the department cause of the rain.
Today is the last full day at the department as tomorrow i will be all set to leave ... so i am collecting all my stuff and making all final arrangments ... like ... cleared my desk ... sent email to thank the people here ... bound the Nitrox manuals i had printed and left them on Joao's desk ... and ensured that i leave nothing behind ...
At around noon i was set to go back home and get the bus that leaves around noon from the department ... so i grabbed all my stuff and waited downstairs by the square ... and while i waited i went to the corner store and got a Bolgnese sauce to cook tonight with the pasta ... bus arrived ... boarded ... 30c ... some 10minutes later i'm home.
Did several things at home for this last evening ... prepared the sauce ... cleared my cupboards ... washed the interior of the fridge ... cleaned the cooker & hobbs ... packed luggage and hand luggage ... prepared clothes for tomorrow ... set the final washing liquid & softener to wash the linen tomorrow morning ... cleared my bathroom stuff ... but left shaver and wots left of shower gel for the bath later on in the evening.
At around 6pm i started boiling the water to cook the final strands of pasta i had ... enough for one & a half portions ... and ate it all ... was delicious ... washed dishes ... and prepared tea to take to the bath.
Could relax in the bath while i went through all that still needs to be done ensuring not to forget anything ... shaved ... and consumed all the shower gel that was left ... another plastic bottle to go into the recycling plastic bag.
As i prepared to go to sleep i ensure that all the drawers were empty and all the stuff i needed in my hand luggage was prepared while calculated to have close to 20 kilos in the main luggage ... as i didn't want the hand luggage to go over 10 kilos ... will have to check at the airport here before i leave ... if only i had the mini-scales to check the weight of the luggages.
Finally relaxed in bed ... had a little extra powder left in the box so i got totally covered ... i like this stuff ... must be my mum's effect since we were kids ... used to cover us ... but its so soothing especially when its hot or have just dried after a bath ... still its healthy especially my toes who had been quite wet throughout the day.
As soon as the movie ends i will switch off and prepare to sleep as i need to wake up early tomorrow morning ...
Good night ...
Had breakfast and prepared to get the bus to the department cause of the rain.
Today is the last full day at the department as tomorrow i will be all set to leave ... so i am collecting all my stuff and making all final arrangments ... like ... cleared my desk ... sent email to thank the people here ... bound the Nitrox manuals i had printed and left them on Joao's desk ... and ensured that i leave nothing behind ...
At around noon i was set to go back home and get the bus that leaves around noon from the department ... so i grabbed all my stuff and waited downstairs by the square ... and while i waited i went to the corner store and got a Bolgnese sauce to cook tonight with the pasta ... bus arrived ... boarded ... 30c ... some 10minutes later i'm home.
Did several things at home for this last evening ... prepared the sauce ... cleared my cupboards ... washed the interior of the fridge ... cleaned the cooker & hobbs ... packed luggage and hand luggage ... prepared clothes for tomorrow ... set the final washing liquid & softener to wash the linen tomorrow morning ... cleared my bathroom stuff ... but left shaver and wots left of shower gel for the bath later on in the evening.
At around 6pm i started boiling the water to cook the final strands of pasta i had ... enough for one & a half portions ... and ate it all ... was delicious ... washed dishes ... and prepared tea to take to the bath.
Could relax in the bath while i went through all that still needs to be done ensuring not to forget anything ... shaved ... and consumed all the shower gel that was left ... another plastic bottle to go into the recycling plastic bag.
As i prepared to go to sleep i ensure that all the drawers were empty and all the stuff i needed in my hand luggage was prepared while calculated to have close to 20 kilos in the main luggage ... as i didn't want the hand luggage to go over 10 kilos ... will have to check at the airport here before i leave ... if only i had the mini-scales to check the weight of the luggages.
Finally relaxed in bed ... had a little extra powder left in the box so i got totally covered ... i like this stuff ... must be my mum's effect since we were kids ... used to cover us ... but its so soothing especially when its hot or have just dried after a bath ... still its healthy especially my toes who had been quite wet throughout the day.
As soon as the movie ends i will switch off and prepare to sleep as i need to wake up early tomorrow morning ...
Good night ...
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Monday 26th September 2011
Early rise and a quick breakfast to get to the department and get the report done ... feeling motivated especially now that the its soon time to return home.
Went through the document word by word and performed several corrections, fixed typos, added some new stuff and couple more pictures, and most importantly i scribbled all over where references needed to go in ...
At around noon i had updated the report and was prepared for the final proof-read ... but was very satisfied with the end product.
Clounds and rain still around and so was already determined to grab the bus back home as didn't want to get soaked ... so around 5pm ... armed with a hardcopy of the report ... i left the department and got back home ...
As i prepared to cook tonight's meal ... Noodles & Couscous ... i switched the TV on and nibbled some apetisers from left overs of the day before ... the fridge and my cupboard supplies were getting scarce ... and rightly so ... i will soon be out of here.
Noodles were fine but definitely needed a walk and something sweet ... so i decided to go for a walk down the street where a petrol station i visited on the first day here Horta is open for sure.
As i got there it was only drizzling but as i started to peel off the wrapper from my Cornetto Classico is was pouring ... so definitely staying at the petrol station until this massive cloud moves on from Faial to Pico ... its that simple ...
The rain subsided ... and the cornetto perished ... so grabbed a packet of choclate wafers and made my way home ... still drizzling ... but its all cool.
At home i prepared a nice tea and was determined to spend the evening watching TV and listening to the rain outside ... its such a nice feeling.
Around 11pm ... movie ended ... switched TV off ... opened the window even more ... and could feel the dropplets of rain as they hit the windowsill ... wrapped myself in the sheet and a cover and set myself to sleep ... Good night.
Half way through the night it was raining heavily and woke up at the splatting of the rain ... couldn't see Pico and not even Monte da Guia ... but it felt good to drop back in bed and enjoy the safety of the sheets ...
Went through the document word by word and performed several corrections, fixed typos, added some new stuff and couple more pictures, and most importantly i scribbled all over where references needed to go in ...
At around noon i had updated the report and was prepared for the final proof-read ... but was very satisfied with the end product.
Clounds and rain still around and so was already determined to grab the bus back home as didn't want to get soaked ... so around 5pm ... armed with a hardcopy of the report ... i left the department and got back home ...
As i prepared to cook tonight's meal ... Noodles & Couscous ... i switched the TV on and nibbled some apetisers from left overs of the day before ... the fridge and my cupboard supplies were getting scarce ... and rightly so ... i will soon be out of here.
Noodles were fine but definitely needed a walk and something sweet ... so i decided to go for a walk down the street where a petrol station i visited on the first day here Horta is open for sure.
As i got there it was only drizzling but as i started to peel off the wrapper from my Cornetto Classico is was pouring ... so definitely staying at the petrol station until this massive cloud moves on from Faial to Pico ... its that simple ...
The rain subsided ... and the cornetto perished ... so grabbed a packet of choclate wafers and made my way home ... still drizzling ... but its all cool.
At home i prepared a nice tea and was determined to spend the evening watching TV and listening to the rain outside ... its such a nice feeling.
Around 11pm ... movie ended ... switched TV off ... opened the window even more ... and could feel the dropplets of rain as they hit the windowsill ... wrapped myself in the sheet and a cover and set myself to sleep ... Good night.
Half way through the night it was raining heavily and woke up at the splatting of the rain ... couldn't see Pico and not even Monte da Guia ... but it felt good to drop back in bed and enjoy the safety of the sheets ...
Monday, September 26, 2011
Sunday 25th September 2011
... relaxed at home ... but the sun pushes me out
Quite a late morning in bed ... got down to the kitchen to prepare a coffee and cereal ... and back to the room.
Planned to continue the final report and so was looking forward to continue where i had left ... reason why i brought the laptop yesterday with me home.
While i went through several sections i held the TV on to keep me company but at noon i set to go get some lunch ... from downstairs of course ... the only lonely frozen piece of bread was defrosting since this morning.
Lunch was not much but looked forward to it as i micro-waved the last egg i had and spread it over the two sides of the 'fresh' bread that had butter and cheese over it ... delicious.
At around 4pm i had come close to finish the thickest sections and was about to get into the final sections that dealt with Analysis and Conclusions ... so needed some thought ... needed to stretch ... and the sun had just emerged from a somewhat gray/rainy day ... so off i set to go to the department ... its always nice to get a printout of something you have just written.
As i got to the department i printed what i had so far and decided to complete the Analysis section ... I will conclude the report tomorrow ... and finalise it.
As i walked back home it was getting dark and knew exactly that tonight was spaghetti night as i had the evening meals figured out for the next 3 evenings ... as then i will be on my way home.
Spaghetti was fine ... too much ... but enjoyed it ... and prepared to warm down for the day ... with a bath.
Nobody was at the house and so i could calmly fill the tub and shave after a good soaking ... prepared some tea & biscuits ... and settled in bed watching some more TV ...
Its 11pm ... switched TV off ... opened the window ajar for some breeze ... prayed for all especially all the ones i love ... and set myself to sleep.
Good night.
Quite a late morning in bed ... got down to the kitchen to prepare a coffee and cereal ... and back to the room.
