Visitor MS0302 
| Visitor |
| Sex? |
male |
| Profession/occupation? |
medical student |
| Home country? |
Switzerland |
| What made you want to go to
Solomon Islands? |
talking to a previous visitor |
| Arriving in Solomon
Islands |
| When did you arrive in Solomon
Islands? |
May 2003 |
| Did you encounter any
bureaucratic difficulties? |
no |
| What was your first impression
after arrival? |
Dirty, unfriendly city, nice reception in Kiwi-House |
| Living in Solomon
Islands |
| What did positively surprise
you? |
the unspoiled nature, friendliness of people |
| What did negatively surprise
you? |
many drunken people, lethargy of the people, religious
indoctrination |
| What took longest to get used
to? |
not to be stressed when something is not immediately
available... |
| What did you miss most in
Solomon Islands? |
environmental protection in Honiara |
| What should you have brought
along? |
mosquito net |
| What did you do to prevent
malaria? |
Lariam 250mg once weekly |
| Place and province where you
spent most of your time? |
Honiara, Honiara-City |
| Where did you stay? |
Kiwi House / hotels in the Western Province |
| How long did you stay at each
location? |
6.5 weeks / 1.5 weeks |
| How much did you pay for
each? |
nothing for Kiwi-House, about SBD 250 for hotels |
| Where did you usually eat? |
cafeteria, home |
| What did you typically pay for
a normal meal? |
SBD 10 to 15 |
| What local food/beverage did
you like most? |
pineapple, seafood, coconut milk |
| What local food/beverage did
you like least? |
[-] |
| Working in Solomon
Islands |
| How did you usually go to
work? |
walk |
| Where did you work? |
NRH |
| What was your occupation? |
medical student |
| What were your working days and
hours? |
7:45 am to about 4/5 pm |
| What was particularly difficult
in regard to your work? |
infrastructural deficits/power and water supply problems
in hospital |
| Did you feel accepted by the
locals? |
yes |
| What did you usually do in your
spare time after work? |
walking, biking, reading |
| Leaving Solomon Islands and
looking back |
| When did you leave Solomon
Islands? |
July 2003 |
| How long was your stay? |
2 months |
| How do you judge the length of
your stay? |
just about right |
| What did you learn from the
locals? |
to accept any difficulty with a smile |
| Your advice to prospective
visitors? |
Whenever you can, go outside Honiara! The nature is
beautiful! |
| What did you miss most when
back at home again? |
tropical waterfalls, coral reefs and the friendly
people |
| What did you enjoy most when
back at home again? |
family and friends |
| Would you go back for another
stay? |
yes |
| Estimated total cost of your
stay (including travel costs)? |
CHF 7,000 |
| Additional comments? |
Upon arrival of the intervention force, many things will
change, and the Solomons will certainly become more
"westernized", which is a pitty. The earlier you go, the
better for you... |
