The story so far...

View of Luanda bay

We are based in Luanda, Angola, for the next few years. Bas has been here since mid-2003, working at the Dutch Embassy. Michelle arrived in January 2004.

What's new?

January 2004

Bas returned to Luanda after the holidays, this time accompanied by Michelle. Some first impressions... Luanda is a chaotic city in a country recovering from decades of civil war. By Angolan standards, our little white house is a palace, in one of the best districts in town.

We have a tropical garden with oleander, flame (left), avocado, guava, lilies, palms - and a few other things we have not yet identified. We are visited by all kinds of birds: sunbirds, mousebirds, finches, bulbuls, weavers, waxbills and of course sparrows. From the roof terrace we can watch ibises, herons, egrets, swifts and birds of prey passing overhead. Angola has a lot to offer the birdwatcher.

Some things take a little getting used to... Everywhere we go we are accompanied by a bodyguard. We have three: Joao (in the picture left), Wilili and Gasolina (we're still trying to find out how he got this unusual nickname). Michelle is worried she will forget how to open a door, carry a shopping bag, or check for traffic before crossing the street - as well as keeping her safe, the bodyguards insist on performing these tasks for her... We bought a 4WD, which we call the Beast (in the picture left). Driving something like this through the crowded streets of Luanda is an interesting experience, especially as there are no maps of the city, but as there is no usable public transport and the streets are not pedestrian-friendly and full of holes, there is not much choice... Shopping is also a challenge. There are supermarkets, but the supply of goods is not very reliable - when something is available, you buy a lot. This week the bodyguards have been introducing Michelle to the colourful local markets.

Michelle took her first trip outside Luanda at the weekend. We drove out to the Kwanza river and the edge of Quissama National Park to see the countryside and of course look for new birds (including vultures, eagles, hornbills, flamingos and bee-eaters). Here is Michelle at the canyons on the road to the park - they remind us of Bryce Canyon in the US.

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