Apia, (Western) Samoa

27 JUNE - 10 JULY 2011


A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME...

Apparently would NOT smell as sweet to a Samoan. What American Samoans (and much of the rest of the world) calls "Western Samoa" is really named simply Samoa (or officially speaking, Independent State of Samoa). Like others, I often refer to it as "Western Samoa" in order to avoid confusing it with American Samoa since both Samoa and American Samoa are part of the same cultural island group.

This tiny nation, once governed by the British, is currently debating whether to adopt a new flag that would look "less colonial." It also has been reported that they are planning to jump to the far side of the International Dateline in order to be more in tune with New Zealand, but I don't know when this change is supposed to take place.

RUDI AWAITS

We left the dock in Pago Pago at about 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 26, and arrived in Apia on Monday, June 27, at about 1:30 p.m. We had expected the trip to take about 15 hours, but due to long periods of time with head winds and others with no wind, it took us 22 instead.

We called port control on the VHF before entering the harbor in Apia, and they instructed us to go on into the marina; someone would be on hand to assist us there. And surely enough, a man was on the dock to show us which slip to take and to help us tie up. We asked him about reporting in to the authorities, but he told us that we should wait on the boat; the authorities would come to us.

As soon as we had the boat properly secured, who should show up but Rudi, our long lost friend from Pago Pago. Perfect timing, we thought, but WRONG.

Rudi stood on the pier by the boat and talked to us for a few minutes, then went off to get some beer. When he returned, the first official (Health) was already in the cockpit. He said we really shouldn't be receiving goods before checking in with Customs but let Rudi pass us the beers anyway. At that point a security guard for the marina came down to the boat and escorted Rudi off the premises, explaining that no one was allowed in the marina without a pass. So Rudi went ashore and sat at an outdoor picnic table by the Moana Blue restaurant within viewing distance of our cockpit and waited. And waited and waited while government officials - all five of them - paraded to and from our vessel.

The first official, as already mentioned, was the Health inspector. Once he completed his inquiries at the boat (no, he did not "inspect" the boat, just asked us some questions), he told us that we could now take down the Q (quarantine) flag; we were granted practique.

Next came the official from Quarantine. We thought he was from the same department as the Health official and told him that someone else had already conducted his inspection, so he left in some confusion but soon returned to say no, that fellow was from Health; he was from Quarantine. And so he came aboard and sat in the cockpit and asked us the same questions we had just answered for Health. Then he left, telling us to stay on the boat; Customs would be coming.

And so we waited about a half hour, waving to Rudi up on the shore from time to time, until the Customs official came. He also sat in the cockpit and asked us many of the same questions we had already answered twice plus a few more, then took his leave, explaining that the Immigration official was busy at the airport and might not make it out to our boat until the next morning. He said we should remain on the boat until she arrived, but then, noting how aggrieved we were, added, "Or at least be sure to be here when she arrives in the morning."

And so, once he was gone, we stepped off the boat, waved triumphantly to Rudi, and started down the pier toward the marina exit. Halfway down the pier we met a woman from the marina office. She said we needed to fill out paperwork for her, and so we all trooped back to the boat where we filled out more forms. Then she told us that she had just talked to the Immigration official and that she was on her way, so we should wait at the boat for her now.

And so we did, and a little while later she showed up and had us fill out more questionnaires, mostly giving information we had already given to four other government officials, and THEN WE WERE DONE! All in all, the whole clearing in process, from our arrival until the Immigration official left, was only about two-and-a-half hours, but it seemed like FOREVER.


FIRST NIGHT OUT
Finally we were able to join Rudi outside Moana Blue, a floating restaurant there by the marina, and enjoy the beer (for Jim) and wine (for me) that he had waiting for us. The weather was quite pleasant, and so we three sat there under a tree at the picnic table ordering food - platters of snacky seafood things, mostly fried - and drink until late in the evening. It was really a joy to spend time with Rudi again, and we greatly appreciate that he delayed his departure from Apia for a week in order to be able to visit with us.

