Words can hardly describe what a lovely place Western Samoa is. We had
planned to stay on the island of Upolu in the town of Apia for just 3 days, but
after discovering how exceptional it was we ended up staying for two wonderful
weeks.
 |
| One of the many beautiful beaches |
Where do I start when describing this amazing place? At the beginning of
course! We arrived early in the morning after an overnight passage from America
Samoa and were quickly greeted by the Apia Port Authority, who escorted us into
the marina (where you are required to stay when visiting). Once docked we were
promptly checked in by some friendly folks from Immigration and Customs – how
great is it that they all come to you? Considering that in some countries this
can be an all day affair as you wonder around from one office to the next, this
was quite a treat!
After being officially cleared in, we happily caught up with friends on Mazu
and Moondance and got the lay of the land, which included happy hour at the
conveniently located bar at the top of the boat ramp – a great place to get to
know all of your new neighbors on the dock. We were soon introduced to a couple
on a Swedish boat, Anniara – Göran and Gudrun. They were thinking about renting a car to tour the
island for two days and wondered would we like to join them and split the cost.
Even though we didn’t know them, we jumped at the opportunity as the price was
good and they seemed like people we’d like to know better. We’re happy to
report they’ve since become good friends – though we’ve had some pretty
competitive game nights!
 |
| Robert Louis Stevenson Museum (and home) |
We had a great time touring the island and seeing all the sites over the
next few days. Our first stop was a tour of
the Robert Louis Stevenson Museum – the home where the famous author (Treasure
Island, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde to name a few) lived the last five years of his
life. He obviously made an excellent impression on the locals during his short
time here as they speak very fondly of him and his contributions to their
beautiful island and culture.
 |
| Robert Louis Stevenson and family |
 |
| Gudrun and I marvel at the roots of the Ma Tree |
After the museum we took in a few waterfalls and did the hike out to see the
“Ma Tree” – a huge tree in the middle of the forest. The short hike took us
through some of the Upolu island rainforest, which was beautiful, but the tree
itself is very impressive. The huge roots that tower out of the ground are
really a site to see.
 |
| Check out that ladder! |
After more waterfalls (my personal fave was Togitogiga), lots of pigs (and
cute little piglets) and the lovely Tafatafa Beach, we made a stop at the
not-to-be-missed To Sua Ocean Trench, a local wonder of landscape where a huge
hole in the ground has exposed a giant salt water pool. After having a quick
lunch at the park’s small restaurant we donned our swimwear and wandered over to
the edge to look at the pool. To reach it you have to climb down a nearly
vertical ladder onto a slippery platform. While a little intimidating, the
refreshing swim in the clear water was well worth the climb. At low tide you
can apparently swim under water thru a passage to the outside, but we decided to
pass since we had no idea on the state of the tide.
 |
| Samoan's - always ready to smile. |
We finished our first day with a run over the majestic Le Mafa Pass (great
views of the whole island) and then driving the northeast coastline – incredible
views abounding. But what really stood out the most was how CLEAN everything is
here. Every single house was well tended with immaculate yards full of flowers
and greenery. Every little village was completely spotless – not an ounce of
trash to be seen and roadways neatly painted in different colors to delineate
one village from the next. After the trash of America Samoa it was stunning to
see how perfectly kept everything in Western Samoa was.
 |
| Shirley, Taf and Nana - young at 89! |
Our second day out was filled with more beautiful water falls, an interesting
lunch at a small grocery store and some gorgeous white sandy beaches. But the
best part was the end. While searching for the beach that the movie “Return To
Paradise” was filmed at we had the excellent luck to meet a wonderful woman
named Shirley Esera. She was teaching some of the village children who we had
stopped to say hello to and soon we were invited in to visit with her,
her nana (grandmother) and her husband, Taf – who quickly provided coconuts to sip all
around. Turns out in Samoa, men do most of the cooking and cleaning – I knew
there was a reason I loved this place!!!
After chatting for a while, Shirley asked if we would like to join them for
their Sunday dinner the next day. Her father and mother would be home from the
city and she would love for us to meet them. Of course we jumped at the
opportunity as getting a chance to meet families and learn more about their
culture is what doing a trip like this is all about!
 |
| The Lemalu clan |
And so we happily returned the next day and met the whole family – including
Shirley’s sister, a good friend, her parents, Nana and the grandkids. What an
interesting family and we greatly appreciate the opportunity to learn so much
about Samoan customs, families, village life and what comprises the Fa’a Samoa
(the Samoan Way).
