Candied Orange Peels: January 2011

Biche and Solomon Dive Adventures, Solomon Islands

I found a conch shell!

Local hand-carved signage.

MEEEE!! I did seven dives over five days. I did one night dive, and the deepest I went was down to 130 feet. It was amazing!

A burial sight for warriors.

A burnt boat... obviously.

Our guide getting us some coconuts to drink while on a hike to a nearby village.

Local dug-out canoes.

A cave where, a hundred years ago, women went to give birth.

Pet eels...ew.

Chickens... I wanted to kill these guys.

Cherepoana, Solomon Islands

This was our dinning room, living room, beach-front porch, and bedroom...all in one.

Camo orchids

His and hers showers. It was just a bucket of rain water and a soap bar, and looked right out to the ocean - since there was no curtain either.

more orchids

The 'small house' or bathroom, consisted of a dock, a hut, and a towlet with a hole in the floor to feet the fishes. Luckily it was on the other side of the island we swam on, but the island is still only a couple hundred feed across.

SHARK! Danny took this one.

This was a six year old's pet. He 'rescued' it from it's nest as a baby.

Chea, Solomon Islands

Dan and Roy. Dan's quite the collector of his carvings.

This is Loyster and the carving we bought from here. It now lives in our apartment... but still not hung up.

View from Connie's house in Chea.

Connie's back porch. It was so peaceful there.

My little bug friend... he was kind of on the way out, but still cool looking.

Down in the village... Danny's flying his kite with the local kids.

Tetepare, Solomon Islands

Measuring the leatherback sea turtle.

Collecting the eggs as she lays them. The turtles get a sort of trance while they lay, so she didn't mind... at least we don't think so.

She was so big.. it was unbelievable.

BABY LEATHERBACKS! this is from a different nest on the same beach. We waited all night, but we had to return the next day so see the little guys. He's the first!

WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

We spent the night on turtle beach to watch the laying and hatching, and although that sounds very romantic, it was dirty, cold, sandy and a very sleepless night. But still an experience I will always remember.

One of the green turtles we caught on the turtle rodeo.

This is how it works, a guy stands on the bow of the boat (see below) and spots the swimming turtles. We follow in the boat, until he is close enough to dive, head first, on to the turtles back, and grabs the front flippers so he can't swim away.