Lenny was going to be my guide for this early morning hike.  He was also the person who picked me up in Gizo. His picture will show you he has a propensity for the Betel Nut.  He also had only one sandal on.  I asked him why and he said the other one broke.  I’m pretty confident in saying that he will continue to walk in one sandal until the only good one breaks.  Maybe then he will consider buying a new pair.

Now is the time to enjoy the water as school is officially done for the day.  School kids return to the beach and instead of heading out they frolic in the water around their canoes.  They saw me taking pictures and I think that spurred them on to playing all the more.  Their faces & eyes can tell you so much about their heritage.  

Across the bay I see an armada of dugout canoes headed my way.  Soon I realize that they are students from nearby villages headed to the beach beside my leaf house.  One of the Kolombangara’s biggest schools is only a 1/2 mile away from this village.  They seem to begin to race to the beach as they see me taking photos.

For the first time in my life I slept in a native leaf house - this one actually over the water.  I ate my meals as the villagers would - all cooked in a separate building behind my leaf house.   I don’t think the rest of the villagers were served quite ike I was or as much as I was - but we ate pretty much the same foods.

The island’s name comes from an infamous “Head Hunter” by that name.  Head Hunting was an actual practice and obviously practiced on this very island.  Warriors from tribes that practiced this would kill their enemies and cut their heads off and place them in ceremony areas.

We headed out to Nusa Aghana Island and I got dropped off to snorkel close to shore while the two divers set up to dive along a wall that rings the island. Pretty small island but I still did a some exploring.  The island was deserted, but local villagers would come over to collect firewood.  I didn’t see anyone but found the tracks of a villager and his dog.

This is one social issue that is hard not to be judgemental about. The use of the Betel Nut as a stimulant is deeply rooted in Melanesian Society.  It is not an adults only phenomenon and is widely available in Gizo. My guess there are over 50 street vendors in the ten minute walk down the whole of main street. 

The Local Market plays not only a very important role in the lives of the people living in Gizo, but also all the surrounding islands.  This is where the remote islanders can bring their catches of fish, fruits, vegetables and even firewood to sell to the people of Gizo.