Hi all,
We had fun last night at dinner listening to karaoke which got very serious due to the $200 AUD prize. Mum, Eliza and I enjoyed dancing to Whitney Houston.
Today we woke to crazy winds and rain. The double glazed screen door blocks out the noise so much that we had no idea overnight! My rash vest had blown over towards the next building.
We met our driver, Richard, for our included day trip. He was born here in 1980, moved with his nine siblings and parents to the USA as a kid, and then moved back here right before Covid as his Mum’s brother was sick. Now he has met someone and is hanging around to see how that pans out, but he said he finds the pace too slow compared to living in California. Interestingly he said Covid took so long to get here that most people were already vaccinated, but that the lockdowns, curfews etc were still strict.
Our first stop was the Immaculate Conception Cathedral, which was beautiful. It was originally built in 1852, however, sustained such bad damage in the 2009 earthquake here that it was demolished in 2011 and rebuilt in 2014. The timber ceiling and leadlight windows were gorgeous. The first Polynesian bishop was buried inside.
Then we crossed the road and went to the Samoan Cultural Village. We had noticed a huge Norwegian Cruise Lines ship docked, and lots of the passengers were here. The cultural village wasn’t very good to be honest. Heaps of time was spent sitting around not being told what was going on, I think they weren’t used to having that many people come. We did some weaving of coconut leaves, then Mum and Dad watched a man being tattooed with traditional Samoan tattoos which apparently used to be done with a boar tusk and ink made from seeds, but is now done with needles and ink from America. Rob and I stayed with Eliza while this was going on as she had a nap. Then we watched some Samoan food being cooked over coals like Hangi in NZ. There was then meant to be a dance or something as well, but it was so disorganised that we decided we had had enough and left.
We ate lunch in the van and then headed to the Piula Cave Pool for a quick swim. This is a natural water hole while must be beautiful and blue in the sunlight, as it was beautiful and clear today even in the rainy weather. We all went in for a swim and it was really refreshing. There were lots of fish and apparently an eel (I swiftly got out once I heard about this!!). We found the rainforest toilet interesting, and luckily enjoyed our swim before many cruise passengers arrived.
Eliza had another sleep on the way back, but the car seat provided (yes you read that right!!) was forward facing so I had to hold her head the whole was so it didn’t flop around. Somehow she still slept well and woke just in time for our final TipTop ice cream at ‘Scoops’.
We learned a few fun facts today. Samoa comes from ‘Sa’ which means sacred and ‘Moa’ which means centre. Samoa is part of a heap of Polynesian mythology and has often been referred to as the ‘cradle of Polynesia’ as it’s in the centre of the triad between New Zealand, Hawaii and Easter island. The way of life here as we guessed is very centred around community, family and respect for elders. Richard told us all the graves in peoples’ yards are because families own the land and never move, passing it instead to the next generation and the next.
After our ice cream we headed back to the resort and showered and cleaned up before enjoying a drink at the bar. We could see the cruise ship heading away, apparently bound for the Cook Islands. The resort is noticeably quieter today, but apparently the prime minister of Samoa was here again today for another event. She was elected in 2021 and is the country’s first female leader.
Tonight we had dinner at the resort and then took part in trivia, Eliza's final nap of the day worked out perfectly so we could all play. We didn't win but we had fun!
Love to all
Claire
Xoxox
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