One afternoon during our stay in Uhu, we set out with Captain Morro for a "Gilligan's Island" style tour of the the AreAre Lagoon, enjoying the scenery and visiting a few of the dozens of small islands that make up the lagoon. According to Solomon "kastom" (custom), you need to ask permission of the people who own the islands before visiting them, so we stopped at a few villages along the way to make this courtesy call. Most of the islands are uninhabited, but sometimes a few families live on a small island and have to carry fresh water back from the mainland each day in their wooden dugout canoes.
Solomon Islanders will visit the islands to fish or search for fruits and greens, but never just for swimming. Lounging on the beach and splashing in the sea for relaxation are definitely a white man's idea of a tropical afternoon. While Fr. Tom and I enjoyed the beach, Morro and our local guide Stephen went into the bush and gathered a few coconuts.
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