By now we have sailed far enough to be removed from life as we knew it and we can see why it is the land of where people only smile. After a great week in American Samoa mixing with the locals, we are this week here in Western Samoa a bigger community and much larger island. The American Samoan Island was the first of the Pacific Islands to be inhabited over 3,000 yrs ago. But somehow they have managed to remain untouched by the influences spoil the bliss. This part of the world is a place in time where all businesses close Saturday afternoons. It is where Sunday is a day of rest and the locals moving about are the congregation dressed in white. With hats and all, both bible and baby in hand heading to the nearest white airy church to attend a service. The custom is to then spend the day together having lunch with the family before attending the second night service. You will hear from far and wide the strong youthful male voices harmonised with the likes of Samoan Angels that combined take you to somewhere else. In this community you will feel the love around you and not just on Sundays. You see the large fales (open structures) everywhere, this is a place the chiefs go to discuss village matters. You will be offered real help from anyone, any age, anywhere, anytime. This is a place where food intake is �-�"an opportunity to rest and give back to you�". So you won�'t see anyone eating on the buses or in the streets. You will ride on little timber busses that come and go to no real timetable and here the driver has a status similar to that of a DJ. The music is cool and the louder the better it seems. You will absorb the spectacular view whilst the weaving around of the island coastline and subconsciously witness the changing passengers around you as they get on.... change seats to allow for more passengers..... get off, without any commotion, considering the small space. You won�'t see any struggle with wallets or coin purses for the single coin sits in the crook of the ear ready to toss onto the faux fur dashboard as you jump off the bus. If the bus has no cord to pull to alert the driver you just tap on wood with your coin and then jump off. Along the way you will decipher the strange sound that could be either the bus�'s bonnet vibrating or your own eardrums adding to the beat of the music, either way it is not offensive because it is just the way it is (maybe that is how the �'coin in the ear�' c ame about). You will give thought to customer service that is genuine not learned or forced and wonder why we can�'t get that quite right. It is where you wait for the harbour master to finish speaking to his granddaughter on the phone and then welcome you with a family rundown and genuine interest in your own journey and country, almost forgetting that he had to authorise and stamp documents. Here is where the next person is sleeping blissfully in the waiting room armchair. You will see compatibility amongst the kids of all ages, and respect for elders that is foremost. This is also where that the home clearly remains in the family as the forebears resting place is commonly in the front yards. It is not strange to see someone lying on the top of a grave reading in humbled silence, or to see a t shirt worn with a slogan and photo dedicated to a grandparent they love. Where transistor radios strapped to the handlebars of the bike is still the go. But you must be able to rid e the bumpy roadside scoop up a chook, tuck his head under your armpit and continue on riding home single handed. It is where the Chinese Samoans are the predominant merchants and traders and good at it. It is a land of no stress and they never will because music and simplicity together create this blissful culture of happiness bound with island beauty. They just leave it to the rest of the world to search for peace in all the wrong places.