SECOND-ROUND MAO

---

Another up and down day. I had been going to go to Lalomanu at the eastern end of Upolu today but it was Sunday and there are no buses on Sunday, so I decided on a return assault on the Vaisigano watershed. The head worker that I’d got a lift from yesterday was named Phineas and he had told me that I was on the right trail down to the valley (annoyingly!) and he arranged for one of his workers, called Alibut, to take me back there today so I could actually get to where the birds were. That’s Alibut as in the Samoan version of Albert, not the Pirate version of a large flatfish (“Arrh matey, I’ve ‘ooked meself an ‘alibut! Pieces of eight, etc”).



So in the morning I arrive at Phineas’ house at 7am as arranged, and waited for Alibut who was supposed to take a taxi from his house to Phineas’ house and then we would use that taxi to get up to the reservoir tank. Phineas and his wife went off to fill up their truck with petrol and I sat on their verandah and waited. When they came back I was still waiting. Phineas rang Alibut’s wife who said that he was walking but he would be there soon. At 8am Phineas got a call from Alibut’s wife that in fact Alibut was back home again! Apparently he had got to the corner, seen there was no truck outside Phineas’ place, and rather than walk the extra hundred metres to see if I was there had just assumed nobody was home, turned around, and walked all the way back to where he lived!! Phineas was pretty angry and because it was Sunday all the passing taxis were occupied with people going to church, so eventually he drove me himself up the road till we found Alibut, and then I got out, Phineas headed back so his family could go to church, and Alibut and I started walking. I had been under the impression that a taxi had been arranged to meet up with us but apparently not, and we ended up walking the entire 6km length of Magiagi Road to the top. I was drenched with sweat – the whole road is through shadeless plantations of taro and bananas, and I was told later the temperature that day was 34 degrees – and I knew what the trail ahead was like, to say nothing of the return trip! I had been anticipating an early start, in the forest by say 8.30am, probably back in town by noon. No chance! It was already past 9am when we reached the tank.



The trail down to the valley (yes, I had been in the right place after all!) took only half as long as yesterday, partly because I knew where all the foot-falls and logs were under the vegetation, and partly because we took a (steep!) short-cut which took off maybe 15 minutes. When we got to the flooded point where I had quit Alibut didn’t look too sure on where the trail was supposed to be, but he had a better idea than I and we were soon on our way, forcing through the triffids that call this place home. I actually don’t think I’d have found it even if I’d tried a second time by myself. I was feeling quarter-dead by this stage after the energy-sapping walk from town and now the battle through the growth. Eventually we got out into a more open sort of path following the river course. To be honest I was already struggling to keep my feet moving. Suddenly Alibut pointed up into a high tree and silhouetted at the top was a mao! I wasn’t convinced at first, but when it moved I saw the shape of the beak so I knew it was. Unfortunately it was against the sky so I couldn’t make out any details. There was its mate up there as well in an even worse position, and then they both flew off across the river and vanished.



So I had seen a mao (when I really didn’t think that I would!) but not a great sighting so we pressed on. The sighting had energised me but only for a short while and then my body went downhill again, needing more frequent stops for rest. Surprisingly we saw mao twice more but always right at the tops of the trees making them difficult to see. My shaking hands didn’t make looking through the binoculars easy either! I also managed to see a couple of Pacific imperial pigeons which I was very pleased about. Eventually I deemed it prudent to head back because I was in a bad state. I’m glad I went and I’m even more glad I saw a mao because I’m sure as hell never going up that valley again! Every trip report makes it seem like an absolute doddle: drive up a nice road to the tank, a casual stroll down to the river and then up the valley. No, no and no – not now at any rate!! I was half-dead by the time we got back to where I’d quit coming in yesterday. There’s nothing worse than having to lift your legs high with each step to get through logs and undergrowth when you’re absolutely shattered. But it was the bank of mud steps where the exhaustion really hit home. I didn’t think I was ever going to make it up those. Once up that I had to stop about every fifty metres to rest all the way back to the road at the top. Every time I stopped it would be harder and harder to stand back up again. It took a looong time!!! I think it must have been simple heat exhaustion; I felt like I was going to die that day. You know you’re getting too old when Samoa defeats you!!



Once back on the road I drained what little water I had left. There was still the whole of Magiagi Road to go and no chance of any lift because it was Sunday so no workers in the plantations. The road, as it happened, wasn’t so much of a problem because I could just trudge along on auto-pilot, and the fact that it was sloping downwards certainly helped. Still, it was two hours to get down to a point where I could finally get a taxi back to the hotel. It was 2pm.



Back at the hotel I had another unpleasant surprise: nothing is open in Apia on a Sunday! Not shops, not restaurants, nothing. Well nothing except McDonalds, so that is where I ended up because I needed food and liquid. And then I got scammed. I’ve been scammed before of course but usually I know it’s happening – over-charging the foreigner for bus-rides or whatever. This time I got well and truly hoodwinked and I can only blame the fact that my brain had clocked out somewhere round midday and not bothered to come back to the desk. So I had just left McDonalds and was heading for Aggie Grey’s Hotel because my hotel’s receptionist had said there might be a little supermarket open there. A passing Samoan woman called out for me to stop, said she liked my hair (as they always do), asked me where I was from, where I was going, the usual stuff. She said the supermarket I was looking for was closed but Farmer Joe’s Supermarket was open because that’s where she was going. So far, so normal. At the supermarket I mentioned that I was going to Lalomanu tomorrow and she said she was also going there today, or maybe tomorrow – if it was tomorrow perhaps we could share a taxi to cut the costs (there being no buses on Monday either because it was a public holiday celebrating Mothers’ Day). I did think this was a little coincidental but it passed because she never stopped talking. Outside the supermarket she said she would call her taxi-driver friend to see what sort of price she could get us, and he duly arrived. They talk to each other in Samoan so I have no clue what is being said. Then she tells me we will go to Lalomanu at 9am tomorrow, she will pick me up from the hotel in the taxi, and the price will be 60 Tala total (the regular price being 90 Tala). 30 Tala each sounds good to me, so I agree, and then they kindly give me a lift back to the hotel. All well and good. Butthen, and this is where I was kicking myself afterwards, when I get out of the taxi she says the driver would need to fill up with petrol before the trip so I can just give my 30 now – no wait, better make it 40 and I’ll give you back the other 10 tomorrow. Without even thinking I handed over40 Tala and as the taxi drove away the cogs in my brain finally clicked into place and I was like “wait, what? Damn it!”. At least it was only 40 Tala; and I hadn’t had to pay for taxis to and from the top of Magiagi Road so I guess it evens out. I still felt damn stupid though!

---

Photos

banded rail (Gallirallus philippensis)
photo actually taken at Mt. Vaea but I needed something for here!

Samoan fantail (Rhipidura nebulosa)
photo actually taken at Mt. Vaea but I needed something for here!