Articles
By Gerard Hancock ©
These introductory paragraphs are just to give you an idea. If you would like to see the full articles for possible publication, please get in touch for details - genusphotography@gmail.com
Selling Out or Savvy Use of Resources?
The thing is, you certainly won’t be helping by sitting in the jeep with a righteous look on your face. It’s a decision many of us face when travelling these days. My most recent experiences were in East Africa. The first was in Kenya when two local guys who took us to Lake Naivasha and Elsamere, Joy Adamson’s former house, suggested a “cultural” visit to see their village when we had finished. Their village turned out to have a population of 20,000 living in extreme poverty, and the guys from who were chaperoning us seemed to be really trying to do something positive to help their community. There is just something not quite comfortable though about a group of well-fed and by comparison, very affluent Europeans wandering through African poverty taking photos.
The locals don’t seem to mind and happily pose for cameras, especially the kids. For such a small place there are kids absolutely everywhere and there doesn’t seem to be anyone old. Results of still rampant AIDS and a life expectancy of 60. Given such hardship, who can blame these guys for courting such a ready-made source of income? A truck load of Euro and Dollar bearing tourists, fantastic! Where else are they going to earn money? The local Dutch flower growers employ almost everyone in town but the wages won’t be letting anyone retire early, so relieving the tourists of a few dollars in exchange for a tour round their village is entirely logical. Why then, does everyone feel a bit uncomfortable? I speak to some other members of the group and Paolo from Italy has already put his camera away. Naturally, there are mixed feelings. The kids are really cute and the photo ops are something special. We are also getting to see and to understand just a little of what African poverty really means. Just a very controlled toe-in-the-water superficial notion of what it means to live with next to nothing and earn barely enough to survive on, but an important experience nonetheless. We are learning. We might even be able to help.
By Gerard Hancock ©
Walking with Lions
It was one of those experiences you simply have to do to understand. “Walk with the Lions” said the bit of paper I was holding. Seems simple enough, I thought. We go for a walk........with some lions. What is there not to understand? Everything was clear to me, I had images in my mind of small, fluffy, cub-like creatures which would respond warmly to being stroked and bottle-fed. Easy. When we actually saw the lions and were told they had brought down a young giraffe the day before, we quickly realised that bottle-feeding was definitely out of the question and this was the real thing, or I suppose as near as you get to the real thing. As for easy, the unwitting tourist simply has no idea of the complexity, challenge and controversy behind what on the surface seems to be a well-intentioned and fun experience.
ALERT (African Lion & Environmental Research Trust) is an organization centred near Victoria Falls on the Zambia-Zimbabwe border dedicated to helping reverse the dramatic decline in lion numbers over the last 50 years and one of the projects they have come up with to help raise awareness and support is to give visitors to their reserve the opportunity to have some up-close-and-personal contact with young lions. Depending on when you go, your visit might actually coincide with a fluffy, cub-like stage. During my visit the lions were over 18 months old and just about ready for release into the next stage of the programme. ALERT used to run this programme with lions up to 2 years old but because of one or two “incidents” in which tourists were injured and the ensuing bad press, the maximum age was brought down. These are still youngsters and still prepared to respect humans but I got the feeling that most of the respect among our small group was in the other direction. The power and threat of the lions was easy to see.
Tourist with 18 month old lion.
If you are interested in seeing more of or publishing this article please contact: genusphotography@gmail.com
............
Eco Tourism on Ilha do Caju – Delta das Americas, Brazilian Northeast.
“Laid-back” was an expression invented with the Brazilians in mind and to maximize this unique atmosphere it’s best to adopt a similar attitude while you’re there. “Tudo feito na hora” they say in the great restaurants you can find with a little bit of local knowledge. “Everything made on the hour” is supposed to mean “straight away” but they cover themselves by not saying which hour! Fresh grilled fish like you’ve never tasted before, but you might want to take advantage of the hammocks in the shade outside while you wait. Drink the “Brahma” local beer chilled to near freezing while you’re swinging in that hammock. You might even want to order a plate of prawns to go with it to keep you going while cook does whatever he does which takes so long to grill a fish.
