Flights cancel due to the Ramadan...

Our SKP6 expedition in postponed, because Yemenia Airlines decided NOT to fly to Soqotra during Ramadan this year?! We are currently re-scheduling. The Royal Botanical Garden of Edinburgh (RBGE) Scotland, will organise the Soqotra exhibition in 2006 instead of 2005. Our expedition report SKP1-5 will be published at the end of this year, we will let you know where and when.

Friends of Soqotra and SKP

Some new initiatives are ready to start, more information available soon. Our research concerning the "Underground Freshwater potential of Soqotra: Present, Past and Future" was well attended at the annual meeting of the Friends of Soqotra (FOS) in London. The Royal Botanical Garden of Edinburgh (RBGE) Scotland, will organise an exhibition about Soqotra Island medio 2005.

Finally some good satellite images of Soqotra

A big step forward! Thanks to a "Golden" contact we obtained the satellite images of Soqotra. At the moment we are looking if the creation of a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) is possible. Some speleothems are dated, giving the research a big push in the right direction.

New SKP-meeting

A small core team meets the 29th to gather all cave survey data and finish most cave maps. We set a new deadline for the SKP1-5 expedition report, sheduled for December. A first contact is made by the Soroptimists to see if an SKP-evening would be possible, to be continued.

SKP happening, ben there!

Saturday the 19th we'll give a powerpoint presentation covering the last 5 SKP expeditions, followed by 2 films from Rik Martens "Socotra, pearl in the Arabian Sea" (SKP1 report) and "The Exploration" (the exploration of a recently discovered new cave system in Bois de Waerimont, Belgium). Doors open at 8 pm near the public pool in Oudenaarde, Belgium. (for those who accidently pass by A MUST!)

Part two of the Ph.D. scolarship...

This month I defend the renewal of my Ph.D. scolarship from the Institute of the Promotion of Innovation by Science and Technology in Flanders and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, exciting! Afterwards my wife and I will explore the karst on Corfu Island, a splendid holiday to all.

SKP1-5 publication idea's and Brahmi links!

The core team came together again to discuss our expedition report SKP1-5 publication. The goals are set and work started! Another team member showed some freshly edited short films, we were all back on the Island for a while...
There might be a new lead to the translation of ancient underground Indian writings!