With our lovely week in American Samoa behind us, Eitan and I left Pago Pago and I was relieved to find the conditions outside the harbor were much calmer than when we arrived. After completing the 6-day passage to American Samoa, the remaining legs to get to Fiji were limited to only one or two nights and I could almost see the weight lifted off Eitan’s shoulders as we got closer to our final destination for the season. We no longer needed to bring on crew or plan to our trips around tight weather windows.
Our passage to Apia in Western Samoa was idyllic with winds in the perfect range of 10-15 knots. Eitan and I took turns alternating 3-hour shifts and we arrived the next day, in the early morning. Although the trip only took around 20 hours, we technically arrived two days later since we lost a day after crossing the international dateline. American Samoa and Western Samoa are in the same time zone, just 24-hours apart. So, 11 am on Tuesday in American Samoa is 11 am on Wednesday in Western Samoa.
Since Western Samoa is a new country and we would need to host a visit from customs and immigration, Eitan decided to tie up in the marina and save them the dinghy ride. We spent the better part of the day unable to step foot on the dock until we were cleared by different officials from quarantine, health, customs, and immigration offices. Given the number of boats in the anchorage, we were surprised that the marina was almost completely empty, especially considering it was one of the cheapest marinas we had ever been in. We received a call on the radio from our friends on SV Holdfast asking about the condition of the marina and a few minutes later they were tied up a few slips down from us. Within a day, the marina was almost packed and Eitan joked that he was the trendsetter. Although the marina had 360 degrees of swell protection, about half of the docks were missing as a result of a past cyclone. Luckily, our half of the dock was still looking good even if it was partially held together by ratchet straps!
Brian and Dylan on SV Holdfast rented a car to drive around the island the next day and invited us along. We technically buddy-boated across the Pacific with Brian and ran into him a number of times but I’d never actually met him in person before. It was obvious that he had never driven on the left side of the road and we almost got in a few accidents throughout the day, but I suppose that’s all part of the adventure. Our first couple of stops were at two different waterfalls, both dry and unimpressive. Our third stop was at a place called To Sua Ocean Trench, which was incredible. The property had a massive sink hole in the ground that revealed a turquoise swimming pool at the bottom. We climbed down the stairs and enjoyed the natural pool all to ourselves. Once again, no tourists!
We had a nice lunch at the beach in Lalomanu, then ended the day visiting a couple more waterfalls, making a loop around the eastern half of the island. After we found that the first two waterfalls were dry, we didn’t have much hope for the third, but the Sopo’aga Waterfall was flowing and stunning! The viewing area around the waterfall was well-kept and manicured despite being completely empty and unmanned.
Next, we headed up the road to the Fuipisia Waterfall which seemed to be an overgrown path leading from someone’s backyard. We bushwhacked and tramped through a muddy path to get there and I was disgusted to see that Eitan had discovered two small leaches had caught onto his leg hair and were ready to sink their teeth in. Yuck! This waterfall almost looked exactly like the other one, just from a different angle, and we weren’t quite sure if we paid twice to see the same waterfall. Luckily, Google maps revealed that they were actually different waterfalls. Overall, it was a great day of sightseeing with new friends!
Coming from French Polynesia, we were shocked at the prices of things in the Samoas. I figured the steep prices we had seen earlier in the trip were a result of the islands’ remoteness. Samoa was just as remote, but everything was incredibly cheap. Spotting a sign outside the marina for upholstery, we got a quote from a local family to reupholster our V-berth and shampoo our salon cushions for only $300 (we were quoted over twice that amount in Mexico!). They came by to pick up the cushions and promised to deliver them back within two days.
The produce was also quite cheap and I went to a local open-air market to get some fresh groceries. I picked out a few things here and there and only had eggplant left on my shopping list. I asked one of the vendors how much for the eggplant and she said 6 tala, or about $2. Expecting maybe a half dozen, she loaded up a two-gallon bag to the brim, giving me almost 30 eggplants even though I insisted I didn’t need any more than 10! On my way back from the market, one of the local taxi drivers asked if I needed a ride back to the marina. I asked how he knew where I was going and he said he had seen Eitan and I wandering about town throughout the week and only charged me about $1 to drop me off.
Towards the end of our week in Apia, Eitan and I realized we hadn’t been to happy hour at the bar next to the marina yet. We heard they had great happy hour specials but the cushions were delivered just as we were leaving the boat. Since we didn’t have enough cash to pay them on the spot, Eitan went with them to the ATM while I put in our drink order before happy hour was over. With 10 minutes left to spare, I ordered two premium fancy cocktails which were discounted to $3! I later found out they normally go for an outrageous $5.
As I sat at an empty table with my two martini glasses waiting for Eitan, I was approached by a woman from the neighboring table who asked if I wanted to join them. I happily accepted and met Jo, a middle-aged woman from Melbourne who was practically a local, having been to Samoa almost two dozen times. She sat with a local Samoan woman, about my age, named Lagi, along with her boyfriend and dad. I couldn’t help but notice her dad’s tattoos, extending from his shorts down to below his knees. Samoan tattoos appeared to be different from those seen in both the Cook Islands as well as French Polynesia. Each island group seemed to have their own tattoos styles.
In Samoa, there was also a difference between the types of tattoos for men and women. Men’s tattoos were very dense and covered all most all the skin between their waist to below their knees. Whereas, women’s tattoos appeared to be a seres of small dots forming lines, Xs, and stars. Lagi’s dad explained the tattoos are a right of passage and tell a story of which family and part of the island you are from. Jo also chimed in saying everything from the waist down to the knees is tattooed. Ouch! The men’s tattoos take about a week and the process is steeped in tradition and superstition, like how you have to sleep on the floor until the tattoo is healed. Lagi joked that her cousin didn’t sleep on the floor afterward and it gave him bad luck.
We chatted for a while and Eitan took so long to return that I drank his drink, then Lagi ordered a round of beers for the table once Eitan finally arrived. They invited us to karaoke night at a nearby hotel called Taumeasina Island Resort, the nicest resort in all of Western Samoa. With nothing better to do, we agreed and I set down some cash on the table to cover the beers that Eitan and I drank. Lagi almost looked offended and insisted that when a Samoan invited you to something, it means they will pay for it.
They drove us down the street to the resort which was absolutely stunning. Samoa doesn’t have much of a tourism industry, but if any celebrity, like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, comes for a visit, this is where they stay. Karaoke night was in full swing and Eitan signed up for his first song while Lagi set down another bucket of beers on the table. The crowd was a mix of local Samoans and other people who looked Samoan but likely lived elsewhere and were just visiting. Jo, Eitan, and I were the only white people there.
The karaoke was hosted by a nationally famous ladyboy called Cindy of Samoa, who took a liking to Eitan. As he got up to sing his first song, Sweet Caroline, she continuously chimed in with flirtatious comments that sent all of us busting up with laughter. Singing karaoke is my nightmare so I just watched as some other, really talented singers performed. By the end of the night, Cindy announced that Eitan was the winner of karaoke! He certainly wasn’t the best singer by a long shot, but she clearly favored him. She asked how long he was planning to be in Apia and Eitan responded we were probably leaving the next day. He had unknowingly passed up a free stay at the hotel which was the winning prize. Since the hotel was fully occupied for the next two days, we would have gotten the free room if we responded with a date farther out. Ouch!
Keeping with Eitan’s word, we decided to depart Apia the next day. We could have stayed much longer but the weather looked good for the short passage to our next destination, a little country called Wallis and Futuna.
