The Zipolo Habu Resort is on an island and as far as I can figure there is nothing else on the island. It is not a small island it is just that there are no other in inhabitants. There is one other guest at the Zipolo so it is pretty slow. We get up, sit on the deck and eat a minimal breakfast the fixing for which we brought from Honiara. We then have to decide whether to move or not. It’s hot by then so it is a big decision. We can read or play computer games, there are kayaks we could jump on and go for a paddle, or we can go for a swim, we can hang at the bar but the action is slow as we are the only guests so we are the action. I’m not real good at doing nothing, and so it turns out, neither is Debbie but we get through day 1 unscathed.
Our bure at the Zipolo Habu
We live with the mozzi’s. There aren’t that many but there are no screens on the abode and the wildlife flows in and out at will. We have a mosquito net over the bed so we don’t get eaten too badly. With the constant breeze there are few bugs. Although the blasted mini ants found their way into our SEALED jar of peanut butter. We don’t need the extra protein so I scrape off a layer of one of the basic needs of life and we now put even screw tightened jars in the fridge.
Sitting in the bar and over the radio comes ‘Four Strong Winds’ sung by Ian Tyson. Hearing a song about Alberta in such and isolated place on the other side of the globe is a bit weird.
There is only one restaurant on the island, the resort restaurant. So, we eat what they have and at the price they ask. We have managed to find something of interest at every meal so far. The prices are expensive but somewhat comparable to the other places we have eaten on the Solomon’s. We aren’t doing much so we share lunch and supper, which is perfect portion sizing.
In the city if you want to visit some place different to eat you jump in the car and drive to the restaurant. Here it seems you jump in your boat and traverse the waters to another island. Both Sunday and Monday, a holiday, people have come from the surrounding islands to spend the afternoon at the Zipolo’s Restaurant (at the bar really).
Our breakfast view
Yesterday we decide that we are not likely to survive 3 entire days of loafing. There is a dive shop that is picking up the other resort guest and we decide we are going diving. We might as well as we have all our gear, the ocean is calling and we may not be back. Dive Munda picks us up at 8.30 and we are off to see what is underwater once more. The diving is worth the cost. The coral is abundant and is in excellent condition. Not sure we have ever seen so much hard coral. The highlight of the dive is seeing 3 different pygmy sea horses on one fan. I actually found one of them and used up a lot of air in my excitement.
Dive Munda seems like a good operation. The two people that run it are for sure people, people. They met our boat mate at the dock as we were loading to come to the Zipolo, gave him the lowdown on the next days agenda and talked to us about possibly joining their outing on the following day.
So we go out for a swim. We are sitting at the bar, it’s hot and we need to cool down. Get in the water I’m pretty sure the water is body temp. Not much of a cooling effect. We have not swum since Southport, so chose a couple of points on the beach and swim a few laps. It feels OK but we don’t swim too far. I get out of water and Debbie goes to swim to the dock floating 20 or so meters from the shore. I’m sitting on the land dock and spot a fin gliding by right where Debbie is about to go. I stand up to have a better look, it’s a shark, a black tip reef shark………Debbie exits the water. We see plenty of them when we are diving and they are not much interested in humans but splashing around on the surface is a different story. We later find out they are ‘pet’ sharks. There are several that frequent the dock in search of fish leftovers from the fishermen cleaning their catch near the dock. Unusual pets but none the less they have yet to attack a resort guest.
May 22
We are the only guests now and it is not a holiday so things are real quiet. It has been a rather slow day. It took a lot of energy just to get down to the beach and go for a swim with the sharks. After lunch we take one of the plastic punts they refer to as kayaks and circumnavigate the island. This is not a sleek boat that is a kayak as we might know it but a short fat open plastic three passenger tug that is somewhat sluggish. Kinda glad the island is no bigger than it is. We are going to hurt tomorrow as is.
Next stop tomorrow, Honiara for a couple of days.