Tikitouring in a fabulous part of the world: Page 4

 

Richard Moore's article continues ...

The next morning we were off to one of the highly rated nearby resorts on the island of Mbabanga – Fatboys.

Fatboys is a series of first-class shoreline houses offering stunning views of the Kolombangara volcano and its restaurant and bar is at the end of a long pier.

In fine weather you can snorkel to the place but, unfortunately, we were there in non-diving waves under grey skies.

In clear blue skies this place would be heaven for tourists.

Through the jungle behind Fatboys we walked to a small village called Mbabanga where we got a taste of what life was like for many rural Solomon Islanders. It was basic, almost sustenance level, but the people were wonderful.

We were greeted by a cute song sung by kindergarten children, many of whom would not have seen Westerners before.

One kid had to be comforted by his teacher because the big pink man with the moustache scared him.

Ooops, didn’t mean to.

We met an elderly woman weaving a beautiful mat out of palm fibres. The two-tone artwork was for special occasions – such as weddings – and would take her about a week to finish. A younger woman looked on, but the old lady said many did not and the traditional skills were being lost.

Walking through jungle areas is exciting and a bit if a sensory overload.

You are hearing all sorts of bird calls you have never heard before, the smell of the rotting vegetation hangs heavily on the humid air and even in rain you feel the heat sapping your strength.

It makes you admire the soldiers who fought in this area even more.

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