As you can probably guess, due to lack of blogs, internet in Samoa wasn't all that fast...usually we couldn't even open Google. Also we were having way too much fun to worry about sitting down at the computer.
Samoa has definitely been a real highlight for us. The people are super friendly, very welcoming & accommodating. They really went out of their way to make us feel welcome & wanted on their beautiful islands. Samoan way of life is based on three aspects – family, community & church. This makes it a very harmonious place. A local guy, Tusi, who we became very good friends with, took us on an island tour early in our visit. We went to the Robert Louis Stevenson museum which is his home converted to its original state & very beautiful. The grounds are extensive with beautiful tropical gardens & lawns and if you are game you can walk the hour long track up the mountain above Apia to his grave. We visited lovely waterfalls, villages and of course Salani Surf School on the south coast so Steve could check out the surf. It is owned & run by an Aussie guy & it has some really cute raised bungalows for accommodation & a great little restaurant. Onto then the To Sua ocean trench for a swim. This is a big lava tube by the sea surrounded by lush gardens. You have to climb down a very steep ladder which was a challenging, but it was worth it. It was amazing how much you could feel the surge of the surf as it trickled in under the rock. We finished our day swimming in the 'James Bond pool' on the north coast – a fresh water cave pool right beside the ocean, full of large freshwater fish.
The day before the rugby match we attended a 2 hour show at the Samoa Cultural Village in the middle of Apia. It was a free show & really great, a must see. A first we were shown how a traditional meal was prepared & cooked in hot stone - the meal that 99 percent of the population eats for Sunday lunch. The majority of cooking in Samoa is done by the men. Usually this meal consists of taro, breadfruit, green bananas & baby taro leaves with coconut milk. The taro leaves are made into a cup where then coconut milk is poured. The leaves are then rolled up into a ball & wrapped in a breadfruit leaf & then a banana leaf & placed in the fire. The end result is absolutely beautiful.... looks like creamed spinach, but tastes divine. We were then shown the lost art of making tapa cloth - from peeling bark off the paper mulberry tree to curing & drying of the cloth & finally painting & decorating. Next we were entertained with a traditional dance show & singing. The dancing was very different to French Polynesia. There is no hip movement but carefully placed feet movements with soft hand gestures. The dancers also spend a lot of the time sitting body, knee & floor slapping & clapping hands. While the show was on we sampled the feast the men had prepared earlier. It was all fantastic. Next we visited the fale (house) where traditional tattooing takes place. Two guys were being tattooed & in various stages of having their full body tattoo. Two brothers were doing the tattooing & were being overseen by their father who was one of the few traditional tattoo artists left in Samoa. We were not allowed to sit behind the artists as this is said to block the flow of energy to the artist & stop his creativity & stamina. Three other men helped the artist. They pull & stretch the skin as the artist makes the marks. Family members of the guys getting the work done also sit around him offering encouragement & kind words. The tools are very simple... a long stick which is attached to a 'comb.' The comb varies is width & design and is very sharp. Originally the comb would have been pigs tusk, but is titanium. The comb is placed on the skin & the artist used another branch to tap the stick attached to the comb to make the tattoo. Traditionally, men in Samoa have their left arm from shoulder to elbow tattooed as well has from both hips to knees, including buttocks. The marks are very close together & very intricate. This form of tattooing is very painful & one of the men had tears rolling down his face! Once a Samoan man starts a full body tattoo he is expected to finish – it is a great shame on himself, family & village if he does not complete the full work. Women also have traditional tattoos – from both hips to knees only – but the tattooing is a lot more spread out than the men's. After watching this amazing art for quite a long time we headed to the carving fale which completed our tour. It was well worth the visit & the tour guide gave us valuable knowledge into Samoan life & custom.