Planned to continue the final report and so was looking forward to continue where i had left ... reason why i brought the laptop yesterday with me home.
While i went through several sections i held the TV on to keep me company but at noon i set to go get some lunch ... from downstairs of course ... the only lonely frozen piece of bread was defrosting since this morning.
Lunch was not much but looked forward to it as i micro-waved the last egg i had and spread it over the two sides of the 'fresh' bread that had butter and cheese over it ... delicious.
At around 4pm i had come close to finish the thickest sections and was about to get into the final sections that dealt with Analysis and Conclusions ... so needed some thought ... needed to stretch ... and the sun had just emerged from a somewhat gray/rainy day ... so off i set to go to the department ... its always nice to get a printout of something you have just written.
As i got to the department i printed what i had so far and decided to complete the Analysis section ... I will conclude the report tomorrow ... and finalise it.
As i walked back home it was getting dark and knew exactly that tonight was spaghetti night as i had the evening meals figured out for the next 3 evenings ... as then i will be on my way home.
Spaghetti was fine ... too much ... but enjoyed it ... and prepared to warm down for the day ... with a bath.
Nobody was at the house and so i could calmly fill the tub and shave after a good soaking ... prepared some tea & biscuits ... and settled in bed watching some more TV ...
Its 11pm ... switched TV off ... opened the window ajar for some breeze ... prayed for all especially all the ones i love ... and set myself to sleep.
Good night.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Saturday 24th September 2011
... a relaxed day ... still working at the department ... and with a happy ending
Finally did not need to wake up early yet still at 6am i was up in bed and couldn't go back to sleep ... so prepared coffee & cereal ... and set to go out ... wanted to check if Norberto is going diving today ... yet i had an unsettled stomach so was undecided what i would do.
By 8.30am i was at Horta harbour ... connected on the public wifi while it was clear that nothing was happening around Norberto's hut ... so around 9am i completed my walk to the department.
Check email ... browsed ... and most importantly i started my final report of this fantastic experience ... and worked on this up till around 3pm
As i walked back home i stopped at a baker to get two fresh pannini to have for lunch as i forgot to defrost the last one from the freezer ... feel like ham & cheese fresh bread ... and so it was ... as i got home i prepared both of them ... turned out they were brown bread ... and quietly ate them infront of the living room TV ... drank my usual cold orange squash drink which i always pre-mix the day before in a small plastic mineral water bottle.
The rest of the afternoon and early evening I watched TV as some good movies were on ... The Jackal is not one of my favourites ... Dad really likes these movies ... but its ok ... I wanted to finish it even though it got late like 8pm.
As soon as the movie ended i prepared some warm clothes as i set to go to Cesar's birthday party outside Norberto's hut. I got there an hour after the 7.30pm official party time ... and as i got there i met Martino right away and Marcus a bit after ... basically i spent the entire evening with them.
After 2 beers and 2 pieces of fresh grilled fish I prepared to return home ... all the others including Martino & Marcus were preparing to go to the next party at Porto Pim were there was music as well ... but it was close to 11pm ... and walked the km back home to the music of my iPod.
As i got home i prepared some tea & biscuits ... watched some more TV ... and prepared to go to sleep ... tomorrow i plan a day at home as i brought the laptop home ... and relax working on the report and watch TV in bed ... Good night!
Finally did not need to wake up early yet still at 6am i was up in bed and couldn't go back to sleep ... so prepared coffee & cereal ... and set to go out ... wanted to check if Norberto is going diving today ... yet i had an unsettled stomach so was undecided what i would do.
By 8.30am i was at Horta harbour ... connected on the public wifi while it was clear that nothing was happening around Norberto's hut ... so around 9am i completed my walk to the department.
Check email ... browsed ... and most importantly i started my final report of this fantastic experience ... and worked on this up till around 3pm
As i walked back home i stopped at a baker to get two fresh pannini to have for lunch as i forgot to defrost the last one from the freezer ... feel like ham & cheese fresh bread ... and so it was ... as i got home i prepared both of them ... turned out they were brown bread ... and quietly ate them infront of the living room TV ... drank my usual cold orange squash drink which i always pre-mix the day before in a small plastic mineral water bottle.
The rest of the afternoon and early evening I watched TV as some good movies were on ... The Jackal is not one of my favourites ... Dad really likes these movies ... but its ok ... I wanted to finish it even though it got late like 8pm.
As soon as the movie ended i prepared some warm clothes as i set to go to Cesar's birthday party outside Norberto's hut. I got there an hour after the 7.30pm official party time ... and as i got there i met Martino right away and Marcus a bit after ... basically i spent the entire evening with them.
After 2 beers and 2 pieces of fresh grilled fish I prepared to return home ... all the others including Martino & Marcus were preparing to go to the next party at Porto Pim were there was music as well ... but it was close to 11pm ... and walked the km back home to the music of my iPod.
As i got home i prepared some tea & biscuits ... watched some more TV ... and prepared to go to sleep ... tomorrow i plan a day at home as i brought the laptop home ... and relax working on the report and watch TV in bed ... Good night!
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Friday 23rd September 2011
... Socionical workshop online
Earlier wakeup then yesterday as the workshop started at 9am Malta time and so was at the department by 7am Azores time ... connected ... and could hear Paul, coordinator, making the opening talk as part of the general assembly.
As i checked email and posted the previous day's blog i started to listen to CPD director, Patrick Murgo, do his presentation ... went all fine ... and managed to send my regards to him as well as to all the other consortium delegates.
As soon as they were off for their social event over the CPD vessel Garibaldi around the harbour i could finally disconnect and finish off all the stuff i had to complete for the day.
At around 3pm i needed to leave and look for a dentist as i could feel a moving part in one of my molars ... but was not in pain of any sort ... but still worried that it could get worse.
As i directed by one chemists whom i asked i entered a dentist clinic close to the Banif bank i had previously withdrew money close to the harbour. After that the dentist had a good look at my molar she concluded that the crown of these previously root canal treated moral had broken and could either be removed completely or fill up again while removing the broken away side of crown which was only holding by the gums ... ok let's fill it up ... but she had other appointments ... and so we agreed to do it on Monday at 1.30pm
While walking home i planned out the evening ... dinner ... TV ... sleep ...
Dinner - noodles and nice ham & cheese defrosted hobza ...
TV - American Idol ... some excellent young talents ...
Sleep - Good night ... i need it ...
Earlier wakeup then yesterday as the workshop started at 9am Malta time and so was at the department by 7am Azores time ... connected ... and could hear Paul, coordinator, making the opening talk as part of the general assembly.
As i checked email and posted the previous day's blog i started to listen to CPD director, Patrick Murgo, do his presentation ... went all fine ... and managed to send my regards to him as well as to all the other consortium delegates.
As soon as they were off for their social event over the CPD vessel Garibaldi around the harbour i could finally disconnect and finish off all the stuff i had to complete for the day.
At around 3pm i needed to leave and look for a dentist as i could feel a moving part in one of my molars ... but was not in pain of any sort ... but still worried that it could get worse.
As i directed by one chemists whom i asked i entered a dentist clinic close to the Banif bank i had previously withdrew money close to the harbour. After that the dentist had a good look at my molar she concluded that the crown of these previously root canal treated moral had broken and could either be removed completely or fill up again while removing the broken away side of crown which was only holding by the gums ... ok let's fill it up ... but she had other appointments ... and so we agreed to do it on Monday at 1.30pm
While walking home i planned out the evening ... dinner ... TV ... sleep ...
Dinner - noodles and nice ham & cheese defrosted hobza ...
TV - American Idol ... some excellent young talents ...
Sleep - Good night ... i need it ...
Friday, September 23, 2011
Thursday 22nd September 2011
... a day with a variety of stuff
Woke up early to make it early at the department and connect with the Socionical workshop that started today at the Victoria Hotel in Sliema ... wanted so much to be there to welcome all the partners but this trip turned up ... still i was able to help as much as i could for its success and this morning there is the opening.
Arrived at my desk a bit after 8am so the workshop had begun but managed to follow the opening talk by the co-ordinator and around 8.30am i prepared to go to the DOP diving place for this morning's dive ... but before i had to stop at Norberto to pay him and pick up my kit.
Around 9am i was at Norberto and only he was around sorting stuff at this hut ... so we had a short talk ... i paid him and then grabbed my kit and started the short 10min walk to the diving section.
As i got there nobody was around and so snapped some pics as i had nothing else to do ... this first picture is basically the divers section with numerous rooms to sort out the various activities. All the way in is the technician's workshop ... a mess ... basically is this period he uses it to fill the pods with CuSO4 ... then the hut with the grey top is an office, together with an adjoining dressing room, an adjoining kit room, and 2 showers ... then the red top hut and adjoining grey top room ... well thats the next picture.
These two rooms ... actually only 1 room and a rinsing sort of space covered with red sheeting ... but the room is the compressor room ... so all cylinders go in there empty and come out nice warm and charged ... you can see other scattered on the floor ... very normal ...
Finally the poor pickup van we use ... actually you can see my blue box with my kit in it as well as my faithful yellow bag which i adopted for 4 weeks ... its my carry bag and i run around Horta with it all the time as i do not have a backpack or any other bag
After some 15 minutes all the others started to arrive and so i could finally prepare to set up my kit and wear the suit. This morning there was a lot of planning as the laying of lines the day before had started and my job today is to remove the deepest line laid and place it parallel on the inner most side to create the next lane where the divers will work ... agreed!
