Samoa

Samoa

Day 1

Arrived on Polynesian Airlines at 11.30pm. A small band welcomed us with ukuleles, guitars and beautiful happy singing.

Day 2

We decided to walk to Maketi Fou which is the main central market next to the bus station and sells all kinds of fruit and vegetables. Fat smiling ladies sat at low tables covered with tomatoes, egg plant, bok choy, bread fruit and herbs. Music came from all directions - a lovely, happy place.

From here we walked along Main Beach Road. Big colorful buses flew past us with funny names painted on their side like Princess Nora and Queen Maggie. Past the Clock Tower we stopped for a coke at Sails Restaurant.

From Sails we walked to Aggie Grey’s Hotel further around the waters edge. Aggie’s is classed as one of the ‘Most Famous Hotels in the World’ and named after the daughter of an English immigrant and a Samoan woman. She started the hotel in the 1940’s and it’s now an upmarket, high class place. Crossing the bridge over the Vaisigano River, we found the Pasefika Inn which I fell in love with.

From here we caught a taxi to Seipepa Fales - off the road, a narrow dirt track led past a few village houses and fales to an overgrown gateway. Chickens were running around and the usual dogs and cats lying about. About ten cute fales are scattered among the shrubs and palms and we booked in for the next day.

From here we caught a taxi out on the main road to take us back to Pasefika Inn. Ben was our driver and we struck up a friendship with him from the start. We decided to have lunch and then get him to take us out to Papasee’a Sliding Rock.

At one o’clock Ben was waiting at the door. Because we were a bit late he decided we we’d been having ‘jiggy jiggy’.

Papasee’a is only fifteen minutes out of Apia through pretty villages and green, green countryside. Ben happily continued on with the jiggy jiggy thing and told us that his wife only ever wants to make love in the morning. All this is described with raucous laughter so it was a fun trip to the Rock. Two hundred steps down to the waterfall we find rock pools and the main rock. This is a five metre slide from the top of a waterfall into a small deep pool at the bottom – a thrilling ride.

Before dinner we set off for Aggie Grey’s for Happy Hour cocktails - strawberry daiquiris at the Kionasina Bar – then onto Sails Restaurant. Here we orderede the very expensive seafood platter while sitting on the balcony overlooking the port. The air was still and warm as we ate by candlelight – very romantic.

Day 3

At 6.30am we woke to another gorgeous day. From our bed we could see the sun rising above the palm trees through the glass slats of our window. Smoke hung in the still air as people prepared for their Sunday umu.

At 9.30 we walk to the Presbyterian Church near Aggie Grey’s. Inside was packed with locals who looked trapped in another century. Most of the ladies were in white and all wearing straw hats and fanning themselves with woven hand fans. Even the minister was dressed in a white suit and a red tie – a big enthusiastic man with stacks of charisma The best part, though, was the choir - sung in the Samoan language, - incredibly beautiful.

Later we snorkelled at Palalo Deep Marine Reserve. We swam out across the shallows of the reef till the bottom dropped away into a deep blue hole filled with fish and purple and orange coral. We saw schools of fish in the most amazing colours like luminous yellow and electric blue. After half an hour we laid around near the shore floating in the warm shallows.

Back at Seipepa we settled into our fale. It was on tall stilts so that we felt like we were living in a beautiful tree house surrounded by thick gardens - below us were two family graves.

Day 4

Another gorgeous morning and the roosters were still crowing as they had all night. After cold showers we had breakfast in the grandparent’s house. We sat cross legged for a breakfast of bread, hard boiled eggs, coconut, pawpaw and tomato .

At 9.30am a taxi took us to the bus station near the Flea Market. We asked someone which was the bus to Lalomanu. The one that was there was apparently the two o’clock bus and the ten o’clock bus would come later (what the?).

The ten o’clock Lalomanu bus arrived but already looks full to bursting. Finally here it comes in all its bright yellow and pink glory with music blaring and overflowing with passengers. We squashed in with everyone happily nursing someone else.

After we crossed the mountainous interior we arrived at Tafua Fales on the edge of Lalomanu village. We’re met by Tai and Sili, a husband and wife team who own Tafua. They’re both larger than life in dimensions and personality. They give us the rundown on meals and snorkeling then show us to our fale right on the sand facing the water – a million dollar view of calm blue water, white sand and palm trees.