The rugby match at Apia Park was a great day. We wandered down to the park around 12 noon & found ourselves a place to park our butts on 'the hill.' We were in great company while we waited the 3 hours for kick off - Simon & Annabelle from NICHA, Stuart from BREEZE and Howard from DOUBLE TROUBLE. The locals around us provided great entertainment...their excitement & intense loyalty to their team Samoa Manu is infectious. Finally the teams ran onto the park... stirring national anthems were sung & the NZ haka and Samoan siva tau were performed. It was totally fantastic. It was very moving listening to the locals singing their anthem – harmonies & all. The game was played well with constant chants & singing from the Samoan crowd. The All Blacks won by the skin of their teeth, but Samoa Manu were most definitely the better team on the day. After the game we all poured out of the park & we, Stuart & Howard headed straight to the nearest bar for a beer! Alcohol was not served at the game...probably a good thing seeing as though there were so many frenzied fans there! We had a couple of beers & watched as thousands of Manu fans poured out along the street proud of their team & country. Young blokes drove around in cars, horns & music blaring, beers in hand chanting GO MANU until they were hoarse!! Back to the marina then for dinner at a small restaurant near by. What a great day!
To get out of town for a while we headed back east along the northern coast of Upolu to a bay where there was a small surf break. What a lovely place...three waterfalls and a beautiful village tucked into the head of the bay. We had a couple of days chilling here in the peace & quiet then headed back to Apia. We have discovered that Samoa is the land of waterfalls & rainbows!!
Trying local food is always a must for us. Tusi introduced us to kekapao which are just divine. Either steamed or fried, they consist of a light rice flour dough surrounding a savoury beef & onion or pork filling. They look a lot like a large dumpling. We spent a lot of time trying these at different locations just to make sure they were the same and good as the last!! Tusi supplied dinner to us, Breeze & Double Trouble one night too. Very scrummy – stir fried chicken with chinese cabbage & other Samoan yummies!
Finally last week it was time for us to leave Samoa & head to Tonga. There appeared to be a decent weather window around Wednesday for us to check out. After completing all the departure necessities on Tuesday we had a nice sail west along the northern coast to a lovely anchorage near the airport. Tucked behind the reef with a sand bottom it was an ideal place to stop for the night. With the airport so close & the ferry to Savaii nearby we had plenty of entertainment that afternoon as we had a few beers. Wednesday morning we were up early & followed the ferry out of the channel to the end of the island. We were expecting some stronger winds & larger seas but as we got around the end of Upolu & a couple of miles out to sea the conditions were extremely bad. Very big waves & 35 knots plus of wind. It was extremely uncomfortable & a little scary. We did contemplate turning & heading for Fiji but decided to head back to our comfortable, safe anchorage & wait for another weather window.
Thursday went ashore (very naughty seeing as though we had checked out of Samoa) and wandered through the villages hugging the coastline. Very pretty with plenty to see – even pigs running around in their front yards! That afternoon we decided to grab a taxi & head into Apia to grab some more beer (we'd run out!!) & a few groceries. A lovely drive through villages & countryside.
Friday dawned lovely & clear and the grib files showed a perfect weather window to head south on Saturday. We spent the most of the day cleaning down below, polishing fibreglass up top and preparing dinners for our passage to Tonga. Before we knew it, it was beer time and we had been joined in the anchorage by Breeze & Double Trouble. A couple of beers aboard Breeze before an early night.
Saturday we all left the anchorage around 7am. The weather was much more to our liking & we had a great, fast sail all day & night – usually around 8 knots plus. We covered 180 nautical miles in 24 hours – a record for PANNIKIN. Sunday the conditions were much the same until mid afternoon when the wind dropped, as was expected. We alternately motored & sailed the rest of the way to Tonga arriving into Neiafu around 9.30am Monday. NICHA were already tied to the dock so we rafted up against them and BREEZE alongside us. DOUBLE TROUBLE were a little slower & arrived the next morning.
Officials from Quarantine, Health & Customs boarded us & as usual there was a heap of paperwork to be done. Everyone was very friendly & we had no hassles. After that we were allowed off the boats to walk uptown to the bank & visit Immigration to be stamped in. We purchased a sim card for internet & had a short walk around town. Steve managed to get an appointment with the doctor, who happened to be an Aussie, to get some medication for his gout which has been giving him grief. Back to the boat then & we had a quick motor to grab a mooring ball for the night.
This morning we've been greeted by a lot of rain so we are staying put for the day. We've been in contact with Richard & Geri on PANTHERA who will be heading back here to Neiafu tomorrow and we also had a call from Eddie on PRIORITY who we haven't seen since Mexico. Might be a few beers happening this afternoon!!!!! There are plenty of small restaurants & bars lining the waterfront....it might be a good excuse to get off the boat this afternoon.