THE RUSTIC LIFE

We had spoken to Rudi on the phone before sailing to Apia, and when he told us that he had rented a house there, we had visions of a shower with hot water and maybe even a car. But no, Rudi said, his house, which was farther up the mountain from the Robert Louis Stevenson Museum, not only had no hot water, it now had NO WATER AT ALL. The water had simply dried up. And so his girlfriend, Leilila, had to bring jugs of water up to the house. As for a car, he didn't have one, even though he had been living there for eight months, but used taxis instead. (The buses, he said, were totally jam packed, so that you could hardly ever even get on one, and if you did, you'd probably have to sit on someone else's lap.)

Before he rented the house, Rudi said he lived with Leilila's family for two months. There he got up in the mornings and chopped wood for a fire on which to cook his coffee, then wrung out the grounds through a T-shirt in order to get the liquid coffee sans grounds into a cup. An interesting life, he noted, but not one he particularly wished to continue. (I have to admit, I see his point.)


DAY 2: A TRIP TO TOWN

Our second day in Apia we walked into town, about a half hour walk but a pleasant one. We used the ATM at the ANZ Bank and got a SIM card for Jim's cell phone at the Digicel office. Stopped in McDonald's to see if what we had heard about their offering free internet was true, but the employees there didn't seem to know what we were talking about, and the young lady we asked who was using her computer there said no, they had no internet there.

On the way back from town, at about 4:00 p.m., we stopped into Aggie Grey's Hotel to have a drink. We had been told by one of the fellows staying at the marina that Aggie Grey's had cheaper drink prices during Happy Hour from 4:00-6:00 p.m., but that day they did not. The drinks were okay (we had one mixed drink each) but not cheap: about $7.50 US each.

However, while we were sitting out on the patio by the pool sipping our drinks, I noted a little boy sitting with his back to us on a lounge chair about 10 feet away. "Is that Kezzie?" I said, and then, "It IS Kezzie!" (We had made friends with the Shaffett family in Pago Pago and had become Asher (7) and Kezzie's (3) honorary grandparents.) And then there was mom Rachel, who came over and joined us while Asher swam in the pool at a new friend's birthday party.

Rachel and the children had stopped over in Apia on their way to New Zealand, and we saw them several times over the next few days before they flew out. What a pleasant surprise!

Then on the way home we stopped in Paddles, an Italian restaurant that Rudi had told us had some of the best food on the island but was a bit pricey. We thought we might have dinner there, but after perusing the offerings on the menu (and their prices), we decided to just stop with a glass of wine.

Next stop Nettie's grocery for a bag of ice. We took that back to the boat, then returned to the Y-Not Bar adjacent to Paddles. We had noted the sign advertising fish & chips for about $7.50 US (half the price of other establishments), and so we decided that we would try that for dinner. The fish was some pre-packaged frozen stuff and not all that wonderful, but it was filling and the price was right. (Jim and I shared it.) Plus the drinks were both generous and inexpensive (about $2.50 US for a well drink), and our bartender Maria, a young Samoan college student, was very nice. (We made a mental note to stop in again soon.) And then it was home again, home again - don't forget to show your passes to the FOUR GUARDS sitting out by the marina security guard station - to be gently rocked asleep on the Cactus Wren.


DAY 3: SITTING AT ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON'S DESK

The following day we had breakfast across the street at the Gourmet Seafood restaurant, where Jim bought an internet card. In the afternoon we got a taxi out to the Robert Louis Stevenson Museum, which is located in Villa Vailima, which used to be his home. (Taxi ride one way: about $3 US; price for museum tour, about $3.75 US per person.) The tour is definitely worth taking (as it is the only way you can see most of the house), and the grounds are private, spacious, and lovely. The house, which Stevenson had built as his home (a portion has since been added on), is two-story surrounded by porches and verandahs. Truly a topical paradise setting.