The usual routine of loading the pickup ... driving to harbour ... loading the rib and out to the site ... was performed with the slight difference that the Italian guy, Martino, who was with me at the Princess Alice trip was with us today as well and so we were going to be working together.
As we dropped off the rib and descended to a maximum of 25m everyone knew what to do and so me and Martino took off to remove the last cable and create a new lane closer to the shore ... each lane was a 100m long and 20m apart ... so basically we had to swim 100m to reach the extreme end where the reel was ... reel in the line ... pick up the anchorage at the end ... and swimming in past the other lanes ... as two other lanes were already set up parallel to the last one ... where the divers were currently working.
Sounds like a lot but its ok ... especially if you know what you're doing ... so u enjoy it. As i reached the last line i needed to count 20 or so kicks with my fins which will approximately be 20m to create the begining of the next lane ... i anchored the first end of this new lane ... and started to unwind the line again to create the lane at a bearing of 90 degrees ... took some 15 mins maximum.
Everybody onboard ... all divers have completed their tasks ... lets drive back to the jetty. Cylinders were loaded onto the pickup and as we drove back to DOP we stopped to speak to Norberto who had just returned from a diving trip with some clients. At this point one of the DOP divers, Cesar, informed us that Saturday evening its his birthday and that we were all invited to an open air party infront of Norberto's hut ... fantastic!
Rinsed my stuff ... had a shower ... and started my walk toward the department ... planned not to do the second dive and so took all my stuff back with me. At the department i checked email, sorted some documents, and had some talk with Joao Monteiro who has given up hope that the hardware we need to hold the Nitrox courses will ever materialise ... not my problem really ... but maybe they will ask me to come back another time to do their courses ... that would be nice.
Around 5pm i started my way back home as i need some dinner but as i went out of the department i saw the bus stop by and so quickly pulled out 30c and boarded ... yeeha ... will be home earlier and with no hassle ... so off i was on the bus with all the old ladies chatting away.
At home i prepared some Aglio e Olio sauce as well as a nice fresh hobza with cheese & ham ... i say fresh because this is an experiment i am trying of freezing fresh bread and use it after some days ... works perfectly ... didnt believe it would be as fresh even though several people had told me so.
The rest of the evening spent at home ... watched TV ... prepared a hot bath ... brewed some tea to sip in the bath ... shaved ... and prepared to go to sleep ... movie this night was about Air Force 1 ... the US president's plane ... that was supposedly hijacked ... Harrison Ford main actor.
Good night ... tomorrow really air around 6am as Socionical General Assembly starts at 9am Malta time.
Woke up early to make it early at the department and connect with the Socionical workshop that started today at the Victoria Hotel in Sliema ... wanted so much to be there to welcome all the partners but this trip turned up ... still i was able to help as much as i could for its success and this morning there is the opening.
Arrived at my desk a bit after 8am so the workshop had begun but managed to follow the opening talk by the co-ordinator and around 8.30am i prepared to go to the DOP diving place for this morning's dive ... but before i had to stop at Norberto to pay him and pick up my kit.
Around 9am i was at Norberto and only he was around sorting stuff at this hut ... so we had a short talk ... i paid him and then grabbed my kit and started the short 10min walk to the diving section.
As i got there nobody was around and so snapped some pics as i had nothing else to do ... this first picture is basically the divers section with numerous rooms to sort out the various activities. All the way in is the technician's workshop ... a mess ... basically is this period he uses it to fill the pods with CuSO4 ... then the hut with the grey top is an office, together with an adjoining dressing room, an adjoining kit room, and 2 showers ... then the red top hut and adjoining grey top room ... well thats the next picture.
These two rooms ... actually only 1 room and a rinsing sort of space covered with red sheeting ... but the room is the compressor room ... so all cylinders go in there empty and come out nice warm and charged ... you can see other scattered on the floor ... very normal ...
Finally the poor pickup van we use ... actually you can see my blue box with my kit in it as well as my faithful yellow bag which i adopted for 4 weeks ... its my carry bag and i run around Horta with it all the time as i do not have a backpack or any other bag
After some 15 minutes all the others started to arrive and so i could finally prepare to set up my kit and wear the suit. This morning there was a lot of planning as the laying of lines the day before had started and my job today is to remove the deepest line laid and place it parallel on the inner most side to create the next lane where the divers will work ... agreed!
The usual routine of loading the pickup ... driving to harbour ... loading the rib and out to the site ... was performed with the slight difference that the Italian guy, Martino, who was with me at the Princess Alice trip was with us today as well and so we were going to be working together.
As we dropped off the rib and descended to a maximum of 25m everyone knew what to do and so me and Martino took off to remove the last cable and create a new lane closer to the shore ... each lane was a 100m long and 20m apart ... so basically we had to swim 100m to reach the extreme end where the reel was ... reel in the line ... pick up the anchorage at the end ... and swimming in past the other lanes ... as two other lanes were already set up parallel to the last one ... where the divers were currently working.
Sounds like a lot but its ok ... especially if you know what you're doing ... so u enjoy it. As i reached the last line i needed to count 20 or so kicks with my fins which will approximately be 20m to create the begining of the next lane ... i anchored the first end of this new lane ... and started to unwind the line again to create the lane at a bearing of 90 degrees ... took some 15 mins maximum.
Everybody onboard ... all divers have completed their tasks ... lets drive back to the jetty. Cylinders were loaded onto the pickup and as we drove back to DOP we stopped to speak to Norberto who had just returned from a diving trip with some clients. At this point one of the DOP divers, Cesar, informed us that Saturday evening its his birthday and that we were all invited to an open air party infront of Norberto's hut ... fantastic!
Rinsed my stuff ... had a shower ... and started my walk toward the department ... planned not to do the second dive and so took all my stuff back with me. At the department i checked email, sorted some documents, and had some talk with Joao Monteiro who has given up hope that the hardware we need to hold the Nitrox courses will ever materialise ... not my problem really ... but maybe they will ask me to come back another time to do their courses ... that would be nice.
Around 5pm i started my way back home as i need some dinner but as i went out of the department i saw the bus stop by and so quickly pulled out 30c and boarded ... yeeha ... will be home earlier and with no hassle ... so off i was on the bus with all the old ladies chatting away.
At home i prepared some Aglio e Olio sauce as well as a nice fresh hobza with cheese & ham ... i say fresh because this is an experiment i am trying of freezing fresh bread and use it after some days ... works perfectly ... didnt believe it would be as fresh even though several people had told me so.
The rest of the evening spent at home ... watched TV ... prepared a hot bath ... brewed some tea to sip in the bath ... shaved ... and prepared to go to sleep ... movie this night was about Air Force 1 ... the US president's plane ... that was supposedly hijacked ... Harrison Ford main actor.
Good night ... tomorrow really air around 6am as Socionical General Assembly starts at 9am Malta time.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Wednesday 21st September 2011
... rest day after a tough journey back from Princess Alice ...
Woke up rigid and aching all over as i could still feel the after effects of a fibre boat hitting me every 3 to 5 seconds for some 6 hours ...
Following a slowly sipped tea and some cereal i left the house quite late and decided to use the bus that runs from the road close to the house to the road infront of the department ... had never used it and had no idea of the times but i saw the Indian guy who lives in House 5 with Marcus and who works at DOP as well ... and so decided that this morning i deserve a ride in ... rather than walking for 30mins.
At the department i didnt do much and was determined to leave early and go back home to relax early in the afternoon. I still had my kit down at Norberto but i could pick that up tomorrow before the morning dive ... and pay him as well ... that reminds me that i need to witdraw some €100 to pay him.
After checking email and sorting out some documents i left the department around 3pm and walked down to the Banif bank near the harbour ... withdrew money ... and walked to Continente ... today i wanted to have some bread with butter and cheese ... and maybe ham ... so off i went around the supermarket getting some stuff ... milk, bread, cheese, and some nicely sliced ham.
As i got home i prepared a nice hobza while i put the oven up to heat some leftovers from last week ... it was a piece of salami pizza ... and so pushed it in the oven while i ate the bread ... took my stuff to my room ... raised the shutters ... switched TV on ... and back to the kitchen to retrieve the slice ... put some hot sauce over it and began to devour it ... bleqq was so salty ... but im too hungry ... will finish it off.
At around 6pm i needed to go back to the harbour to meet the German guys to get some pictures and footage from the day before ... and so after a short post-dinner rest on the bed i left on the next quest.
Managed to find the place where they were staying ... Casa da Lado ... and found them outside in the back yard drinking complementary tea & coffee ... and so was asked to help myself. Downloading all 400 images and videos took some 30mins but then they could see them as they had no computer.
After another half hour i left and walked the short distance to the department as the German's place is quite close ... finish the blog with some extra images ... and prepare to close down to walk home.
As i got home it was already dark and so i prepared my tea and biscuits and prepared to go to bed ... watched some TV ... a new Gordon Ramsey program is on where he goes around fixing people's restaurants to make them successful ... big headed git ... and waited for sweet sleep to take me away ... the wait wasn't too long ... the mantas still held a grip on me ... they exhausted me ... Good night.
