Walkabout

I had intended to write a piece about our walks then show you some pictures, but I am stuffed if I can make this thing do what I want. So here are some picture and below is the story that goes with them. Pikininis waiting to greet us

Little pikinini making a second hand bath towel look good. Quite common clothing for little ones.

My favourite 2 storey leaf haus

Someone's front garden

Rachael on our walk

Evidence of the "tensions"

Some of the endless Frangipani trees and the afternoon clouds behind

Mendana Avenue, Honiara CBD

When I was last here Prime Minister Sogavare was facing a vote of no confidence, which he lost. As a result security was heightened. It had only been a bit over a year since a change of government had caught the RAMSI security forces off guard. Three days of rioting resulted in 80 buildings being burnt down in Honiara. I can see how this happened because from day to day the capital is a peaceful, bustling little town. Strangers will wish you good morning as you pass them on the street and though it might seem a bit chaotic, all seems orderly. There was, however, an underlying tension fuelled by the perception (mostly accurate) of government corruption. The vote in 2006 was felt by many to be rigged and within minutes of the announcement of the new Prime Minister, Snyder Rini, rocks were being thrown at parliament and the RAMSI police guarding it. Several police were injured and the rioting swept through town.
So when I arrived last December RAMSI was definitely not going to be caught out again. Security was tight. Soldiers patrolled the streets and helicopters did regular low level passes. As it turned out there was little in the way of disturbance (I think about ten people were murdered in the following nights, but drug and alcohol fuelled violence in the middle of the night results in a few murders most weeks). What all this meant for me was our movements on my last visit were quite restricted. We were not allowed out of town unless for a special reason and only then in reasonable sized groups. Walking in town alone was discouraged and walking after dark was definitely not on.
This time the country seems to be a lot less volatile. The Prime Minister that replaced Sogavare after his vote of no confidence, Dr. Sikua, has wide spread support and there is a new found sense of enthusiasm for what the future holds. As a result the travel restrictions have largely gone. We are still required to be within half an hour of the RAMSI base for mass casualty incidents and walking through town in the wee small hours would still be a bit silly, but going for a walk is now fine.
Rachael and I have been taking advantage of this, walking a 5km circuit from the King Solomon hotel up into the hills behind town and back. Down-town Honiara is really just a main street with a parallel secondary street, but the traffic can be a bit noisy and the constantly burning rubbish heaps mean the air is always a bit smoky.

A view across the hilltops

A short but steep walk into the hills reveals the residential areas of Honiara which are a series of villages perched on ridges and nestled into valleys. The air is clean and the loudest sounds are chickens and pikininis playing. People are even friendlier up here. At times it’s a little like being a rock star. You sweat like you’ve just done a three hour set at Wembley Stadium and pikininis run up to “high five” you or just hold your hand. Despite the meagre conditions in which people live, the houses are very well kept and everyone is really happy. It is hard to believe that only five or six years ago, during the “tensions” gun shots rang out nightly in this idyll.