After plane, train, automobile and boat rides later, “jump!” was the welcoming word that first greeted me in Auki this morning. I arrived at the wharf on the Pelican Express, a small ferryboat over from the island, Honiara, and found that Auki is an extremely busy port! Because of the line of boats, we could not pull directly up and instead I mastered the art of ‘boat-hopping’ across another cargo ship onto the nearby dock. (It takes a bit more concentration with a giant backpackers pack strapped to your back to judge and balance the jump across the 3-foot wide gap –especially after witnessing another passenger’s luggage not quite make it…yikes!) Once safely across, Srs Regina and Maria greeted me with a beautiful flower lei and we pushed through the hot, bustling crowd to find my luggage.
The sights, sounds and smells that have met me both here in Auki and yesterday in Honiara are more different than anything I have yet experienced. First, there are the drivers –Rhode Island drivers have nothing on the ones here! As soon as we pulled out of the airport yesterday going down the road (which was one-way only, I might add) we were met with oncoming traffic with drivers laughing and waving at our surprised expressions as we had to quickly turn off onto the grass. Just driving seems like a constant game of chicken! As we’ve passed open pickup trucks on the road, I’ve seen the open beds packed with people, both sitting up on the sides and at the back, with legs hanging off (seems a bit tricky with the bumpy dirt roads, so I give them a lot of credit!), where they sit for hours driving from the north shore to other places on the island. There’s also a very popular trend among the men of chewing on betal nuts, which are very sour, red fruit (that dyes your mouth) and which you chew and spit. There are stands, or even just simple tarps on the ground, all along the roads with people selling them. And the sweet, sweet smell of coconut is everywhere!
As for the food, there are lots and lots of fruits and vegetables grown in backyard gardens as well as fresh fish from the docks. Between yesterday and today, I’ve gotten a range of Solomon Island taste –fish and chips, chicken wings seasoned with ginger, rice with curry, ‘pancakes’ (which is a lot like fried dough cakes) potatoes, potatoes, potatoes, and plenty of banana, pineapples, watermelon, cucumber, spinach, and green pepper. (I’ve also been promised by Sr Regina that she will make her famous pudding made from cassava and coconut!) The sisters will teach me to cook some of their common Solomon Island meals and have asked what recipes I know so I can teach them as well. I’m still trying to figure out all the ingredients available here –lots and lots of fresh fruit and vegetables – so any suggestions for some simple recipes would be much appreciated! (Perhaps we’ll try chocolate chip cookies –chocolate biscuits –as they call them here.)
That initial greeting “jump!” seems to be fitting, as that will continue to be my mantra while I am here in the Solomons. Already I’ve begun to fall into some of the patterns here –including after-dinner dance parties! Sr Loretta who also lives with Srs Regina and Maria put on some classic dance tunes this evening, everything from the hokey pokey (known here as ‘okey cokey’ ha!) to ‘the twist.’ Yes, see if you can picture me teaching these three Solomon Island sisters the moves to the chicken dance! (If possible, I think it was even funnier for them…) I’ve been promised to learn the “Paupa New Guinea” dance tomorrow night in return!
There’s much more to tell but after a long day of travel and a promise of early morning prayer and meeting with Bishop Chris (who arrives late tonight!) I’m calling it a night. In my bug canopy-covered bed, I’m serenaded to sleep by distant singing and howling (though I’m trying to keep one eye open on this lizard scaling the wall across the room…)
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