Woke up rigid and aching all over as i could still feel the after effects of a fibre boat hitting me every 3 to 5 seconds for some 6 hours ...
Following a slowly sipped tea and some cereal i left the house quite late and decided to use the bus that runs from the road close to the house to the road infront of the department ... had never used it and had no idea of the times but i saw the Indian guy who lives in House 5 with Marcus and who works at DOP as well ... and so decided that this morning i deserve a ride in ... rather than walking for 30mins.
At the department i didnt do much and was determined to leave early and go back home to relax early in the afternoon. I still had my kit down at Norberto but i could pick that up tomorrow before the morning dive ... and pay him as well ... that reminds me that i need to witdraw some €100 to pay him.
After checking email and sorting out some documents i left the department around 3pm and walked down to the Banif bank near the harbour ... withdrew money ... and walked to Continente ... today i wanted to have some bread with butter and cheese ... and maybe ham ... so off i went around the supermarket getting some stuff ... milk, bread, cheese, and some nicely sliced ham.
As i got home i prepared a nice hobza while i put the oven up to heat some leftovers from last week ... it was a piece of salami pizza ... and so pushed it in the oven while i ate the bread ... took my stuff to my room ... raised the shutters ... switched TV on ... and back to the kitchen to retrieve the slice ... put some hot sauce over it and began to devour it ... bleqq was so salty ... but im too hungry ... will finish it off.
At around 6pm i needed to go back to the harbour to meet the German guys to get some pictures and footage from the day before ... and so after a short post-dinner rest on the bed i left on the next quest.
Managed to find the place where they were staying ... Casa da Lado ... and found them outside in the back yard drinking complementary tea & coffee ... and so was asked to help myself. Downloading all 400 images and videos took some 30mins but then they could see them as they had no computer.
After another half hour i left and walked the short distance to the department as the German's place is quite close ... finish the blog with some extra images ... and prepare to close down to walk home.
As i got home it was already dark and so i prepared my tea and biscuits and prepared to go to bed ... watched some TV ... a new Gordon Ramsey program is on where he goes around fixing people's restaurants to make them successful ... big headed git ... and waited for sweet sleep to take me away ... the wait wasn't too long ... the mantas still held a grip on me ... they exhausted me ... Good night.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Tuesday 20th September 2011
... swimming with Mantas ... and more ...
Yes ... the price was right ... special half price for DOP and friends ... €100 for 2 dives not including lunch ... fair enough ...
So as i woke up at 6am ... i quickly had some tea and prepared some lunch for myself ... took off around 6.30am and arrived before 7am near Norberto's hut right next to Tiago's. As i waited for Norberto to turn up and ask about the price i had to find a spot where to release my bladder as i forgot to use the bathroom before i left the house ... but at the harbour its easy to find a spot especially in the darkness of the early morning.
As i returned from behind the huts i noticed Norberto preparing the boat ... he is easy to notice ... short with long blonde burnt hair over his shoulders ... like a sea wolf. He recognised me right away as he had seen me on the pickup driving through the roads and quickly welcomed me in Portughese and English ... before asking he made it clear that he will charge half the price and so made it easier for me as i asked if i should load 2 cylinders for myself ... which i did. The diving kit i could pick up from the assorted kits he had but he told me that he is going to the DOP diving section for the Oxygen emergency kit and asked if i want to pick up the kit i used there ... ah fantastic that suits me very well ... turns up he has the keys to the place as well ...
As we entered the DOP diving section i quickly grabbed all the stuff i had left there the evening before and placed in a box while Norberto vanished inside the bathroom ... must have forgot as well to use the bathroom as home ... as we grabbed the Oxygen and my kit we made way back to the jetty some 3minute drive and joined all the others that were preparing stuff for the trip ... it was me and Martino (Italian guy who is a volunteer at DOP), a German tourist (a prick), another German couple, 3 Portughese guys friends of Norberto (1 diver and 2 apnea), a portughese young couple, and a German lady who seems to be around Norberto all the time.
As we took off Norberto was all over the place ensuring that we got all we needed ... instructing the Portughese guys what to do and how to assist him ... one of the apnea guys must have been a young skipper as Norberto quickly directed him to the navigation control on the top level to drive us out of the harbour ... quiet reserved guy who clearly knew what he was doing ... apart from the obvious navigational gear he was wearing ... sailing and boating is a fashion statement in its own right ... mhux bhali bil flipflop u shorts tal football ... t-shirt tas-CPD.
2minutes off the jetty we had to return back as Norberto forgot his own wetsuit and so we recovered it from the hut and started our 3 hour trip to Princess Alice Seamount or Bank, some 45 nautical miles away.
The outgoing trip was enjoyable as the sea was calm and Norberto was on the upper level of the boat next to me and 3 other persons ... he's a lively guy and so its never quiet wherever he is ... apart from the fact that he's quite a sea character pointing stuff out and looking out for anything
extraordinary ...
At this point i realised that in our hurry to leave at the DOP diving section I forgot to bring the fins and thought better to tell Norberto who had a solution in no time ... as i expected ... basically either himself or the other skiper will have to stay on the boat ... so an extra pair of fins was always available ... pheww ... would have waited for someone to get out and use theirs.
The 3hour trip didn't seem to take long as we were all looking forward to it ... and in no time we were pushing in anchor on top of the mount ... Norberto was shouting for all to get set and as i sat waiting for the others to get done he looked at me and said ... 'Wot u wait for?' and i told him for the others ... and he funnily said ... 'If lazy they won't see Mantas ... go have fun' ...
So as i prepared to wear the fins i realised that these were no normal fins ... they were apnea fins ... massively long and with no boots ... so what the hell i can't let the Mantas waiting. During the briefing we were divided into groups ... ye right ... and told that usual dive profiles are all the way to the bottom ... shallowest 36m and then up the shot to meet the mantas from 20m +
As i jumped in i realised that there was no current ... half moon according to Norberto ... he was right. I swam to the front of our catamaran and grabbed the shot to the bottom ... my buoyancy was neutral with this thick suit even though i had some 6 kilos ... so again i grabbed the shot and pulled myself down to the bottom ... looked around ... and nothing ... let me go to this incredible natural formation ... a SeaMount in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean ... Kms deep ... yet this mount rises to 36m from the surface ... incredible sea life around it as well as nutricious stuff swelled up from the ocean bottom as it rises to the top of the mount ... no wonder Mantas stick around this area.
As i hit the bottom i could see the endges of the mount and how it falls to depths ... amazingly tempting if i had my tech kit on ... swam around and could notice some big fish swimming in all directions when i noticed a massive sting ray scimming the bottom ... running away from the other divers who descended loaded with cameras and flashes.
After some 5 minutes at this depth i saw no point remaining building up deco and wasting air so started my ascent along the lines as i noticed other divers descending and stopping half way probably scared of the intensity of this deep area ... imagine from the boat above you can see no land in any direction for the last 2 hours ... so we're completely out in open sea ... anything can hit us ... if only ... heheheee
As i started my ascent avoiding dviers on the way i wondered away from the shot as there was no current ... and yes by the way ... the fins are fine ... they feel part of my legs ... cool fining in such fins ... and so i wondered where the hell were the Mantas ... and how will this work? when do they pass through here? and will they stop or keep on going? so the whole issue wasn't clear and i never asked either.
As i lonely was ascending i saw shadows above ... nearly forgot i was expecting Mantas ... lost in my thoughts ... and realised that massive Mantas were coming close ... must have been 2m each as they effortlessly came closer. I initially attempted to inform the other divers taking shots of common mortal fish ... to come immortalise these Gods of the seas ... but then what the hell they will realise ... stop shouting this is not a rebreather hose ... nobody will hear you ... chase the Mantas!!!
I didnt chase them of course as they came closer and closer ... could stretch my hands and touch them ... and the most amazing part is that they don't go away ... they're here because they heard the commotion and came for company ... and so they will kept on circling and circling around me ... then around us as the other divers pointing thier cameras joined in ...
These mantas are also referred to as devil fish or giant devil ray (Mobula mobular) which is a species of eagle ray. They are most common in the Med but obviously found in the eastern atlantic and off the southwest coast of Ireland and here in the Azores.
3 more mantas joined in ... then 5 more ... and then some 5more ... lost count as i could only see them all over the place swimming gracefully in smoothly curved directions forming a circle or figure of 8. Interesting to note that some 5 trigger fish ... relatively small compared to the mantas ... must be something like 15 to 20cm in length were also around ... but similar to their behaviour in Sharm El Sheikh ... they become territorially protective of whatever they put their mind that something is theirs ... and apparently they do so with the shotline ... and every shotline they find ... so as soon as any Manta goes close they quickly follow it ... allow to pass buy ... and then quickly race behind it and nibble it on the tail ... which makes the thing run and sprint off ... funny yet the trigger fish make me want to hit them. As a matter of fact these bitches in Sharm they are notorious for attacking divers' fins or even divers' extremities and they beak is quite parrot like ... so it hurts. In mid sea i noticed one of these pests getting close to me ... so i quickly turned round to face it and check wots up ... ara nannti Giorgia ta ... ahrab l'hemm ... and quickly got scared off ... please!