The name Stevenson gave his home was Villa Vailima (there is a brewery in Apia that makes a beer called Vailima - quite a decent lager - as well), and when we asked our tour guide, Tu'ito'i, why Stevenson named his home Five Waters (vai = water; lima = five in Samoan), perhaps because there were five streams nearby? Tu'ito'i told us, no, it did not mean that. In this case it meant "water in the hands" as lima can also mean "hands," and he cupped his hands together as if to hold water as a demonstration.

Stevenson died of tuberculosis at Villa Vailima. One of the rooms we were shown in the home was his "sick room." On a brighter side, we also got to wander through his study and even sit at his writing desk. (For photos, see sub-album A Visit to Villa Vailima in the album UPOLU - SAMOA: June - July 2011.) There is a lovely little gift shop at the museum as well, and Stevenson's grave is some distance up the hill behind the villa, but it was late in the day by the time we finished the tour and I was not well, so we didn't make that hike.

After taking a taxi back to the marina, we decided to check out the Wildfire restaurant across the street. There we had a cold drink and met the owner, Colin, a very nice man from Papua New Guinea. From there we wandered the block or two up the street to the Y-Not Bar for Happy Hour drinks. This time our bartender was another delightful young lady named Brooke from San Francisco. We not only were served generous, inexpensive drinks but free French fries as well. (Four well drinks plus a bowl of French fries for less than $10 US.)

Then we returned to Wildfire for dinner, where we were joined by our new friend Mick (from Dublin, Ireland) and his lovely wife Maros (from the Philippines). We had met Mick there earlier that day, and now had the pleasure of meeting Maros after she got off work. (Mick is a retired engineer; Maros is General Manager of South Pacific Business Development, a micro-finance company based in Apia, Samoa, with offices in other countries as well, including Tonga.) Mick speaks English, but his Irish brogue gets so thick after a few beers that it can be difficult to understand him ("Speak ENGLISH!" Maros constantly admonishes him), and Maros speaks English, Spanish, French and Cambodian. With the two of them at the table, conversation was never boring.

For dinner Jim and I shared the barbecued chicken, which was fine but nothing special. It was, as usual, the people who made it special.


DAY 4: RUDI'S "LAST" FLING

Thursday of our first week there was to be Rudi's last full night on island as he was supposed to leave late the next night - or actually, very early the following morning - on a flight to Honolulu. And so he joined us at the Gourmet Seafood & Grill at lunchtime so that we could spend the afternoon and evening together. From there we went next door to the Ooh-la-la Ice Cream parlor and got ice cream cones and beer, then to the Y-Not Bar (where there was a Samoan male bartender who poured VERY weak drinks, but we did get free fries).

From there we took a taxi out to Sails, an interesting nautical restaurant on the water out from town, for drinks before walking a short distance down the seawall to the Apia Yacht Club, where absolutely nothing was happening and we sat out on the patio and sipped more drinks.

From there we took a taxi back to town, and Rudi split in order to meet Leilila at a pizza parlor. Jim and I returned to wildfire and had dinner there: "Curried Chicken with Chutney." The dish arrived, and it was chicken all right, but there was no discernible curry flavor, and the chutney was totally missing. When Jim asked our server for some chutney, she nodded okay and disappeared into the kitchen. About five minutes later, while our chicken was getting cold as it awaited its complementary condiment, she returned to say that she would be out with the chutney soon. A little while later she brought us a small plate of hot tortillas, which were quite good, but not exactly what we were expecting. (Island life: you gotta love it.)

To make up for the lackluster meal, however, we were treated to some outstanding and most enjoyable entertainment provided by Afa (who also goes by the name Arthur) and his daughter Simaima (Maima for short). Afa, who is around our age, sings and plays flawless guitar while Maima sings beautifully. Their voices harmonize very well, and Afa is the best guitar player Jim says he has ever seen (well, outside Segovia, anyway). What a treat! Afa came over to talk to us and introduced us to Maima. They are truly lovely human beings. AND they sing songs from our era. What a pleasure!

