Honiara, Solomon Island, not the cutest capital in the world!

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Well, this place is a surprised in many ways! My aim on this trip is to discover the South Pacific a little further. I did my research, but no extensively. So after spending 2 relax nights in Fiji, I'm on to Honiara, Solomons, three hours away from Nadi. The closest place to here is actually Papua New Guinea, so you are deep in Melanesia.



My first feeling on the taxi to my hotel in downtown Honiara is the I'm back to Africa. This place looks so much like what I know in Congo. First impression, not impressive at all, and yes, nobody is smiling around here! This is like night and day when you try to compare with my last blog in Kiribati.

First rule, there are very very few tourists here. Nothing is neither cheap here! Few decent hotels, all full with consultants, NGOs, Churches people and military! Did I say I feel back to Africa?



I'm here for three nights, with two aims...play golf and dive! The golf course is open, so that's easy. Not cheap green fee for a potato field! I brought few balls, tee and my golf glove. Got some kind of golf set and a caddy who tried to screw me few times! round was interesting. I can now say I've play golf in one more country! imagine, in 11 weeks Solomons are welcoming the Pacific games. They are far away from being ready...but one sure will not be ready on time is the condition of their greens! it is simply an impressive mess!



next, you name it, can I dive? Well, you've seen the pictures, so you know I did dive. I landed, dropped my bag in my hotel room and went straight for the hunt! Currently, there is no dive center opened in Honiara. My only chance was to find somebody diving with tanks. Two liveaboards are running out of Honiara. None of them is cheap...they cater 90% to Americans of a certain age. So I make my way to Bikilili office to check if by any chance they are open and have more info! today is my lucky day, I'm bumping on Dave, the guy running the show for Bikilili. He simply tell me....It's your lucky day, I'm going diving with friends tomorrow, come at 8am and we'll do two dives on one of the wrecks! You cannot imagine one my luck, two my smile!



The fun part,we have actually a common friend with Dave, it's a small world! Newt morning, we are going out with the instructor running the other liveaboard, plus a young Brazilian guy who works on sail boat, as well as an American guy setting up a US medical ship to arrive here in November. Guess what, they are all instructors, I'm the lowly DM...smile!



Next morning, we are all driving the 40 minutes out of town to dive the Kyusyu Maru. there is a total of 7 wrecks on a stretch of some 20kms.This is not a guided dive...we are just here to enjoy quality time! The wreck has been salvaged few times. This means everything of whatever importance has been removed from the wreck. don't forget, the sinking of those military Japanese cargo happened 80 years ago! Corals are everywhere, we even spotted 2 eagle rays on the second dive! So happy to be able to dive my 66th country...and this time with two decent dives, both just short of one hours, going to down each time to 36 meters depth at the stern of the wreck!

Back after this for a short lunch with my new friends and we well deserved nap. I have to admit, happy to have visited Honiara, but don't ever ask me to live here!

Next blog, a much warmer one, in so many ways!

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