Gizo in the Solomon Islands
Gizo is the second largest city in the Solomon Islands. It serves as the hub for the many islands of the northern and western regions of the Solomons. It has that last stop to the farthest point of a remote destination feel, yet there are more islands and villages that are even more remote than Gizo.
The pictures and comments in my blogs about the Solomon’s are not meant to make judgements about these people and their way of life. They are living a much simpler and would appear harder life. They have so much less than we do but they seem happy and content - they know no other way. Whenever I greeted someone, I always received a welcome response.
The hub of Gizo is its main street. It is not long but tells much about life and the culture in the Solomon’s. There are no sidewalks - so the road is shared by people, vehicles, trucks, taxis, tractors and stray dogs trying to keep from getting run over. To complicate everyones use of the road, it is a mass of broken asphalt with large pot holes some the width of a small car. It’s also their dry season now - so add in lots of dust on the road.
Chinese Merchants
Even though you can buy almost anything at the local market, the stores where the locals can buy lager quantities of staples are run by Chinese families. I kind of got a feeling that some local people resented some one other than native Solomon's running these stores. The Chinese owners of these stores were often perched on elevated desks facing the front door, keeping a watchful eye on everything. To their benefit the stores seemed well stocked.
Store Fronts
Some of the store fronts were in disrepair and others in better shape and fairly busy with customers. My favourite, a clothing store with a sign promoting a shipment of the newest fashions - “New Bale Open 4/11/2015” That is how it arrives and that is how it is sold. The front of some stores seems to be the hangout place for people. My guess was it had an overhang that allowed people to get out of the sun.
