Samoa

I'm turning 25 today as you are possibly reading this (no intention behind this for more birthday wishes!).  I spoke to my manager last Monday and said I needed to get away and have some personal time. With the way work was going and how I was feeling very uninspired with my life I decided I needed to see a different country and push my comfort zone a little wider. I was terrified to travel alone and was not particularly excited about it either. I despised the idea of getting away which surprised me a lot. How could I travel to so many places and for such a long time but now I can't even hop to a pacific island because I'm terrified about everything.With that being felt, I booked my ticket and accommodation in Samoa for 5 days. Monday night I booked my ticket and Thursday morning I was on the plane. It was the last minute comfort zone shattering I needed.

After a 4 hour flight and a +1 hour time change, I landed in Samoa at 2:00 pm. The heat and humidity hit me as soon as I stepped off the plane and it put an immediate smile on my face that couldn't be wiped off. I cleared customs and found a taxi driver by the name of Nu who agreed to drive me to my accommodation that was on the south-east side of the island, a 2 hour drive away! I felt as though all the weight was melted off my shoulders as we drove for an hour along the coast with huge pieces of volcanic stone, pristine blue water, white sand beaches, and palm trees. We then turned off and took the cross island road over the mountains, overlooking the vast island covered in coconut trees and vegetation, past the lake and hydro dam (imagine my excitement), and down to the best slice of heaven I've ever seen. The landscape is so manicured and so cared for the only place it reminded me of was Switzerland. The Samoan people genuinely care about their lives and enjoy every ounce of it.

I got to my resort, Taufua Beach Fales (Toe-fu-ah Beach Fa-lays), and it was so beautiful. There was 8 open Fales and 8 closed Fales on the beach with a main deck and kitchen/bar. There was another bunch of closed Fales up the mountain for those who wanted some more privacy. The atmosphere was all family based with the parents owning the place and the kids, cousins, nephews and nieces all working and hanging out there. On the deck there were tables and for breakfast and dinner they were all pushed together so we ate all together. The food was amazing and so nice that the 2 meals were included in accommodation. I stayed in an open Fale with the most beautiful view and experience. These are pictures I took lying on my bed. There was a mosquito net around my mattress and a tarp I could roll down/up if necessary.

My first day I laid on the beach. Thinking that I had tan lines from the summer still I though one application of SPF 30 sunscreen would be suffice. Well...that turned out to be wrong! I burnt my bum so damn badly I had to elevate myself and drift in and out of pain all night! When the tide was out you could walk for almost 3km down the beach and it was so peaceful and private - it was magic I tell ya! I couldn't get over the palm trees, shiva eyes and crystal clear water. I met some lovely people who were returning guests and we bonded over my previous pacific island travelling and decided to do a island trip the next day.

After breakfast, which was provided, we drove 2 villages away and stopped on the side of the road to catch a boat to another island. It's name was close to Nemo which reminded me of Lombok and Gili Meno so I had a particular soft spot for this little island. On the boat ride over we spotted 2 turtles and lots of fish. When we got to the island we took a Fale and grabbed some masks to see if we could spot more turtles. As it turned out I dropped my camera the day before and then decided that even if it was cracked I should probably go swimming with it cause hey...it's water proof. Well...that was a mistake! The snorkeling wasn't that great because there was a tsunami in 2009 and it wiped out the whole south east side of the island. We settled in for some lunch of fresh fish and pumpkin and the owner told us of her experience of the tsunami. I thought I could imagine and sympathise with survivors after being in Thailand but what these people went through was absolutely tragic. At the time, her husband was on the main land in Apia and she was on the island with her 5yr old son and 17 people on a school trip. She said she felt the earth quake, looked out and couldn't see a ripple in the bay to the main land. She turned on the radio and listened to see if something was wrong. She said she was watching the fishermen in the bay as the radio announcer said that he was leaving because there is a tsunami coming for the coast. She grabbed her son and got the group up the mountain as fast as possible. She had 10 minutes before the wave struck the small island destroying everything her and her family worked so hard for. She as unable to see the beach because of the tree coverage from up the mountain and when people began to appear on the coast across the bay she moved everyone back down to the beach. There was nothing left. 

On the third day I went to the To Sua Trench. It is a natural cave/hole in the ground with a underwater cave to the ocean. I managed to borrow a mask from another group there and dive through the cave to get into the open ocean. It was a 5 meter swim which isn't far but when you are underwater and there is no possible escape for 5 meters - it gets your blood pumping! It was amazing and the views of the rough ocean, ragged cliffs and lava fields were breath taking. Again the gardens and landscaping were impressive for being a south pacific country.

On the fourth day I  left Lalomanu Beach  and headed back to Apia with Lenny, my taxi driver. I went to the sliding rocks which are smooth-ish rocks formed from lava flow and water running over them. The algae on them makes them slippery and able to slip down them like natural slides. Well...the bruise on my bum right now is a testament to how much they just aren't smooth!  After that, Lenny picked me up and I went to the local craft fair, the local market and then we picked up his family and went to the doctors, hospital and then out for dinner. I just tagged along with them all day until we stopped at the turtle pond and then dropped me off at the airport.

It was an incredible trip and I can't believe it is over!