Honiara heat

From the minute our plane came in to land, I could see how much Honiara and the Solomon Islands was going to be similar to Africa.  From the run-down cars and buildings to the relaxed customs procedure and lack of information regarding where to go. To the Solomon Islander’s credit though, there was none of the officiousness and enjoyment of red tape that many African (or at least Zimbabwean) border control people seem to have.

Once through the airport, I exchanged some money and got a taxi to my b&b. Whilst it’s looks a bit more run down and dirty than the website, it really was quite lovely. I met a few other travellers there as well so it wasn’t too lonely.

I didn’t sleep very well though because I’m not used to sounds of (very loud) birds and various insects at night. Sharing a bedroom, bathroom and dining area with various creepy crawlies was also a novelty after so long in the UK. The geckos and lizards aren’t a problem but I did get a fright when a little crab moved out of the pebbles that form the floor of the shower.

The next day, I went in to town with a South African scientist who is travelling through the area – It was a bit easier to have a man to walk around with because I find it a little intimidating being a girl travelling alone. We used the local buses, which cost $3 (30p) as opposed to a taxi which would be $50 (£5) and when I say ‘bus’ – it’s actually just like an ET-Emergency Taxi in Zim. That is, it’s a small 10/11-seater van which is very beaten up and they just swerve off the road and pick up people as they are signalled. There is a kid in the back taking your money once you’re on the way. I was interested to see that the passengers signalled that they wanted to off by a simple sound – a bit like kissing teeth but louder. Very strange but effective.

I also noticed a lack of noise in the town centre. Back in Zim, I would expect crowds to be incredibly noisy, and even small groups tend to talk in shouts. However, the streets were pretty silent apart from the sound of cars and even the bustling market was very quiet. People also don’t try and sell you things in the same aggressive way. They just sit behind their stalls and wait for you to ask about the produce and then sort out the money very silently. I didn’t try and haggle because I get the feeling it’s not ‘the done thing’ here but hopefully I’ll be able to watch some people in action to make sure.