DAY FIVE: HARDWARE HARD TO FIND

Yes, there is an Ace Hardware store, or at least so it is named, in Apia. It is not like any other Ace Hardware store we have ever seen, but it is located downtown within walking distance of the marina (if you don't mind walking), right next to another hardware store. The Ace store here, like most buildings in Apia, is not air-conditioned. Nor is it particularly clean or well organized. However, unlike the first hardware store, they did have two of the items Jim needed: a drill bit and two set screws for a grand total of about $3.50 US. It was really too hot to think in there, which may have been the problem with the young man assisting us in the store who did not seem to know what a set screw even was. But at least we had partial luck in finding what we came for.

DAY SIX: RUDI RISES AGAIN

By now it is Saturday, and while having an afternoon beer at Wildfire with Mick, Jim meets Afa's brother Tony, who also plays the guitar and sings professionally. (Apparently the whole family does. Afa said the sons learned from their father and that even Tony, whom Afa says plays guitar better than he does, is not the best guitar player of the bunch: his older brothers is.) Tony invited Jim to play golf with him the following day, on Sunday, and so that just made Jim's day.

While still at Wildfire we got a phone call from Rudi. Turned out he missed his plane - by a full day, no less - and so was still on island. He wanted us to come out to Tausali, "a bar in the middle of a junk yard" (only Rudi could find such a place) up the mountainside in Fugalei where he would wait for us with Leilila. He even sent a cab to get us, so foolishly we went, bringing Mick along with us.

When we reached the designated establishment just after 8:00 p.m., we were charged a small cover charge (about $2.50 US per person) and allowed to enter the building. There we were greeted by a large dance floor with a bar at one end, very loud music coming from a live band on the stage in front of us, and Rudi and Leilila - the only other customers in the entire establishment besides us - sitting at a table at the far end of the room from the bar.

After introducing Leilila to us and our introducing Mick to them, Rudi explained that when he and Leilila arrived there was no band, just a big empty dance hall with nobody else there, and he thought it would be a neat place to sit and talk. Alas, talking was out of the question now, and so we moved outside to the one and only picnic table as a few more people drifted into the bar.

Rudi and Mick soon discovered that they had something in common since they had both lived in Cambodia, and so the men talked and smoked (Rudi and Mick), and Leilila grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the dance floor. There we danced and drank with each other for far too long, then went out and joined the men briefly just in time to have some barbecued pork. (The cooks had been barbecuing a baby pig when we first came out to the picnic table.) Then Leilila insisted that she and I go back and dance some more, and so we did. The music was actually pretty good, just way too loud.

Eventually it became apparent that we had all had too much to drink, and so Mick and Jim and I took a cab back to the marina and from there got ourselves home. It was an interesting evening, but not one I would care to repeat anytime soon.

DAY 7: GOLF & REST

The next day was Sunday, and Jim went off to play golf with Tony in the morning while I stayed home and nursed a hangover along with my bronchitis. (Rudi, you are one wild and crazy guy, but we love ya!) Jim had a great time with Tony and his friends, but unfortunately forgot to take the camera, so sorry, no photos of the golf course.

WEEK 2: SEALING FRIENDSHIPS AND REPAIRING "HELMUT"

The next week was more of the same sans golf, the museum, and Rudi. But we were able to spend much more time with Mick and Maros, and that was a real pleasure.

Mick helped Jim make a repair to our Autohelm self-steering system, which we have nicknamed Helmut, and also drove him all over the island looking for stainless steel pipe that Jim needed for the repair.

The two things Jim said he especially wanted to do while we were in Apia was to see the Robert Louis Stevenson Museum (me, too; and we did) and to tour the Vailima brewery. As it happened, he and Mick passed right by the brewery while on their search for pipe and stopped there only to be told by the security guard that the brewery doesn't give tours and the public is not allowed inside. (Well, one out of two ain't bad.)