Swimming around so close its amazingly fascinating ... at moments when they're so close i could see half a dolphin on each side of the manta ... its like God grabbed a sweet dolphin ... split it in two... and made a catamaran-like fish out of it ... cause the sweet eyes and mouth are very similar.
Images and videos are not mine but of 2 divers i befriended during the trip ... and agreed to share ... which was perfect for me. These next 2 shots are me in fancy looking fins ...
While this short video is again me as they go past me ...After some half-hour playing around and still 120bar in my cyclinder i decided to surface and end the first dive ... primarily cause i needed a break and was doing the same stuff over and over ... but most of all because i had the fins of that apnea guy who most probably was dying to go down ... so its only fair.
At the surface i met Norberto who was also preparing to get on the boat and so we exchanged some words as he also was excited even though he must have been here plenty of times. As we sorted the kit and helped others to climb back onboard the apnea guys jumped in and could easily reach the mantas as very often they're at 1m depth just above the divers. At one point the apnea guy was shouting at sea and could see Norberto scrambling above ... wot is it I asked ... he sees whale ... no way ... i grab my mask and jump in just as Norberto is still looking for his mask. Thing is that a week before Jorge Fontes had seen a sperm whale here while with Norberto as well ... and so Norberto assumed its back.
As we swam close to it ... i was mesmerised to its sheer size and calm movement ...
I had to pause here as it was something completely unexpected and breathtaking ... some others joined in but the ones that were diving were too far away and never realised ... were quite gutted they missed it. It was gone in a jiffy even though we could see here blow away at a distance but we were anchored and couldn't/wouldn't move because of the other divers.
With an adrenalin flush i returned to the boat and had my apple & carrot as the other clients had their lunch ... which by the way was a chicken burger ... imma insomma.
I had no idea what kind of whale it was but definitely not a dolphin and could see the pointed head with sort of grooves below the mouth and a white bottom side and white stripe on the fin. Looking at whale charts on board and confirming with Norberto who is an unofficial cetacean expert ... we concluded that its a Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) and must be a male approximately 8m long ... massive i would say.
Before an hour went past Norberto was already asking divers to prepare the second cylinder as he did not want to be long before the 2nd dive. I was the first in again with the 1m fins and prepared to go to the bottom again. As i descended i looked around me and could not see any mantas but still i was determined to go deep first and then obviously ascend slowly where hopefully the mantas will be waiting again ... this time i dropped vertically instead of going to the shot rope as i could see the shot on the bank ... and i could also see the top of the mount and so it was quite nice dropping there and then and swim towards the anchor. As i swam i decided to go by the side which slopes down to depths instead of swimming on its surface top ... and could see the darkness below ... but came across a big grouper ... slightly smaller than the one i had seen and had a tete-a-tete with the other day when diving with the DOP team. As i arrived close to the anchor and could see that other divers have descended that way a shoal of massice Acciol swam up from the depths ... must have been close to a 100 of them ... as they swam past and could see flashes from the divers' cameras shine on their scales ... they give a sense of power as they swim past in such numbers. As i turned to look at the anchor i noticed the big sting ray still roaming around ... this is me right off the edge of Princess Alice bank ...
As i reached the anchor i could notice that the shotline was violently trying to rip of the anchor off the rocks ... the wind must be picking up and the wave movement is increasing. I slowly climbed the shotline to find the German couple attempting to get deeper but the wife was stuff scared as she wouldn't leave her husband's hand ... who i noticed was looking down wondering what the rock at the mount looked like ... poor guy ...
Just like clockwork the Mantas were circling above ... amazing ... so cute and so big ... they need company ... so i was there swimming amongst them ... getting close trying to look into their eyes ... and the idea i mentioned of half a dolphin was daunting, scary, but at the same time so real ...
Forgot to say that between the dives i could feel a headache developing but obviously pursued to do the 2nd dive. Thing is that while i was busy at depth and even playing around with the mantas i completely ignored what was now a terrible and splitting headache ... no idea what caused it ... but i decided to stay a shorter time in the shallows and as soon as the other divers ascend to chase the devils ... i surface.
As soon as i surfaced i was welcomed by Norberto who had already finished his dive and helping divers to board the catamaran which was now going up and down to the 2m waves. I could see the preoccupation in his eyes as he asked me how many divers are coming up. Well i had a headache and the boat jumping up and down was not really the best threatment. Several divers came to the surface but the final two took ages as they probably decided to consume all the 200bars of air they had in their cylinder at 5m. The mantas obviously remained around and so they had no hurry while Norberto was about to hear his hair off ... the sea was really rough and the wind was increasingly getting close to a gail force.
Picking up the anchor and couple of more buoys was hard work for the boat people but as soon as the last diver was out of the water Norberto was already driving off ... the engines which had been switched on for 20 minutes to give divers a clue that we need to leave, roared off for the journey back ... didn't look good.
The wave size went up to 5-6m and the catamaran was struggling to keep abreast of what was hitting it. I sat on the top tier as before and held strongly to the stainless steel frame while we broke through each wave at a slower speed and at a higher impact.
It rained several times ... we got washed up with splashing waves at least 5 times ... and it got dark ... by the time we got back to Horta ... what was supposed to take 3 hours as the outbound trip ... took a gruelling 6 hours ... i was exhausted and cold to say the least ... and as soon as we got to the jetty i quickly rinsed my stuff and took off home.
As i got home i prepared a warm bath, grabbed a packet of crisps and brewed a hot tea with biscuits to sip during the bath ... it was just lush ... i needed it so much.
I swithced on the TV out of habit as layed on the bed and fell asleep instantly ... woke half way through the night to push a blanket a the wind was picking up ... but left the window open ... wanted to enjoy the use of the blanket ... and slept again ...
Monday 19th September 2011
... a day diving with Dept team ... killing Caulerpa ...
Woke up early as i was looking forward to join the DOP diving team and start a new adventure with them ... had a quick breakfast ... and around 8.30am prepared to leave the house ...
As i started the walk to the harbour i realised it was raining ... fantastic ... so the walk turned into a struggle not to get drenched as i was in flipflops and bermudas ... but nature was kind enough to drizzle for the longer stretch of the walk and at least i didn't need to wear my mask which i carried with me this morning.
Some 10mins before 9am i was at the DOP diving section and found the technician who prepares stuff and drives the rib there ... he barely speaks English but managed to communicate in some way. Told him that Joao Monteiro asked me to be here at 9am ... and from his reaction i realised that 9am was a very flexible meeting target ... and in fact around 9.30am the others started to arrive. With every arrival we shake hands and give a Bom Dia welcome ... which is good as you start feeling part of the team. One of them offered me one of his semi-dry suits, used a DOP BCD and Regs, Joao's extra boots, and a pair of fins ... i was sorted ... found a hood ... and had my own mask.
So basically my plan was to stay out of the way and blend in as smoothly as possible ... causing no problem to anyone ... creating no issues like needing assistance or being a burden.
Loading/unloading of the pickup and preparing the rib to leave was a joint effort ... so i was pleased that they allowed me to help and they appreciated my help ... which made them realise i was not new to a rib.
As we made our way to Monte de Guia the rain started hitting us hard as the wintery weather made the whole experience fantastically beautiful ... even though i was crippled on the rib holding on to one side by the boatman as the rough sea was doing its best to topple us over, raining all over ... but obviously its not a problem as we wer in suits ready to dive ... and wearing masks as the dropping rain felt like needles and pins on the face especially on the eyes.
As we swerved around the black monstrous volcanic thingy the seas calmed a bit as we made our way to the spot to do the job. We went past the spot where i dived with Tiago ... so was pleased that i'll be diving at a new spot.
As the boatman stopped the rib all started to done their kit ... it was something i wanted to check whether they do it on the rib or in the water ... well i could do both but wanted to conform with their method ... i assisted a couple of them as they grabbed other stuff they needed to do the job ... basically blue sheets of plastic around 1m by 1m ... these will be fixed to the rock using nails right over any areas they find the presence of this growing seaweed that is taking over the bottom of the ocean thereby killing all other vegetation as it blocks the sunlight. We have the same problem in the Meditteranean but with a different species of Caulerpa ... but which has taken over even the seabed in Malta.
As we descended two groups took off looking for Caulerpa communities and this was no difficult task as i could see the first group spreading the blue sheet over a rock, nailing it using steel nails and hammers, and as soon as they had it pinned down they introduced small cylindrical tubes containing Copper Sulphate (CuSO4) which apparently burns the Caulerpa and destroys it. This chemical known in Maltese as Kupru is not new to me as i remember my dad using it to get octopus out of holes ... basically it irritates the animals eyes (even ours if we had someone push it in our eyes) and forces it out of the hole ... to a worse option ... on my dad's hook. The issue as far as i'm concerned that as soon as the CuSO4 dissolves in the water it goes all over the place ... true that they're using sheets to keep it concentrated on the spot but it was visible that much of it was being released to the open sea ... not that it would damage much as it would quickly get diluted.
