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March 2023

Samoa

A 10-day adventure by skip's retirement travel Read more
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  • Trip start
    March 20, 2023
    skip's retirement travelskip's retirement travelSamoa

    Apia

    March 21, 2023 in Samoa ⋅ 🌧 28 °C

    Apia is the capital of the South Pacific nation of Samoa. It is located on the 2nd largest of the several islands that make up the nation.
    The 1st picture looks out across the natural harbor at Apia. The 2nd picture is the Apia clock tower located in a traffic circle at the center of the commercial district adjacent to the harbor.
    The 3rd and 4th pictures are of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. I particularly like the woodwork in the ceiling.
    The 5th and 6th pictures are 2 of the local markets. The one in the 5th picture is referred to as the Flea Market, but most of what I saw here didn't appear to be 2nd hand. It reminded me of a small souk or bazaar in the Middle East. The 6th picture is about a half block away from the flea market. This is the fish market. I was there in late morning when most of the day's catch had been sold.
    In the last picture, notice the name Aggie Grey above the door. This is the site where Aggie Grey served burgers to US military folks in the 40s. Her establishment is gone, and on the site now is a hotel. They maintain her name for a restaurant. Apparently, Aggie was a character. It is said the she is the model for Bloody Mary in Michener's Tales of the South Pacific.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelskip's retirement travelSamoa

    Baha'i Shrine of Samoa

    March 22, 2023 in Samoa

    The Baha'i faith has 8 continental temples. This one in Samoa is the continental temple for the Pacific Ocean region. I was told that the king of Samoa was the 1st king to convert to Baha'i. He is said to have sited this temple.
    The 1st picture looks up the walkway towards the shrine itself, and the 2nd picture is inside the shrine. Those brown stripes are all the way around and bear Baha'i sayings. This space is considered a welcome space for all faiths.
    The 3rd and 4th pictures are inside the 2nd building, much like a detached hall or education building in many churches. Note the displays either side of the doors. These are 4 displays of information about Baha'i.
    The last 2 pictures are of the temple grounds. I have been at a number of Baha'i temples around the world. They are all as beautifully landscaped and maintained as this is.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelskip's retirement travelSamoa

    Countryside around Opolu

    March 22, 2023 in Samoa ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Opolu is the 2nd largest island in Samoa, and is where the capital, Apia (see another post) is located. Samoa is a beautiful country, from volcanic mountains to sandy beaches to coral reefs. I'm told that at the beginning of covid, all work stopped, including maintenance of tourist sites. Sadly, much of that maintenance work remains undone.
    The 1st 2 pictures look at the countryside from locations where it was visible from the road. The 1st is looking toward the southern shore, and the 2nd looking inland.
    The 3rd picture looks across some rock or tidal pools where sea water gets trapped at low tide. This is high tide so they are only visible if you look closely below the water surface and note depressions in the rock. Nearby is the cave pool in the 4th picture. This is a collapsed lava tube where fresh water from a spring flows out toward the ocean.
    The next 3 pictures are a few of the many waterfalls that are found all around the island. I visited more, but they were barely visible due to lack of maintenance of the viewpoints.
    The last 2 pictures are of the To Sua Ocean Trench site. This is another collapsed lava tube. In this case, the tube collapsed a sort way inland from its end at the shore. It looks much like a cenote in Central America. The last picture is a portion of the well maintained gardens on site    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelskip's retirement travelSamoa

    Robert Louis Stevenson house.

    March 22, 2023 in Samoa ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    The RLS museum near Apia (see another post) is a replica of his house where he lived until his death from tuberculosis in 1894. It is said that he studied all the islands of the South Pacific to try to find the place where the climate was best for his condition. He settled in Samoa.
    The original house was destroyed by cyclones. The building is said to be a faithful reconstruction of his house at it was, and some of the furnishings are original.
    The 1st picture looks at the house. Vailima was the name he gave the estate.
    The 2nd picture is of the 1st part of the house to be built. It contains the 1st ever fireplace in Samoa. It was built for the rare damp, cool days when he needed warmth. The 3rd picture is his library and bedroom. There are copies here of most of his novels and translations, including a few 1st editions.
    The next 3 picture are the bedrooms of his wife and her 2 children. The 7th picture is of the rooms where RLS's mother lived.
    The 8th picture is the in house hospital set up to care for RLS when when he needed special attention. There was no hospital in Samoa at the time. So they established their own.
    The 9th picture might be called the hall or dining room. This is the largest room in the house and is where the family ate and where they entertained guests.
    The last picture is the family's kitchen. In traditional Samoan style, the kitchen is a separate building from the house to reduce the chance for a fire spreading. I'm told that it is a European style kitchen located per Samoan tradition.
    RLS's tomb is on the adjacent hilltop in what was part of his estate but is now a park. I didn't climb up as it was too late in the day when I was there. I'm told the views are spectacular.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelskip's retirement travelSamoa

    Samoan Cultural Village

    March 23, 2023 in Samoa ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    The Samoan Cultural Village in Apia (see another posts) is a fun place that interactively teaches about Fa'a Samoa, the Samoan Way. I found it doubly fun as I'm island hopping and getting to experience cultures that are both different and have much in common.
    Fa'a Samoa is deeply imbedded in the people here, and it comes through in the various presentations. It is especially well communicated by the staff who clearly love what they are doing. The warm, friendly nature of this people is on display.
    The visit begins with weaving where you get to make a headband (the 1st picture) and a traditional plate (the 2nd picture, even though it isn't obvious at this angle). Then we were welcomed in the traditional way with an 'ava ceremony. This is the Samoan equivalent of the kava ceremony in Fiji (see other posts).
    The 4th picture is the umu, similar to the Fijian lovo. Stones are heated and cooking occurs on hot rocks with everything covered with green leaves. The 4th picture is a small tuna wrapped in coconut leaves before being placed in the umu.
    The 6th picture is a traditional woodcarver working on a hardwood bowl. The tools he uses are the traditional tools with the same design that goes back to ancient stone tools, though today the head is steel. The handles are wood, just as the original stone tools were.
    The last picture is the meal from the umu that is reference above, served on the traditional woven plate with "traditional" foil added since most of us didn't exactly make the plates tight enough to be really effective. Mine certainly wasn't. You might be able to make out the tuna, young taro leaves cooked with coconut milk, roast taro, and roast banana.
    In addition, we watched part of the pe'a tatau process. No photos were permitted. The design being tattooed is specific and all of it has meaning. It is a painful process that has 12 sessions of up to 6 hours each. The pe'a tatau is from the waist to the knees and up into part of the back.
    BTW, the English word tattoo derives from this Samoan word, and the folks here claim that tattooing originated in Samoa.    Read more

    Trip end
    March 29, 2023
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