During the week we also found Nettie's Laundry, which is maybe a mile or so from the marina, and dropped off our laundry there. I also shopped for the first (and only) time at the big supermarket downtown, which was neither air-conditioned nor particularly well stocked, but I did pick up some bread and eggs there.

And I used the ATM at the ANZ Bank next door to the supermarket for the first time. (Previously, Jim had always tended to this task.) It was a bit confusing to me since there were three ATMs, and none of them seemed to do what I wanted. The first one kept telling me that I could take up to 4,000 tala (about $2,000 US) out in cash, but when I asked for a mere 400 tala it wouldn't give it to me and made me start over. After a couple of futile attempts with this machine, I then moved on to another one, which would give me my bank balance but no cash. At last I tried the machine in the middle, and BINGO! I was able to retrieve 200 tala (about $100 US) in cash from the machine. (Reminds me a bit of that old shell game, you know?)

Thursday evening we had dinner with Mick and Maros at their house, which is a short drive from the marina. Mick cooked mussels, and we had those with rice plus another fish dish and plenty of beer. All in all, a very pleasant evening, which even included some good music played SOFTLY in the background. (Mick told us that if the music is too loud, the matai sends someone over to throw rocks onto their roof.)

Friday I was down for the count due to the bronchitis, and so Jim did all the running around to clear us out, which involved a considerable amount of walking. When he finally got done with the offices he had to go to downtown, which was around 2:30 p.m., he went across the street to have lunch while I stayed home and rested and babysat the generator, which we were running in order to run the refrigeration. At about 3:30 p.m. the lady from the marina office stopped by to say that she saw that we were clearing out and that I should tell Jim to be sure and stop by her office to pay our dockage before 4:00 p.m. that day because he might not realize that they were closing at 4:00, and of course they would not be open on Saturday or Sunday. So I had to shut down the generator early and get dressed and go find Jim, who happened to be coming down the pier just as I went out. I gave him the message, and he said she was right about his not realizing that they were closing at four o'clock because a big sign posted over their office says that they are open till 5:00 p.m. (Island time, right?)

Anyway, we got cleared out on Friday, picked up a few last minute provisions on Saturday, and then left for Savaii, a short overnight trip, at about 3:30 p.m. on Sunday.

APIA, APIA

What can I say about Apia? It is the capital city of Samoa, located on the north shore of the island of Upolu, with a population of around 170,000 (as compared to "metropolitan" Pago Pago, which has about 70,000 people).

I think the place Apia reminds me of most from our travels is Ensenada, Mexico (although we both like Ensenada much better). Like Ensenada, you must constantly watch your feet so that you don't step into a hole or trip on the uneven sidewalks; both adults and children come up to you as you are walking in town and try to sell you things; and almost NOTHING is air-conditioned. And our dear friend Afa, the guitarist, would fit in most wonderfully with the many musicians of Ensenada. (We wish we could take him to La Cueva del Garfio, our friend Charly's bar near Baja Naval, so that they could hear him play and he could hear Charly sing. What a treat that would be for us all!)

Apia appears to have some of the negative aspects of city life combined with poverty-stricken country life, and we did not find the Samoans there to be very friendly on the whole, even though we met numerous "Western" Samoans in Pago Pago who were very friendly indeed.

In the end, I suppose it depends on your point of view. A couple of our ex-pat friends who had lived there for a year or two, when asked if they liked it, said, "No." But our friend Reti, who tends bar at Sadie Thompson Inn in Pago Pago, hails from Apia and was sure that we would enjoy it. "It's quite a chipper place," she said, adding, "not like here."

In any case, if you are sailing and want to go to the much larger and far less populated island of Savaii in Samoa, you must first clear into Apia and get a letter of permission. That alone makes it a worthwhile stop for yachties, and the Robert Louis Stevenson Museum really is worth seeing if you are there.

FINAL ANALYSIS

Do either Jim or I think that we might like to live in Apia? NO!