Driving around Upolu

Talofa everyone!

We were much more comfortable overnight in our new rooms near to each other. It made sharing things we had brought and playing with Eliza much easier. We went for a quick walk around the resort before enjoying our included buffet dinner, during which Eliza made some more friends with the staff who gave her lots of cuddles. She also tried cantaloupe for the first time, and we are noticing she’s becoming a bit more toddler like, getting upset if you take something from her or disappear out of sight. She’s still overly really happy and chilled out though.

Unfortunately, she didn’t want to go to bed for a while due to Melbourne being three hours behind here, so I was wide awake by the time I got to bed and ended up listening to the first quarter of Collingwood v Freo which started at 11.10pm our time. Sounds like a good win and can’t wait to watch!

This morning we had breakfast and then Mum and Dad went to pick up our hire car. I was right about the car seat when I said what could go wrong yesterday. The head support was missing and the seatbelt didn’t extend long enough to properly secure her. They hadn’t even attached it properly to the back seat. Given we knew we were driving on remote roads which would likely be very quiet, we set off. And we were right, once we got away from the resort there were barely any other cars at all and we didn’t really have to turn, following the long main road that loops around the island of Upolu.

The weather wasn’t our friend today, as it was grey and very wet on and off. But we made the best of it, and still saw plenty and had a great day. Apart from the sights we drove to which I’ll detail soon, it’s always so interesting just driving around seeing what life is like somewhere else. There are churches EVERYWHERE here, religion is clearly very important. The population here is about 260,000, and no exaggeration I reckon we have seen 50+ churches already. We also noticed that people bury their relatives in their yards, with elaborate graves even directly in front of their house sometimes. Family is clearly very important too.

Other things we saw on our travels were lots of dogs, pigs (and cute piglets!), and the very colourful and loud local buses that seem more like a party bus than their intended purpose of public transport. Strangely we saw a CFMEU flag in front of a house, and we also noticed that many people recycle plastic bottles and use them to create a fence or barrier. It did feel like there were hardly any people around for how many churches, schools and houses we saw though which was weird.

On the way to our first stop which was a lookout with a nice view, there had been a small landslide so there were construction workers ushering cars through and tidying up. We then eventually made it to Fuipisia Falls, where we paid 20 tala ($11 AUD) each to walk and see a waterfall. It was powerful and impressive due to recent rain. The walk there was fine, but the few minutes walk back saw a downpour suddenly appear. We used my shirt to keep Eliza as dry as possible, and we all got soaked. I had forgotten how out of control you are when you’re travelling, with zero control over the weather and many other things. So we tried to laugh it off, put our things away and dried and changed Eliza. She was laughing in the rain!

We next stopped at Lalomanu Beach, which was beautiful enough in the overcast weather today, so must be absolutely stunning when it’s sunny. We found a quieter spot to enjoy the view and a burst of dry weather, and a man stopped and helped us crack open a coconut Dad had found. The coconut water was delicious! Eliza was happy and smiling as always. I think she likes the beach.

We bought some snacks at a roadside shop and then continued on to the To Sua Ocean Trench, a 30m deep natural swimming hole formed by a roof collapse in an ancient lava tube system. Usually it’s crystal clear blue, but due to the recent rain it was closed for swimming and extremely brown. Dad and Rob stayed in the car with Eliza while Mum and I paid to go in and have a look. It was still interesting to see for perspective, but we felt it a bit rough that the entrance fee was the same given we couldn’t swim. Nevertheless, we explored the grounds and saw the cliff faces, the ocean and the grave of the first prime minister of Samoa’s wife. She had a great view!

It did start raining while we were there, and us and our umbrella nearly got blown away so we took shelter under one of the fales (pronounced “fah-lay”, like a beach hut), and had a giggle when we read the sign at the entrance upon leaving that spoke about “relax(ing) in a traditional Samoan fale”. I’ve also just had a laugh as well because my phone just tried to change “fale” to “gale” - how ironic!

Our final official stop was at Sopo’Aga Falls. The entrance fee was half the price of the first waterfall, and the path and facilities much better. Eliza was absolutely entranced by the red and blue umbrellas we were all provided. As we entered and the lady working said hello to her, she waved in response to “hello!” for the first time. She’s been waving recently when she sees herself in the mirror or sees someone else, but this was the first time in response to a greeting. Clever girl!

Back in the car and we finished the loop drive, ending up back in Apia where Mum and Dad stopped at a market, then we all stopped at an ice cream shop and enjoyed delicious Tip Top ice cream (an NZ brand) before heading back to the resort. We still had a good day being out and about, but it’s a shame the weather impacted the Ocean Trench. Can’t be helped though. And despite my initial stress/frustration at the car seat not being suitable, Eliza adapted like a champ, napping three times in the car and being her happy little self all day. She really is the best.

We went out to a pub for dinner tonight with a nice view of the town of Apia and its lights, and then I had another ice cream on the way home.

Love to all
Claire
Xoxox