This is the way to go throughout the Brazilian Northeast but especially so on Ilha do Caju – Cashew Island, in the Delta das Americas. Don’t let the disclaimer you sign when you arrive put you off. OK, so you’re a million miles from the nearest medical care but it’s worth it for the experience. This privately owned eco-reserve is a mixture of what first looks like the comfort you would associate with the four-poster beds provided in the simple but tasteful semi-detached chalets but which soon turns into a closer contact with nature than you might have anticipated.
Chalet & Four poster bed Ilha do Caju
Expect to share your brown-water shower (don’t worry - just high iron content in the water pumped straight from the spring) with several different species of frogs, 15 centimetre centipedes and giant flying jungle cockroaches. Not as repulsive as those you might find under your sink at home but they should be dealt with in the same manner, although one swing with your flip-flop might not be enough. Rustic is the word and don’t expect any urban comforts.
Fishing with a traditional "tarrafa" in the Parnaiba River
If you are interested in seeing more of or publishing this article please contact: genusphotography@gmail.com
..........
A GREENER FUTURE FOR THE SUNNIEST COUNTRY IN EUROPE?
It may have been just the day I travelled but as I opened the door of my air conditioned cocoon and the full effects of the 40º heat hit home, I soon began to appreciate the location of the newest and largest photovoltaic energy production centre on the planet.
Apparently though, most days are like this in Moura in the Portuguese Alentejo and temperatures regularly top 35º. Out in the sun it feels a whole lot more and working here certainly isn’t easy. There is also plenty of dust which is causing a few difficulties during this production phase. It is presently being kicked up from the slate base but will cease to be a problem when the centre is finished, as the dirt roads will gradually be replaced with the real thing. At the moment though, it is covering the PV panels, (photovoltaic is a bit of a mouthful for trade insiders) and reducing energy production by up to 20% as it limits the sun’s action on the double-decker bus sized cells covering this 250 hectare site. When it’s in full operation, and dust-free, which is expected for early next year, this plant will be kicking out some 62 megawatts of energy.
Futurist and almost Other Worldly Feel of the Moura Plant
An Engineer working on the construction of the Moura Plant.
If you are interested in seeing more of or publishing this article please contact: genusphotography@gmail.com
These introductory paragraphs are just to give you an idea. If you would like to see the full articles for possible publication, please get in touch for details - genusphotography@gmail.com
Selling Out or Savvy Use of Resources?
The thing is, you certainly won’t be helping by sitting in the jeep with a righteous look on your face. It’s a decision many of us face when travelling these days. My most recent experiences were in East Africa. The first was in Kenya when two local guys who took us to Lake Naivasha and Elsamere, Joy Adamson’s former house, suggested a “cultural” visit to see their village when we had finished. Their village turned out to have a population of 20,000 living in extreme poverty, and the guys from who were chaperoning us seemed to be really trying to do something positive to help their community. There is just something not quite comfortable though about a group of well-fed and by comparison, very affluent Europeans wandering through African poverty taking photos.
The locals don’t seem to mind and happily pose for cameras, especially the kids. For such a small place there are kids absolutely everywhere and there doesn’t seem to be anyone old. Results of still rampant AIDS and a life expectancy of 60. Given such hardship, who can blame these guys for courting such a ready-made source of income? A truck load of Euro and Dollar bearing tourists, fantastic! Where else are they going to earn money? The local Dutch flower growers employ almost everyone in town but the wages won’t be letting anyone retire early, so relieving the tourists of a few dollars in exchange for a tour round their village is entirely logical. Why then, does everyone feel a bit uncomfortable? I speak to some other members of the group and Paolo from Italy has already put his camera away. Naturally, there are mixed feelings. The kids are really cute and the photo ops are something special. We are also getting to see and to understand just a little of what African poverty really means. Just a very controlled toe-in-the-water superficial notion of what it means to live with next to nothing and earn barely enough to survive on, but an important experience nonetheless. We are learning. We might even be able to help.
