One of the best parts about working in civil engineering is the travel, you get to go and see amazing things, amazing places and meet amazing people. Part of my role during my assignment in the Solomons is to assist as an infrastructure Advisor in implementing the Education Infrastructure plan for 2015. So of we went to implement at the end of May 2015.
I have been so lucky to have been able to travel with work and travelling has been an experience in itself. My trips have been Choisuel, Western, Seghe.
Flying to Choisuel
Myself and my co-worker made the flight from Honiara to Gizo, and then a shuttle flight from Gizo on to Choisuel. An the flight was really a pacific experience ! A false start on Sunday with a tropial cyclone hovering over our intended destination had us waiting in the airport for 6 hours before cutting our losses heading the following day. You really get into the island attitude, 6 hours was filled with pretty much reading the Solomon Star and chatting away to the security guard at the airport. A great character who was so delighted that we were going to visit his home village that he took our numbers and informed us the next day of our flight details!
When your actually on the flight, with all your western security and safety senses heightened- well you really just have to get over it and think if you can put your legs straight out in front of you on a plan and have a view of the cockpit.. thats a first class trip to me! I cant say I'd do a long haul 32 hours of it, but flying in Solomon Islands has been a real experience in itself. This is me on my way to another part of the country, heading to Seghe with another co-worker for much the same work.
I have been so lucky to have been able to travel with work and travelling has been an experience in itself. My trips have been Choisuel, Western, Seghe.
Flying to Choisuel
Myself and my co-worker made the flight from Honiara to Gizo, and then a shuttle flight from Gizo on to Choisuel. An the flight was really a pacific experience ! A false start on Sunday with a tropial cyclone hovering over our intended destination had us waiting in the airport for 6 hours before cutting our losses heading the following day. You really get into the island attitude, 6 hours was filled with pretty much reading the Solomon Star and chatting away to the security guard at the airport. A great character who was so delighted that we were going to visit his home village that he took our numbers and informed us the next day of our flight details!
When your actually on the flight, with all your western security and safety senses heightened- well you really just have to get over it and think if you can put your legs straight out in front of you on a plan and have a view of the cockpit.. thats a first class trip to me! I cant say I'd do a long haul 32 hours of it, but flying in Solomon Islands has been a real experience in itself. This is me on my way to another part of the country, heading to Seghe with another co-worker for much the same work.
When your finally in the air, I have really come to love internal flights, they are a little present to yourself when you would otherwise be driving or in the case of the Solomons taking a 24-36 hour boat. Waiting for our shuttle at Gizo, I watched the aircraft we were about to get onto be refueled. I thought of the little old airports I visited in Ireland- Sligo, Donegal even Kerry and except for the heat I could have been there! Check out this little clip I couldn't help taking of the emptied aircraft barrel rolling toward the seating area of the airport. And I know what your thinking... airplane fuel? Heat? gravel surface? Friction? Fire?... Explosion???
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