After a couple of spreading, nailing, dissolving and closing the sheet the teams get seperated ... each diver doing his thing thereby getting the job done faster as they had a limited number of sheets ... so i quickly joined the eldest member who seemed to have extensible experience in the team and which all others looked up at ... and assisted him do the same job. He didn't mind and could see that he was explaining stuff to me and sort of tutoring ... i didn't mind as long as he was happy. After we had finished one area we took off and found another colony and worked on it. At one point i say one diver point at a big grouper who was descending towards the bottom but close to where my buddy had found a spot to threat ... so off i descended around 25m to assist him keeping both eyes open for the grouper. As i held the sheet from one side to tighten it up i looked around on the sandy bottom and took me 2 seconds to adjust to the resting grouper some 2m away from us, curiously looking at us banging on the rock. It must have been 1.5m long, beautifully bulging mouth and big round eyes ... so elegantly calm puffing away. I signalled to my buddy about the presence behind us and he was surprised too to see this fantastic animal watching us. As was about to close the task we were at i could freely crawl towards the grouper which allowed me as close as 1m as we had a head-to-head encounter ... bit more closer ... as usual me bothering the crap out of sea life ... and she (or probably he) quickly gave me the shoulder and majestically finned away.
As we made out ascent close to rocky volcanic formations i could notice the surface being fearcefully pierced from above by heavy rain ... the boatman must be drenched by now ... poor guy.
We got to the surface ... normal procedure ... hand the weights ... hand and assist the cylinder ... and keep the fins to assist the laborious climb onto the rib without a ladder ... done gracefully.
As we made our way back to the harbour there was plenty of talk about the tasks but more than anything about the massive grouper we encountered ... they seemed pleased that i enjoyed it ... so all went fine.
At the jetty we took only the basic stuff like cylinders and empty bags that held the CuSO4 pods ... leaving all the other equipment on the boat for the afternoon dive. Its very safe here on the island and people tend to trust all ...something which is admirable and desirable.
As we got to the dept we quickly pushed our empty cylinders in the compressor room, rinsed our stuff and changed into dry clothes ... it was past 11am and so I decided to walk back to the new building and check my email ... only to leave around 2pm to be back at the diving section around 2.30pm
Much the same routine was done as the same team prepared for the 2nd dive today ... we were less loaded as much of the gear was on the rib ... so we quickly got going to do the same thing as usually they remove some of the sheets placed the previous day, but today as its going to be a deeper dive they will continue spreadng sheets.
As we descended at a different spot once again the same situation ended up where i could assist the same buddy for a number of sheet laying ... at one point he handed over the hammer to me so i continue fixing the sheet so that he could release and strategically place the pods under the sheet ... in this was we finished the job even faster as the coordinated effort worked fine.
As we finished all our sheets, we assisted the others to finish off their sheets and then started our decompression as we were at 41m on the deepest point. As we ascended in the blue away from the rocks we could see big Acciol swimming past to the excitement of the other divers and myself but which gave away their passion as a couple of them could be see making the harpoon point & trigger gesture ... pfffffff
The climb to the rib and the trip back was just like the first and when we got to the jetty we rinsed all the stuff right there and emptied the rib of all the kit onto the pickup. Now this pickup as i forgot to mention during the first dive is a 2-door open box pickup ... so we all sit at the back on the sides holding on as the driver made his way to and from the jetty ... during this process, apart from raining, they were saluting/shouting/teasing all of their friends and companions all over the harbour ... so its like a big happy pickup with 5 guys in semi-suits as we obviously already started stripping, moving and cheering ... hilarious
As i said goodbye to all they asked me if i will join them again and definitely told them that i will be back tomorrow or some other day this week ... and made my way home for some deserved dinner as it was close to 5pm ... the plan was to have some spaghetti and then walk to the department and back after dinner.
Needless to say my pasta al dente with pesto sauce was delicious ... don't have cheese on top but this time i have pepper which i borrowed from a restaurant ... small sachets of pepper i mean not a whole bottle.
Walking to the department ... checking email ... and back home was useful in more than one way. First of all the obvious digestive process works better over a walk and secondly Joao had emailed me that Norberto (the guy i went whale spotting with) was going to Princess Alice Seamount to dive with Mantas tomorrow at 7am ... at a reduced price for DOP and friends.
As I walked back i decided to go with Norberto only if the price was €100 or less ... the normal price for tourists is €200 but i did not want to spend more than €100. So i decided to set the alarm to 6am and be at the harbour by 7am ...ask him the price ... and if i dont go i will walk to the dept and at 9am go diving with the DOP team just the same ... sorted.
Arrived home ... prepared some tea ... 2 biscuits ... 1 gum ... and off to some TV and sleep.
Its been a long and busy day ... i shouldn't have problems sleeping even though my shoulder was bothering me from too much pulling on the rib not to fall off ... but eventually i fell asleep ...
Woke up early as i was looking forward to join the DOP diving team and start a new adventure with them ... had a quick breakfast ... and around 8.30am prepared to leave the house ...
As i started the walk to the harbour i realised it was raining ... fantastic ... so the walk turned into a struggle not to get drenched as i was in flipflops and bermudas ... but nature was kind enough to drizzle for the longer stretch of the walk and at least i didn't need to wear my mask which i carried with me this morning.
Some 10mins before 9am i was at the DOP diving section and found the technician who prepares stuff and drives the rib there ... he barely speaks English but managed to communicate in some way. Told him that Joao Monteiro asked me to be here at 9am ... and from his reaction i realised that 9am was a very flexible meeting target ... and in fact around 9.30am the others started to arrive. With every arrival we shake hands and give a Bom Dia welcome ... which is good as you start feeling part of the team. One of them offered me one of his semi-dry suits, used a DOP BCD and Regs, Joao's extra boots, and a pair of fins ... i was sorted ... found a hood ... and had my own mask.
So basically my plan was to stay out of the way and blend in as smoothly as possible ... causing no problem to anyone ... creating no issues like needing assistance or being a burden.
Loading/unloading of the pickup and preparing the rib to leave was a joint effort ... so i was pleased that they allowed me to help and they appreciated my help ... which made them realise i was not new to a rib.
As we made our way to Monte de Guia the rain started hitting us hard as the wintery weather made the whole experience fantastically beautiful ... even though i was crippled on the rib holding on to one side by the boatman as the rough sea was doing its best to topple us over, raining all over ... but obviously its not a problem as we wer in suits ready to dive ... and wearing masks as the dropping rain felt like needles and pins on the face especially on the eyes.
As we swerved around the black monstrous volcanic thingy the seas calmed a bit as we made our way to the spot to do the job. We went past the spot where i dived with Tiago ... so was pleased that i'll be diving at a new spot.
As the boatman stopped the rib all started to done their kit ... it was something i wanted to check whether they do it on the rib or in the water ... well i could do both but wanted to conform with their method ... i assisted a couple of them as they grabbed other stuff they needed to do the job ... basically blue sheets of plastic around 1m by 1m ... these will be fixed to the rock using nails right over any areas they find the presence of this growing seaweed that is taking over the bottom of the ocean thereby killing all other vegetation as it blocks the sunlight. We have the same problem in the Meditteranean but with a different species of Caulerpa ... but which has taken over even the seabed in Malta.
As we descended two groups took off looking for Caulerpa communities and this was no difficult task as i could see the first group spreading the blue sheet over a rock, nailing it using steel nails and hammers, and as soon as they had it pinned down they introduced small cylindrical tubes containing Copper Sulphate (CuSO4) which apparently burns the Caulerpa and destroys it. This chemical known in Maltese as Kupru is not new to me as i remember my dad using it to get octopus out of holes ... basically it irritates the animals eyes (even ours if we had someone push it in our eyes) and forces it out of the hole ... to a worse option ... on my dad's hook. The issue as far as i'm concerned that as soon as the CuSO4 dissolves in the water it goes all over the place ... true that they're using sheets to keep it concentrated on the spot but it was visible that much of it was being released to the open sea ... not that it would damage much as it would quickly get diluted.
After a couple of spreading, nailing, dissolving and closing the sheet the teams get seperated ... each diver doing his thing thereby getting the job done faster as they had a limited number of sheets ... so i quickly joined the eldest member who seemed to have extensible experience in the team and which all others looked up at ... and assisted him do the same job. He didn't mind and could see that he was explaining stuff to me and sort of tutoring ... i didn't mind as long as he was happy. After we had finished one area we took off and found another colony and worked on it. At one point i say one diver point at a big grouper who was descending towards the bottom but close to where my buddy had found a spot to threat ... so off i descended around 25m to assist him keeping both eyes open for the grouper. As i held the sheet from one side to tighten it up i looked around on the sandy bottom and took me 2 seconds to adjust to the resting grouper some 2m away from us, curiously looking at us banging on the rock. It must have been 1.5m long, beautifully bulging mouth and big round eyes ... so elegantly calm puffing away. I signalled to my buddy about the presence behind us and he was surprised too to see this fantastic animal watching us. As was about to close the task we were at i could freely crawl towards the grouper which allowed me as close as 1m as we had a head-to-head encounter ... bit more closer ... as usual me bothering the crap out of sea life ... and she (or probably he) quickly gave me the shoulder and majestically finned away.
As we made out ascent close to rocky volcanic formations i could notice the surface being fearcefully pierced from above by heavy rain ... the boatman must be drenched by now ... poor guy.