By Gerard Hancock ©
Walking with Lions
It was one of those experiences you simply have to do to understand. “Walk with the Lions” said the bit of paper I was holding. Seems simple enough, I thought. We go for a walk........with some lions. What is there not to understand? Everything was clear to me, I had images in my mind of small, fluffy, cub-like creatures which would respond warmly to being stroked and bottle-fed. Easy. When we actually saw the lions and were told they had brought down a young giraffe the day before, we quickly realised that bottle-feeding was definitely out of the question and this was the real thing, or I suppose as near as you get to the real thing. As for easy, the unwitting tourist simply has no idea of the complexity, challenge and controversy behind what on the surface seems to be a well-intentioned and fun experience.
ALERT (African Lion & Environmental Research Trust) is an organization centred near Victoria Falls on the Zambia-Zimbabwe border dedicated to helping reverse the dramatic decline in lion numbers over the last 50 years and one of the projects they have come up with to help raise awareness and support is to give visitors to their reserve the opportunity to have some up-close-and-personal contact with young lions. Depending on when you go, your visit might actually coincide with a fluffy, cub-like stage. During my visit the lions were over 18 months old and just about ready for release into the next stage of the programme. ALERT used to run this programme with lions up to 2 years old but because of one or two “incidents” in which tourists were injured and the ensuing bad press, the maximum age was brought down. These are still youngsters and still prepared to respect humans but I got the feeling that most of the respect among our small group was in the other direction. The power and threat of the lions was easy to see.
Tourist with 18 month old lion.
If you are interested in seeing more of or publishing this article please contact: genusphotography@gmail.com
............
Eco Tourism on Ilha do Caju – Delta das Americas, Brazilian Northeast.
“Laid-back” was an expression invented with the Brazilians in mind and to maximize this unique atmosphere it’s best to adopt a similar attitude while you’re there. “Tudo feito na hora” they say in the great restaurants you can find with a little bit of local knowledge. “Everything made on the hour” is supposed to mean “straight away” but they cover themselves by not saying which hour! Fresh grilled fish like you’ve never tasted before, but you might want to take advantage of the hammocks in the shade outside while you wait. Drink the “Brahma” local beer chilled to near freezing while you’re swinging in that hammock. You might even want to order a plate of prawns to go with it to keep you going while cook does whatever he does which takes so long to grill a fish.
This is the way to go throughout the Brazilian Northeast but especially so on Ilha do Caju – Cashew Island, in the Delta das Americas. Don’t let the disclaimer you sign when you arrive put you off. OK, so you’re a million miles from the nearest medical care but it’s worth it for the experience. This privately owned eco-reserve is a mixture of what first looks like the comfort you would associate with the four-poster beds provided in the simple but tasteful semi-detached chalets but which soon turns into a closer contact with nature than you might have anticipated.
Chalet & Four poster bed Ilha do Caju
Expect to share your brown-water shower (don’t worry - just high iron content in the water pumped straight from the spring) with several different species of frogs, 15 centimetre centipedes and giant flying jungle cockroaches. Not as repulsive as those you might find under your sink at home but they should be dealt with in the same manner, although one swing with your flip-flop might not be enough. Rustic is the word and don’t expect any urban comforts.
Fishing with a traditional "tarrafa" in the Parnaiba RiverIf you are interested in seeing more of or publishing this article please contact: genusphotography@gmail.com
..........
A GREENER FUTURE FOR THE SUNNIEST COUNTRY IN EUROPE?
It may have been just the day I travelled but as I opened the door of my air conditioned cocoon and the full effects of the 40º heat hit home, I soon began to appreciate the location of the newest and largest photovoltaic energy production centre on the planet.
Apparently though, most days are like this in Moura in the Portuguese Alentejo and temperatures regularly top 35º. Out in the sun it feels a whole lot more and working here certainly isn’t easy. There is also plenty of dust which is causing a few difficulties during this production phase. It is presently being kicked up from the slate base but will cease to be a problem when the centre is finished, as the dirt roads will gradually be replaced with the real thing. At the moment though, it is covering the PV panels, (photovoltaic is a bit of a mouthful for trade insiders) and reducing energy production by up to 20% as it limits the sun’s action on the double-decker bus sized cells covering this 250 hectare site. When it’s in full operation, and dust-free, which is expected for early next year, this plant will be kicking out some 62 megawatts of energy.
Futurist and almost Other Worldly Feel of the Moura Plant
An Engineer working on the construction of the Moura Plant. If you are interested in seeing more of or publishing this article please contact: genusphotography@gmail.com
