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Published: January 10th 2015
To be honest I was feeling a little cross and out of sorts. There I was on New Years Eve back in the Fijian resort town of Nadi, swinging away in a hammock. The thing is though, I was meant to be in Samoa already, but Fijian Airways cancelled my flight without explanation and this had thrown my into a temporary funk. It was great to be back at Bamboo Backpackers, but it was not where I expected to be at that time. Then a beautiful blonde from Sweden approached and started a conversation. It came up within minutes of our chat we were both heading for Samoa, and after exchanging details she moved on for the evening. Part of me was thinking this was all a dream, as surely such coincidences can't happen in real life. But they can and do, and we went on to enjoy some memorable times together in Samoa after a fortuitous meeting in Nadi. I was so curious that I had to ask my friend after we met up in Samoa, did the staff tell you I was heading for Samoa, and is that the reason you struck up a conversation? She insisted this was
not the case, and that something about me interested her so she decided to introduce herself which was not her normal behaviour. Well OK then, if that's the case I think I need to spend more time swinging in hammocks!
The flight from Nadi is two and a half hours northeast before we touched down in the capital Apia. I swung a cab to my AirBnB accommodation near the centre of town, where I met a gregarious Australian volunteer and his lovely Samoan partner. This young couple proved to be grace and charm personified, and invited me out to one of the best restaurants in Apia to sample the famous local dishes. The Samoans prepare fish as good as anywhere in the world, and the food was absolutely first class. I spent a day exploring the centre of Apia, and compared to the rest of the South Pacific the humidity is on a different level. I have become accustomed to sweating like a trooper here, and there doesn't seem to be a discernible afternoon breeze to relieve the humidity.
After a day getting used to the pace of life in Samoa, my friend arrived from Nadi and we
met up for some memorable experiences on the road. The Samoan people live a quiet life that is gentle, slow paced and stress free. I enjoy liaising with the wonderful locals, who are at the very heart of Polynesian culture. South Pacific influence and culture spread out from Samoa, so the importance of the local culture is central to this beautiful part of the world. We came up with a plan on our first day together to head in a certain direction from her hotel, and just see where the road took us. It was a wonderful day, and the spontaneity of my friend proved to be an unexpected bonus.
Europeans have an innate sense of curiosity and adventure, which goes well with the adventurous spirit I've been blessed with as an Australian. We did random things like going into village houses and asking if they had any fruit for sale, or just chatting and photographing village people, and our first evening ended with my friend taking me several hundred metres out to sea after midnight as we waded through the shallow waters during low tide at her resort.
You would think I would be on
my best behaviour, what with having the privilege of hanging out with a beautiful Swedish girl and all. But nah, this Aussie larrikin flirted with her outrageously and teased her a little too. We sure had some good laughs while hanging out, and seemed to get on quite well together. I like a person with a bit of go about them, and there was no doubting my new friend was up for an adventure. I had a hire car for the duration of my visit to Samoa, so it was no drama driving out to see her when she wanted to hook up for some adventures. The Samoans drive on the left like in Australia, but they crawl along the main road at unbelievably slow speeds. However, I am becoming quite accustomed to island life having been in the South Pacific for four weeks, and I've started to walk slow, drive slow, and smile often like a true Polynesian by now. One day I took off solo in the hire car for an explore, and it's easy to find your way around the main island of Samoa.
The villages of Upolu are immaculately maintained featuring lovely gardens, and sometimes
the village children venture up to the car to say hi out of curiosity. There are beautiful beaches with Fales all over the island, and local stores to keep drivers stocked up with water and a snack. I had the benefit of a local host who has been in Samoa for four years, and he was constantly pumping me with information about what to see and do during my visit to this island paradise. I planned to head out to the other island Savaii with my Swedish friend one day, but she had pressing work concerns that meant we couldn't make it this time around. But there is enough to keep visitors entertained on the island of Upolu for a week, and I've had a terrific time visiting this unique Polynesian destination.
On our final full day in Samoa I drove out to my friend's resort, and we went down to the wharf to catch a boat over to Manono Island for the afternoon. Manono is wonderful, with no cars allowed and traditional village life in evidence right around the island. It takes around three hours to do a leisurely stroll around Manono, and we stopped off for a
coconut drink at one place, where a local clambered up a nearby tree for us, and then prepared our coconuts. There are also beautiful beaches on offer on the far side of the island, and we took the opportunity to laze around in the water on another glorious afternoon here in paradise. Samoa has made quite an impression on me, with it's ancient and unique Polynesian culture, and also from the sense of isolation one feels being out here in the middle of the Pacific ocean. I've had an unforgettable time in the heart of Polynesia, basically all of you should be here now!
No man or woman is an island. To exist just for yourself is meaningless." Denis Waitley
As I continue my travels, until next time it's signing off for now
Tom
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James Rooney
non-member comment
Talofa Tom, this brings back memories of my travels to Samoa many years ago. Enjoy.