We got to the surface ... normal procedure ... hand the weights ... hand and assist the cylinder ... and keep the fins to assist the laborious climb onto the rib without a ladder ... done gracefully.
As we made our way back to the harbour there was plenty of talk about the tasks but more than anything about the massive grouper we encountered ... they seemed pleased that i enjoyed it ... so all went fine.
At the jetty we took only the basic stuff like cylinders and empty bags that held the CuSO4 pods ... leaving all the other equipment on the boat for the afternoon dive. Its very safe here on the island and people tend to trust all ...something which is admirable and desirable.
As we got to the dept we quickly pushed our empty cylinders in the compressor room, rinsed our stuff and changed into dry clothes ... it was past 11am and so I decided to walk back to the new building and check my email ... only to leave around 2pm to be back at the diving section around 2.30pm
Much the same routine was done as the same team prepared for the 2nd dive today ... we were less loaded as much of the gear was on the rib ... so we quickly got going to do the same thing as usually they remove some of the sheets placed the previous day, but today as its going to be a deeper dive they will continue spreadng sheets.
As we descended at a different spot once again the same situation ended up where i could assist the same buddy for a number of sheet laying ... at one point he handed over the hammer to me so i continue fixing the sheet so that he could release and strategically place the pods under the sheet ... in this was we finished the job even faster as the coordinated effort worked fine.
As we finished all our sheets, we assisted the others to finish off their sheets and then started our decompression as we were at 41m on the deepest point. As we ascended in the blue away from the rocks we could see big Acciol swimming past to the excitement of the other divers and myself but which gave away their passion as a couple of them could be see making the harpoon point & trigger gesture ... pfffffff
The climb to the rib and the trip back was just like the first and when we got to the jetty we rinsed all the stuff right there and emptied the rib of all the kit onto the pickup. Now this pickup as i forgot to mention during the first dive is a 2-door open box pickup ... so we all sit at the back on the sides holding on as the driver made his way to and from the jetty ... during this process, apart from raining, they were saluting/shouting/teasing all of their friends and companions all over the harbour ... so its like a big happy pickup with 5 guys in semi-suits as we obviously already started stripping, moving and cheering ... hilarious
As i said goodbye to all they asked me if i will join them again and definitely told them that i will be back tomorrow or some other day this week ... and made my way home for some deserved dinner as it was close to 5pm ... the plan was to have some spaghetti and then walk to the department and back after dinner.
Needless to say my pasta al dente with pesto sauce was delicious ... don't have cheese on top but this time i have pepper which i borrowed from a restaurant ... small sachets of pepper i mean not a whole bottle.
Walking to the department ... checking email ... and back home was useful in more than one way. First of all the obvious digestive process works better over a walk and secondly Joao had emailed me that Norberto (the guy i went whale spotting with) was going to Princess Alice Seamount to dive with Mantas tomorrow at 7am ... at a reduced price for DOP and friends.
As I walked back i decided to go with Norberto only if the price was €100 or less ... the normal price for tourists is €200 but i did not want to spend more than €100. So i decided to set the alarm to 6am and be at the harbour by 7am ...ask him the price ... and if i dont go i will walk to the dept and at 9am go diving with the DOP team just the same ... sorted.
Arrived home ... prepared some tea ... 2 biscuits ... 1 gum ... and off to some TV and sleep.
Its been a long and busy day ... i shouldn't have problems sleeping even though my shoulder was bothering me from too much pulling on the rib not to fall off ... but eventually i fell asleep ...
Monday, September 19, 2011
Sunday 18th September 2011
... another day to relax ...
Woke up early and had a choice to either take off to a long hiking day or repeat yesterday's agenda ... and focus on taking it easy ... and that's what i did.
Watched a movie right after breakfast and then decided to go for a longish walk towards the inland of the Horta again ...
Thing is that during these walks ... just like yesterday ... the place is deserted ... no people, no shops, no animals ... so its a bit lonely ... imqarr xi baqra jew kelb ... so around 2pm i made my way home ... got home ... showered ... and rested on the bed while i watched another movie ... but ensured not to sleep ... i'd rather have a long night sleep.
In the afternoon i needed to go to the department to check email, print out stuff, and charge the iPod ... music was the only thing that accompanied me during the walk.
As soon as i left the department ... half way home ... i realised i left printouts in the printer on the 2nd floor ... and couldn't leave them there ... so instead of going back i decided to have dinner and then walk back afterwards ...
As i entered the deoartment i found the door open as a workshop was going on ... so quickly picked up the printouts ... checked emails ... and walked back home ...
At home nobody was around ... so had a shower ... switched the Tv to check out the movies ... but nothing was on ... and so decided to try and sleep ... success as i slept all through the night ...
Dinner was a nice big plate of noodles and couscous ... definitely needed the walk afterwards.
Woke up early and had a choice to either take off to a long hiking day or repeat yesterday's agenda ... and focus on taking it easy ... and that's what i did.
Watched a movie right after breakfast and then decided to go for a longish walk towards the inland of the Horta again ...
Thing is that during these walks ... just like yesterday ... the place is deserted ... no people, no shops, no animals ... so its a bit lonely ... imqarr xi baqra jew kelb ... so around 2pm i made my way home ... got home ... showered ... and rested on the bed while i watched another movie ... but ensured not to sleep ... i'd rather have a long night sleep.
In the afternoon i needed to go to the department to check email, print out stuff, and charge the iPod ... music was the only thing that accompanied me during the walk.
As soon as i left the department ... half way home ... i realised i left printouts in the printer on the 2nd floor ... and couldn't leave them there ... so instead of going back i decided to have dinner and then walk back afterwards ...
As i entered the deoartment i found the door open as a workshop was going on ... so quickly picked up the printouts ... checked emails ... and walked back home ...
At home nobody was around ... so had a shower ... switched the Tv to check out the movies ... but nothing was on ... and so decided to try and sleep ... success as i slept all through the night ...
Dinner was a nice big plate of noodles and couscous ... definitely needed the walk afterwards.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Saturday 17th September 2011
... a relaxed Saturday out hiking and enjoying the beauty of Faial ...
Woke up early as the sunlight pours straight into my bedroom window which i purposely leave open with curtains drawn and shutter raised ... to enjoy the freshness of a new day and the continuation of life...
After preparing a tea and a bit of cereal i decided to watch some tv while i lazed in bed ... the Holywood channel is wicked as nice movies are on all the time ... The Life of David Gale is one of my favourites and so was very pleased to watch it to the end.
At around 11am I was already feeling the call of the outdoors and so after preparing a small lunch of carrots, fruit and orange squash, i set to explore another part of Horta which i haven't been to ... on foot.
First option would be to visit the main inland crater ... but apart from being too far, i could see that it was engulfed in clouds and so was of not much use to pay it a visit ... and so considered other options. Even though the sea side is an all time favourite this time i decided to walk a bit inland and visit the sort of cliffs i had seen on the way into Horta harbour.
The walk was not so interesting as much of it was on tarmaced roads and built-up areas, while some 90 minutes into my walk the day changed to a dark wintery and threatening environment. I carry and actually dont have any wintery stuff especially to protect me from rain ... if one needs protection ... but getting soaked wet is not a good idea ... so i changed plans and made a detour downhill towards more known territory where i could esily find shelter.
Its always nice to go to the harbour ... there's always something going on as well ... the guy in the small 2nd class or workers' cafe' got used to me and welcomes me to his modest place ... reminds me of our shop which is always in need of a facelift but its got its own style ... stopped for a cold drink and checked out the news on his tv ... and after some 45mins started my way back uphill towards home ... rain drizzling.
Was glad to get home and shower as even though it wasn't sunny, i was sweating ... and needed to refresh ... and relax on my bed ... and unconventionally to other days i transitioned to some siesta time ... not really a good idea as it usually ruins a good night sleep ... but it's Saturday ... and could do with more rest.
When i woke up it was getting dark ... quickly got some noodles boiling ... ate ... cleared my stuff ... 2 gums ... and decided to do some reading ... will soon finish the Jeffry Archer book ... short stories that entertain me ... maybe because i aspire to do the same one day and write short stories with a twist.
Complete darkness outside ... window closed to avoid mosquitos ... tv on ... another Kevin Spacey move is on ... i like this actor ... he will lure me to sleep ... and in fact i couldn't finish the movie ... switched off ... prayers ... and off to sleep.
Woke up early as the sunlight pours straight into my bedroom window which i purposely leave open with curtains drawn and shutter raised ... to enjoy the freshness of a new day and the continuation of life...
After preparing a tea and a bit of cereal i decided to watch some tv while i lazed in bed ... the Holywood channel is wicked as nice movies are on all the time ... The Life of David Gale is one of my favourites and so was very pleased to watch it to the end.
At around 11am I was already feeling the call of the outdoors and so after preparing a small lunch of carrots, fruit and orange squash, i set to explore another part of Horta which i haven't been to ... on foot.
First option would be to visit the main inland crater ... but apart from being too far, i could see that it was engulfed in clouds and so was of not much use to pay it a visit ... and so considered other options. Even though the sea side is an all time favourite this time i decided to walk a bit inland and visit the sort of cliffs i had seen on the way into Horta harbour.