The 3 pillars of Fa’a Samoa are the Matai (village chiefs),
Aiga (extended family) and the church. Each village has Matai – which are the
heads of the “extended family” and they have important duties within their
family and the village. According to the Samoa website, there are 362 villages
throughout the Western Samoa islands and over 18,000 Matai! Aiga is huge here - with a definite structure of respect, with elders garnering the most respect. It's not unusual for many family members to live under one roof, or for siblings to take care of each others kids. Everything revolves around family, church and village life.
 |
| Where all the big decisions are made! |
As you may have guessed, there are different levels of Matai and it turns out
Shirley and her family are highly titled Matai. Shirley’s father explained why
each house will have an open air structure and how the piles that support the
roof can indicate the number of “talking chiefs” in that village. When the
village has an issue, all of the talking chiefs (Matai) will gather and discuss
the issue completely. Once the head Matai has heard all of the arguments, they
will make a decision and that decision in FINAL! No more discussion, no more
arguments – their decision is the law. I found it an interesting way of problem
solving – everyone gets to say their piece, but the eldest (and presumably
wisest) Matai of the village has the final say. We can’t thank Shirley and her
family enough for sharing their home and their food and their knowledge with
us – it was a truly amazing experience!
Another reason we decided to stay a little longer in Apia is that the annual
Teuila Festival was set to begin just days after our arrival. This festival is
a huge attraction for the island, with lots of competitions, singing and fire
dancing to behold – definitely worth staying for. One of my favorite things
about Samoa is how interested the people are in greeting and learning about
where you are from, but also how willing they are to share their cultural
heritage. There was even a “Cultural Village” where you could learn about the
history and customs of their society – including food, carvings, tapa making,
tattooing and more. It was fascinating and all free!
 |
| Pe'a tattooing - not for the faint of heart! |
 |
| Check out those tattooing instruments - yikes! |
It turns out that the ancient art of needle tattooing, called Pe’a in
Samoa, is still alive and well. This traditional male tattoo, considered a
right of passage for receiving a Matai title, is not something that is taken
lightly as it is costly and extremely painful – but those who complete the
process garner great respect. Unfortunately, those who don’t often commit
suicide as it is considered highly shameful for you and your village if you
don’t complete the full tattoo. Pe’a, which consists of complete coverage
from the waist to the knees is undertaken using handmade tools and is
administered by Tufuga Ta Tatau – tattoo masters who are highly revered by their
fellow Samoans. We were able to witness this process taking place and I can
tell you it looks incredibly painful. Often family members and friends will be
in attendance to provide support and encouragement. Titled women also undergo
this process (though their designs are not quite as widespread) and Shirley
proudly showed us hers and thoroughly earned our respect!
 |
| Finished Tapa Paintings |
We were also highly fascinated to learn the complete process involved in
making tapa cloths – something we had actually purchased in the Marquesas –
basically paintings done on “cloth” made from specific trees. After watching
this process from start to finish, we had a much greater respect for the work
involved and felt amazed to have bought ours for what seems like a song
considering what is involved!
 |
Cutting the bark off the tree
   |
Flattening and pounding to stretch out the bark and than laying flat to dry.
After this the "cloth" is doubled up and filled in as needed to form a surface for painting the design. |
|
While all of these experiences were amazing, I would be remiss to not mention
the shear entertainment value of the annual fire dancing contest – one of the
most important parts of the Teuila Festival. We not only watched the final
competition, but also enjoyed the elimination rounds prior to the final night –
for both children and the adults. Yes – young boys also perform these dances
and it is very serious business. What a great experience to get to see all of
this up close and personal – I think Brett took almost 1000 photographs!
As you can likely tell from the length of this post, we just can’t say enough
about Western Samoa and how impressed we were with the people, the landscape,
and the importance of family, morals and traditions in this amazing society. I
would highly recommend a visit to these wonderful islands if you ever get the
chance.
 |
| Thanks for all the smiles Samoa! |
