Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Solomon Islands
Ahhh, a new destination nears - the beautiful Solomon Islands, full of interesting history and culture. A very significant place in the Pacific battles of World War II, I'm looking forward to learning more. Plus after the rush of the Middle Kingdom, time for a bit of rest and relaxation under a palm tree and by the pool. With the incidence of Malaria high, I'll be off to collect some anti-malarials for my journey tomorrow night and I've already got the reef shoes, so now maybe, just an underwater camera. Can't ever have enough cameras can you?
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After a short stop in Brisbane, I'm now in Honiara, Solomon Islands. Pickup didn't happen at the airport so I grabbed a taxi. The taxis are not metered, the seat belts don';t work, but my taxi driver John said he'd drive extra safely. An interesting talk on the issues of interest to Solomon Islanders, key are infrastructure and education and desire for the Government to do more in this regard. Driving from the airport I saw some great sights, a modern ship beached on the coast, and old wrecks most likely from world war II. The waters around this part of the Solomon's are rough and I doubt I'll be snorkeling given the lack of a beach and the size of the waves. I will aim to explore Red Beach in a few days, site of an allied landing to retake the islands and what an awful spot this must have been with the intense fighting of world war II. But I did get to the markets with all manner of fruits, vegetables and fishes. Pineapples came at S$5, S$10 and S$15 depending on ripeness. I picked out one at S$10 I thought was ripe enough, cut it up with my knife and it was delicious.
ReplyDeleteHoniara. What memories I have of the place. Well, not so much of the place, as of a girl. Desiree McIntosh, her name was. Her father was on secondment from the FCO, helping the locals with some sort of agricultural development, another of these schemes designed to bring untold wealth and prosperity to some God-forsaken backwater. They never work. But this McIntosh fellow wouldn't listen. Called in some favours and next thing I knew M had sent me to the South Seas to 'apply some pressure ... you know where, 007'.
ReplyDeleteI did indeed. Starting with the delightful Miss Desiree. Sure there were meetings with dignatories and unions and landowners, but when you've been around the block as often as I have these people don't take much persuading.
I've never been back. Last I heard Desiree had married a share-cropper somewhere in the Bismarck Archipelago. Don't think of her very often these days.
Ran into some New Zealand agents on the way home from Honiara. Business mentors they said, although I pumped one for information and he had quite a knowledge of the islands. Worked in Niue, even been to Pitcairn and that requires a cargo vessel or charter to get there, assuming the weather will let you land of course. There seemed to be a lot of schemes to bring wealth, the coral exporter I met at the markets, had a buyer in the US he said, just needed to get through all the regulations, and perhaps deal with the wantok. Seems quite a bit of money moves in mysterious ways, an article in the paper about $1 million pay off to a cultural society and laments about the tip offs some had on the beche de mer trade. I reconnoitered the world war II sites, quite a lot of materiel left lying around, starting to be sold off for scrap unfortunately, the drivers of the Shermans would like turn in their grave and Togo would wonder if it was worth it. If they really want to make some money though, give up on the beche de mer, tackle the malaria and dengue and promote the relics. Must have been horrific fighting in the god forsaken jungle with the 90% humidity. I think I saw some of your handy work too, the coastline littered with shipwrecks. Didn't make it to Savo, or Florida Island but I'm sure I'll be back one day on the way to Kiribas. I wonder if I'll see those New Zealand agents again, although I suspect West Papua is more likely or maybe the Chattams and Campbell Island.
ReplyDeleteGlad to see you're pumping enemy agents, for information or whatever else you're after.
ReplyDeleteGiven they were 'retired' fellas, it was definitely information but they were rather interested in the Nauruan air hostess. Knew she was Nauruan just from looks. The Solomon Islands plane laid up in the Philippines we had an unmarked Nauruan charter to get home; about as well maintained as a the Detention Centre there. But, you know, compared to the Q pilot who bounced us on the tarmac at Adelaide and then crashed into something at the terminal, the Nauruan pilots were certainly more skilled than that. Of course my bag got stopped in Sydney, probably for a bit of extra search I'm afraid. Missed connection they said.
ReplyDelete