The walk was not so interesting as much of it was on tarmaced roads and built-up areas, while some 90 minutes into my walk the day changed to a dark wintery and threatening environment. I carry and actually dont have any wintery stuff especially to protect me from rain ... if one needs protection ... but getting soaked wet is not a good idea ... so i changed plans and made a detour downhill towards more known territory where i could esily find shelter.
Its always nice to go to the harbour ... there's always something going on as well ... the guy in the small 2nd class or workers' cafe' got used to me and welcomes me to his modest place ... reminds me of our shop which is always in need of a facelift but its got its own style ... stopped for a cold drink and checked out the news on his tv ... and after some 45mins started my way back uphill towards home ... rain drizzling.
Was glad to get home and shower as even though it wasn't sunny, i was sweating ... and needed to refresh ... and relax on my bed ... and unconventionally to other days i transitioned to some siesta time ... not really a good idea as it usually ruins a good night sleep ... but it's Saturday ... and could do with more rest.
When i woke up it was getting dark ... quickly got some noodles boiling ... ate ... cleared my stuff ... 2 gums ... and decided to do some reading ... will soon finish the Jeffry Archer book ... short stories that entertain me ... maybe because i aspire to do the same one day and write short stories with a twist.
Complete darkness outside ... window closed to avoid mosquitos ... tv on ... another Kevin Spacey move is on ... i like this actor ... he will lure me to sleep ... and in fact i couldn't finish the movie ... switched off ... prayers ... and off to sleep.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Friday 16th September 2011
... day at the department ... relaxed
Back on dry land ... and had to check actually when i woke up ... but ye the bed is not moving .... so off to the bathroom and some breakfast.
Usual routine to get to the department and deal with whatever needs to be done before the weekend takes off ... but nothing planned.
Had further exploratory talks on setting up the Nitrox blending unit especially cause of the fact that so much money might be invested in the membrane system which makes no use of pure Oxygen and so don't need to purchase it ... problem here in Azores as they need to import it from the mainland ... so removing Nitrogen from Air will give the same result as adding Oxygen to Air ... greater percentage of Oxygen in the breathing gas ... Enriched Air Nitrox.
The director asks for further information as well and i am more than pleased to help in any way. The Nitrox blender course has been advertised department wide .... nearly Faial wide as Joao Monteiro asked the dive shop operators as well if they were interested ... so people are subscribing. I also managed to get PADI's applications ... Personal Identification Cards (PICs) ... online ... and so certifications can be done quickly, cheaper and securer online ... using digital pictures and digital signatures.
Not much more happened during this restful day on land ... as i walked back home i thought of a restful evening and night enjoying the peaceful sunset at Horta ...
At home ... cooked some quick noodles ... watched 2 movies as background distraction ... and slowly slipped into a sweet sleep ...
Back on dry land ... and had to check actually when i woke up ... but ye the bed is not moving .... so off to the bathroom and some breakfast.
Usual routine to get to the department and deal with whatever needs to be done before the weekend takes off ... but nothing planned.
Had further exploratory talks on setting up the Nitrox blending unit especially cause of the fact that so much money might be invested in the membrane system which makes no use of pure Oxygen and so don't need to purchase it ... problem here in Azores as they need to import it from the mainland ... so removing Nitrogen from Air will give the same result as adding Oxygen to Air ... greater percentage of Oxygen in the breathing gas ... Enriched Air Nitrox.
The director asks for further information as well and i am more than pleased to help in any way. The Nitrox blender course has been advertised department wide .... nearly Faial wide as Joao Monteiro asked the dive shop operators as well if they were interested ... so people are subscribing. I also managed to get PADI's applications ... Personal Identification Cards (PICs) ... online ... and so certifications can be done quickly, cheaper and securer online ... using digital pictures and digital signatures.
Not much more happened during this restful day on land ... as i walked back home i thought of a restful evening and night enjoying the peaceful sunset at Horta ...
At home ... cooked some quick noodles ... watched 2 movies as background distraction ... and slowly slipped into a sweet sleep ...
Friday, September 16, 2011
Thursday 15th September 2011
... a day practically at sea ... no complaints ...
No idea of the time i was pulled out of bed as it was still dark ... and remained dark for quite some time ... but all i know that we quickly boarded the smaller boat and took off towards the location to pickup sample containers dropped the evening before ... at around 8am I can pin our location back on the Aquipelago having breakfast ... that much i remember.
The rest of the day was practically driving around at sea taking depth location readings ... and finally after lunch driving back to Horta.
Nobody was really in a hurry as they estimated we’ll get back around 5pm, sort out the boats, kit and apparetus ... and call it a day.
Walking back to the house around 6pm feels too much and over the top after such a day but not much choice ... and was looking forward to go have a rest ... no real need of food ... so should realy be sorted for the evening.
Didn’t take much of TV to drowse me to sleep ... even though it was pretty early to go to sleep but let’s say i had the luxury to do so ... which i did ...
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Wednesday 14th September 2011
... oh what a day ...
Few minutes after i woke up i was out of the door to get to the department ... several issues needed to be sorted out...
... a boat going out to do deep sea sampling ...
... another boat going out to retireve some corals off a nearby seamount ...
... meet the diving guys to join them as from today ...
... set plans for the Nitrox Blender course ...
... check details about the Nitrox instructor course ...
... finalise information/prices about Nitrox Membrane systems available ...
All this before i take off on one of the boats ... even if rescheduling ... but at least the people involved know i'm on the job.
Sorted only a couple of those issues up till lunchtime ... then had to scoot home and get my stuff to sprint to the harbour ... needless to say ... i sweated like a pig ... but knew that i could shower on the boat ... wrong assumption as the boat was a smaller version but faster.
Basically we had to get on the spot, ensure its the right place, and then push in some sensors to be picked and dropped again every couple of hours.
Apart from being a boring job there isn't much you can do and no space to get away from the others and do something else.
Well the positive part of the story that it ends with us approaching the bigger ship Arquipelago and have dinner, wash, and finally sleep ... much needed sleep ... as it will be an early ... very early morning ... to return to the little bugger ... and continue what we did this afternoon.
Few minutes after i woke up i was out of the door to get to the department ... several issues needed to be sorted out...
... a boat going out to do deep sea sampling ...
... another boat going out to retireve some corals off a nearby seamount ...
... meet the diving guys to join them as from today ...
... set plans for the Nitrox Blender course ...
... check details about the Nitrox instructor course ...
... finalise information/prices about Nitrox Membrane systems available ...
All this before i take off on one of the boats ... even if rescheduling ... but at least the people involved know i'm on the job.
Sorted only a couple of those issues up till lunchtime ... then had to scoot home and get my stuff to sprint to the harbour ... needless to say ... i sweated like a pig ... but knew that i could shower on the boat ... wrong assumption as the boat was a smaller version but faster.
Basically we had to get on the spot, ensure its the right place, and then push in some sensors to be picked and dropped again every couple of hours.
Apart from being a boring job there isn't much you can do and no space to get away from the others and do something else.
Well the positive part of the story that it ends with us approaching the bigger ship Arquipelago and have dinner, wash, and finally sleep ... much needed sleep ... as it will be an early ... very early morning ... to return to the little bugger ... and continue what we did this afternoon.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Tuesday 13th September 2011
... on of those days ... that plans are continously changing ...
Following the morning tea, cereal, bathroom and grabbing all my stuff ... i scrambled out of the house and started my walk to the department ... well aware that today i will need to come back to the house early as i need to get my stuff together before boarding the boat.
Got to the department around 9am and met Joao at the open space and long conversation about several issues. These talks with Joao are becoming increasingly interesting and involving as he considered me as part of DOP and there to help ... which i am very pleased about. Talk about Nitrox operations were definitely converging on looking at the most reasonable setup for DOP. The issue lies in the expense of Oxygen itself at around €300 for what I usually purchase for €12 from Multigas or Poligas ... crazy! Resaon being as i have already mentioned is that its imported from the mainland ... way too complicated ... Poligas would definitely be successful if they had to setup a plant here.
Considering this handicap then the Membrane system of removing Nitrogen from Air to produce Oxygen Enriched Air is the ideal solution ... only problem being ... the equipment is not cheap either ... but after some 3 years they would have made up for the Nitrox Compressor ... so might as well. Joao asked me to enquire into prices for such compressors and so i set to give him some feedback.
After lunch and after having given Joao some prices, we discussed the several issues andthat Bauer alternative was far too expensive to even consider, but the less robust and reliable Cressi-Sub produced a similar system for much less. At this point the issues were known and Joao was satisfied with the information ... now he has to convince people at DOP.
At this same time Joao and Jorge got together to discuss training possibilities and so asked me to draft a proposal for DOP to perform a Nitrox Blender course as well as Nitrox Instructor ... something which i can do with PADI and TDI certifications respectively. So I set to put together these proposals which i submitted round about 5pm when i was about to leave for home.
But how come I’m still in Horta when i should have left ... well the Director informed me that the boat was delayed and was to leave tomorrow morning ... and that there’s the possibility to go on another task ... so its looking good.
Arrived home ... cooked a massive plate of pasta as i was starving ... and prepared my luggage for the next morning. As it was getting late i washed my stuff ... had tea & biscuits while watching TV ... and set myself for the night.
Long day tomorrow ... better get to sleep ... Good night.
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