All photos by W. Kessler Typical afternoon thunderhead over Kolombangara Volcano, Solomon Islands. Solomons_001.jpg Landing at Gizo in a Solomon Airlines Twin Otter. Every airstrip is grass except the capital. Solomons_002.jpg Traditional "panpipe" band. The marimba-like bamboo instruments are tuned to give both percussion and melody. Solomons_003.jpg Waterfront at Gizo. Boats bring people, produce and fish to and from the daily market. Solomons_004.jpg Reef fish for sale in the Gizo market. Solomons_005.jpg Vegetables for sale in the Gizo market. Solomons_006.jpg Main street, Gizo. All the buildings open to the water in back. Solomons_007.jpg Woman leaving Gizo market in late afternoon. These hand-carved canoes are very hard to balance, but everyone there is a skilled boater. Solomons_008.jpg On the slopes of the Kolombangara rainforest. Solomons_009.jpg Women coming to see the glider work, Ponam Island, Papua New Guinea. Note the facial tattoos that show their origin village, and their betelnut-stained lips and teeth. Solomons_010.jpg Loading copra (dried coconut), the main export crop in Gizo. Solomons_011.jpg Several of the thousands of Solomon Islands. Solomons_012.jpg Reef islet. Solomons_013.jpg Islet and reef. This is a raised coral island. Extremely sharp coral rocks make these very difficult to walk on, even with strong shoes. Solomons_014.jpg The Solomon Islands are under the South Pacific Convergence Zone, with daily rainstorms always around. Solomons_015.jpg Clouds are taller in the tropics because the tropopause (boundary with the stratosphere) is about twice as high as in mid-latitudes. Solomons_016.jpg Lifted coral rock cliffs, undercut by wave action. Misima Island, Papua New Guinea. Solomons_017.jpg Rainstorms over Kolombangara Volcano. The daily rain produces a luxuriant rainforest. Solomons_018_small.jpg From the hill looking over Gizo town. The frequent clouds of the South Pacific Convergence Zone. Solomons_019.jpg The open Solomon Sea near New Ireland, Papua New Guinea. Solomons_020.jpg Sunset over Gizo town. Solomons_021_small.jpg
Landing at Gizo in a Solomon Airlines Twin Otter. Every airstrip is grass except the capital. Solomons_002.jpg
Traditional "panpipe" band. The marimba-like bamboo instruments are tuned to give both percussion and melody. Solomons_003.jpg
Waterfront at Gizo. Boats bring people, produce and fish to and from the daily market. Solomons_004.jpg
Woman leaving Gizo market in late afternoon. These hand-carved canoes are very hard to balance, but everyone there is a skilled boater. Solomons_008.jpg
Women coming to see the glider work, Ponam Island, Papua New Guinea. Note the facial tattoos that show their origin village, and their betelnut-stained lips and teeth. Solomons_010.jpg
Islet and reef. This is a raised coral island. Extremely sharp coral rocks make these very difficult to walk on, even with strong shoes. Solomons_014.jpg
The Solomon Islands are under the South Pacific Convergence Zone, with daily rainstorms always around. Solomons_015.jpg
Clouds are taller in the tropics because the tropopause (boundary with the stratosphere) is about twice as high as in mid-latitudes. Solomons_016.jpg
Rainstorms over Kolombangara Volcano. The daily rain produces a luxuriant rainforest. Solomons_018_small.jpg
From the hill looking over Gizo town. The frequent clouds of the South Pacific Convergence Zone. Solomons_019.jpg
