October 11

I get up for a peaceful, early morning row in the cool air before the sun peaks over the hills. We join the girls for lunch at the really nice beachside hotel. Interestingly, an 80' mast lies shoring up the dirt path from the small dinghy dock. The owner tells us how two years prior a big sailboat tried entering through the pass too late in the day and got tossed up onto the western reef while entering through the narrow pass. His fishing boat staff went out to help the couple save what they could. Later, they dragged the heavy mast to shore. It was too heavy to use as a flagpole so they left it horizontal to line the path!

Another preamble to explore the area then back to the hotel where we chat with one of the lovely hostesses. Jim tells her he'd love to see Samoan dancing so guess what? She tells the owner and they decide to hold a show that very evening! All the waiters and waitresses perform, playing the drums and dancing. It's really a personalized show and we're ever so grateful that they went to all that bother just because we asked!

October 12

The girls from Interlude have arranged a tour of Savaii with Sam. A marvellous day full of beautiful scenery and fun discoveries, including: a canopy walk in the tropical rainforest, the footprint of a giant pressed into lava, the remains of a church through which doors lava flowed (also narrowly missing by some strange luck one grave in the graveyard), fantastic blowholes in which Sam tosses a coconut frond bag full of husks only to have them blow sky high afterwards when the sea trumpets through, and a welcoming visit to Sam's own family fale with further explanations about how they function. We also stop at a good-sized shop to pick up some more supplies for our respective journeys: we are headed to Tonga next while the girls are going to Fiji. In a fun provisioning coup I scoop up some Sanitarium brand veggie nutmeats!

Interestingly, whiles we were in the rainforest and I was busy slapping off mozzies, Cheryl remarked that there is a link between having low blood iron and one's attractiveness to mosquitos. Certainly it seems that some folks are tastier than others!