As I departed by water taxi to the airport island, I took my last look at the Gizo waterfront. Soon the daily routines of the city would begin. It would be another extremely hot and humid day, just like the one before and the one before that. My plane was scheduled to arrive soon.
What are my thoughts of my time in Gizo, a place I originally described as “it has that last stop to the farthest point of a remote destination feel”. A place where the use of the Betel Nut as a stimulant is so prevalent in their society. Did I find those amazing beaches that the harmonica playing Aussie talked about as a reason to come to Gizo. No not really. I did find some beautiful beaches on my fishing village hike, but not as beautiful as the beaches on Ofu Island. I didn't realize it at first, but it wasn't a beach that brought me to Gizo - it was the people.
Some of my thoughts became clearer as I arrived at my next destination - Apia, Samoa. I went for a quick walk to downtown Apia and the first store I passed was a watch repair shop. I thought for a second - I don’t remember seeing anyone wear a watch in Gizo. There were civic garbage containers on most corners, the town was neat and tidy. In Gizo there were no containers and garbage was strewn pretty much everywhere. Most people in Samoa were wearing shoes or sandals - in Gizo 40% of the people were still going barefoot. Had I just returned to “real civilization” in Samoa? I felt a sense of disappointment - had my adventure just ended.
It’s very easy to compare the lifestyle and living standards we enjoy in North America to other places we visit. The difficult part is trying not to be judgemental. The people in the Solomon Islands are living a much harder life then we are. Water rationing, poor or non existent civic services and very little economic opportunities - this is the reality the people of Gizo wake up to each morning. Still as they walked past me in their bare feet, they always greeted me with a kind response.
I’m ending my Solomon blogs with some photos of the Solomon children. They were happy, well cared for and loved to have their photos taken. They are the future of the Solomon society. What will that be for them. I have no idea, but maybe you can see it in their faces and eyes.
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