My parents lived in Lobito but we were all born in Silva Porto (now Kuito) where my mother's family lived. I lived the first 10 years of my life in Lobito. My father use to work on the Caminhos de Ferro de Benguela (Benguela Railways) and was transferred to Silva Porto for a year and after that to Nova Lisboa were I did most of my schooling.

In our house in Mavinga with my parents and our cousin

Somewhere in the Cuando-Cubango

At 21 years of age I had to join the military for four years of compulsory National Service. During my army career I served as lieutenant in the Portuguese army with postings in Sá da Bandeira (now Lubango), Mavinga, Dima, Cuito Canavale and finally in Nova Lisboa.

After being discharged from the army I started working for the Hidro Eléctrica do Alto Catumbela, a company generating and distributing electrical energy in the center of Angola. I was based in Lobito but worked in the Thermal Power Station of Biópio. Biópio, Lumaum, Alto Catumbela and Nova Lisboa where the "nerve centers" of the company and were one could find me during the tumultuous years from 1975 to 1979.

The guerrilla war started in 1961 and after the initial turmoil, confusion and fear, life returned to normal in the majority of the country. The war triggered unprecedented (in Angolan and African terms obviously) progress and the standards of living for all population improved.

It was in this land of “milk and honey” that the Costas lived for over 100 years. The revolution that occurred in Portugal in April 1974 resulted in a civil war that lasted until today and forced the majority of the Costas out of the country.

Unloading our catch. Erica in the photo is smaller than the mero- rock cod (?)