After lunch of fresh fish and salad, we snorkeled, swam, slept then sat on the café verandah for sunset drinks. . Dinner is at a long communal table decorated with fresh flowers. Samoan music is playing which is nice except it’s the same CD over and over – maybe they only have one.

Drift off to sleep to the sound of the surf out on the reef and the tiniest of waves on the shore.

Day 5

Spent the morning snorkeling again then wandered around to Lalomanu village in the afternnoon. A fantastic tropical feast for dinner then bed at ten o’clock ready for an early start in the morning.

Day 6

At 6.30am we wait out on the road for the bus back to Apia.I sit on Mark’s knee and most people are nursing someone else. After two hours the sun is out and we’re back in Apia. We ring Leota , the owner of Sunset View Fales on Manono Island. He promised to send a boat to pick us up.

A taxi driver called Bati drove us to the ferry wharf at the west end of the island.The boat is actually a small launch and we have a driver, the driver’s friend and another man. The weather is perfect now The water is a brilliant aqua blue and very calm. Sunset View Fales around the south western side of the island.

From the water we can see Leota waiting for us at the end of the jetty. He’s a big smiling man with graying hair and kind eyes. He’s wearing a bright blue shirt covered in palm tress and a brown lavalava. Behind him is a yellow and blue painted fale with tiny thatched fales on either side. He helps us off the boat then takes us to sit in his fale. We’re the only guests so apparently there’s no rush but after a while he shows us to our fale

After a read on the bed we meet Leota at the boat. The boat is very basic and the snorkeling gear consists of one snorkel and goggles, one pair of swimming goggles and one pair of flippers that don’t fit either of us. We set off for the eastern side of Manono Island where we can see the small volcanic Apolima Island and the large island of Savai’i in the distance behind it. Leota steers us towards the reef then makes anchor for us to climb overboard.

Before dinner, we have cold showers in the little wooden shack out the back. Leota’s wife, Sau, and her sister are cooking in the kitchen. I ask if I can help but they scream laughing at the thought of it.

Meanwhile Sili has brought out his guitar and a ukulele made from a tin can and a piece of wood. He sings sweet Samoan songs then all have dinner tohether.

Day 7

Manono Island has no dogs or vehicles of any kind (not even bicycles) so the only sound we can hear is the soft lapping of the water almost beneath us. At 7.30am, Sau makes us breakfast

We set off at eight o’clock going clockwise around the island. We see family graves, churches, beautiful white sandy coves and picture perfect fales that everyone here lives in. The island is apparently semi-subsistence and probably as close as you could get to basic Polynesian life.

Back at Sunset View, we boarded the launch to take us back to ‘Upolu where we caught the car ferry to the island of Savai’i. Another wonderful local bus ride took us up the coast to Tanu Fales where we chose another fale on the beach.

We watched a tattooist giving a young guy an armband tattoo. He dipped a metal comb with needle-sharp teeth and a pig’s tusk in a bowl of ink then tapped it into his skin.

That night we watched a traditional fiafia dance – it’s a mixture of joyous dancing and singing accompanied by traditional instruments.

The loveliest part was the slow sensual siva dance – beautiful hand movements and slow shuffling feet. Wonderful Samoan music engulfed us all - so magical – I thought my heart would burst.

Day 8

We woke at 7.30am to another gorgeous sunny day.

After breakfast we walked along the beach with our packs on till we come to Jane’s Fales shaded by coconut palms.

Day 9

Hot and sunny again. Got a bus back down the coast to the lovely Safua Hotel set in lush flowering gardens. It’s owned by Moelagi Jackson, the apparent ‘queen of Savai’i’.

At lunch we met Warren Jopling. He’s seventy five, Australian and has lived here at Safua for the last thirteen years. Once a geologist, he organized to take us on an island tour tomorrow – excellent!

Had dinner with Warren and Moelagi.

Day 10

This morning we woke early as today is Sunday and ‘umu’ day. We watched Moelagi’s son do all the preparation which took hours - taro, coconut, pork, fish and vegetables all cooked on hot stones.

After lunch we spent the rest of the day touring the island with Warren – waterfalls, family homes, the Alafaaga Blowholes and churches. A banquet dinner with Warren and Moelagi then her brother and four young men sang and played for us. They had two guitars, spoons, a piece of wood hit with a rock, a wooden pole with a long string attached to it and the bongos.

Finally bed at 9.30pm – an amazing day.