Thursday, May 28, 2009

Random post-holiday post #4

OK, maybe Noumea in close up isn't quite the same as Wellington.

For a start, the architecture is quite different:
(I almost bought a book on New Caledonian houses but spending $40 on a book in French seemed like a slightly silly thing to do so I left it on the shelf)

This is the view from the bus stop for the local blue route bus which goes out to The Tjiboau Cultural Centre. I walked right past it the first time thinking I was in the wrong place...Here's a picture I took of a local restaurant for my cruise buddy Nancy:(No, the woman on the left didn't forget to change out of her nightdress before she left home: that's the national costume.)

Local graffiti I spotted on the walk up to The Tjiboau Cultural Centre :
And a local snail who seemed mad keen on following me:I always wondered why on earth French people would bother eating snails.But it would appear French snails are bigger than common garden Aussie or Kiwi snails. Which got me thinking: is this a native New Caledonian snail or did the French import snails from home to populate their gardens?

The cockroaches are massive, too. One kept running after me at great speed in a CD shop. I wanted to take a photo but I was worried that a) the owner (of the CD store, not the cockroach) would be insulted and b) if I didn't keep a close eye on the cockroach, it would run up my leg.

And, finally, here's a statue of a very important historical figure. Or maybe it's an ad for a local supplier of soft drinks...

3 comments:

  1. Haha that statue is cool.

    Hurr... What it is with you and having insects stalking you? Are you the Dicksons (The Secret Garden) of the bug world?

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  2. No, I think I just make the mistake of noticing them and stopping to talk to them...

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  3. Fascinating architecture - a French version of tropical. I especially like the one at the top - looks like both the upper floor, with all those wooden louvres, and the ground floor (stone? or stucco?) would both be lovely and cool.
    What a pity your birthday plans were disrupted by lack of a PIN, closed shops, and swine flu. But Nouméa looks lovely. Did you get to see the new moon?

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