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latest picture: April 29, 2009

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01  On April 1st, 2009, in the port of

Apia, Emil is driving our LandCruiser

– arriving from Fiji – out of its

15th container into its 163rd country

 02  Our LandCruiser gets a Samoan

license plate. "Penina ole Pasefika"

means "Pearl of the Pacific"

03  The white Catholic Cathedral on

the city's waterfront is a glooming

landmark of Samoa's capital Apia

 

It is 1.30am of March 31st, 2009, a day that we regain due to the crossing of the date line during our Air Pacific flight from Fiji to Samoa, from Melanesia to Polynesia. Somewhat weary from the night flight, we enter the terminal and are surprised and pleased to see that a 5-men-band is still welcoming newcomers with Polynesian music at this early morning hour. Immigration is fast and smooth; we get a two months’ stay stamped into our passports. Then we grab our only bag that is already on the conveyor belt and hesitate: Shall we take the green exit (nothing to declare) or the red one?

04  Honourable Misa Telefoni,

Deputy Prime Minister of Samoa,

introduces us to the press .....

 05  .....and is eager to drive

our Guinness Record LandCruiser

for one kilometer through the

city of Apia

06  We drive through the

arch of "The treasured Island

of the South Pacific" in Apia

 

Our indecision is caused by Emil, who by no means did want to leave behind a piece of cheese from Fiji that we could not finish. Knowing that on all Pacific islands, cheese belongs to the forbidden items to import, we cautiously mentioned it on the customs form. So where to now: “Red” or “green”? While we are still arguing about it, a lady customs officer from the “green line” who attentively watches the exiting passengers, waves us to her side. Our “cheese problem” turns out to be no problem at all, because it is originating from New Zealand.

07  Honorable Misa Telefoni, Deputy

Prime Minister of Samoa, is presenting

Emil a souvenir of Samoa – a framed Fish

Hook – at a dinner in the "Sail" Restaurant

08  The "Fale Fono" – Samoa's

parliament house – sits at the

Mulinu'u Peninsula, which stretches

to the northwest of central Apia

09  The Clock Tower is the center

of Apia. It was constructed in

memory to the fighters and to those

who lost their lives in WW1

 

The ATM at the airport does not work – we change a few dollars to be able to pay the taxi to drive us the 22 miles to the capital Apia, where we booked a room in the Tatiana budget hotel. At the reception, there is a lady waiting, a bit sleepy though, but friendly. “We have upgraded you and put you in a better room on the 1st floor for the same price”, she welcomes us. Things seem to start rolling really well! We collapse onto the two comfortable beds in our spacious air-conditioned room with toilet and shower and realize only later that we are facing directly the busy road. Often we have the impression that the traffic rolls straight away through our room. Accordingly, we are still tired when we get up, but enjoy our rich self service breakfast consisting of banana and papaya, butter and marmalade, cornflakes and cracker, milk, tea and coffee.

10  Saturday afternoon at the central

bus terminal at "Maketi Fou" – the

fresh produce market: People are

waiting patiently for their transport .....

11  ..... the bus to Saleimoa

arrived and people are boarding

12  It is Kava time at "Maketi Fou".

Kava is a stimulating beverage that

belongs traditionally to all

Pacific islands

 

“The ‘Tropical Islander’ – the ‘Greater Bali Hai’ vessel with our LandCruiser’s container on board – has already berthed and started to unload”, informs us Hugo, the manager of Betham Brothers, our shipping agent, whom we pay our first visit. “I suggest you come tomorrow at 9am for the car release procedures”, he adds. As it is raining, we walk straight back to our hostel and buy our lunch – a frozen Hawaiian Pizza – at the Farmers Jo Supermarket nearby. After we moved into a quieter room, we put the pizza into the microwave, which in Samoa in most of the hostels belongs to the standard equipment. “Have you seen the two bottles of Gordon Gin from Fiji's duty free shop”, Emil asks when it is time for out traditional gin tonic aperitif?” We look everywhere, even in the old room, but it is nowhere. “I don’t believe it!” grumbles Emil. “We left it behind in the taxi. We are slowly getting old”.

13  Tombs of kings are spread out

at the Mulinu'u Peninsula northwest

of central Apia. Here rests

Malietoa Tanumafili II .....

14  ..... and at the tip of the Peninsula

are the seven-tiered tomb of the

Tu'imaleali'ifano dynasty and the

mausoleum of Tupua Tamasese

15  The white turreted church at

Vaipuna in Apia is a beautiful sight

 

Next morning, we are standing with a positive feeling in front of our 15th container. It is always an uncertain moment of getting our LandCruiser unharmed back, because such a container is moved several times around. Everything is proceeding fast and smoothly. The only thing we are asked by the quarantine is to have our car steam cleaned – this is their rule. One hour later, we are already driving out of the port. All fees have been waived – customs, quarantine and port – what a most appreciated surprise. What’s left now is the vehicle registration office, where we will have to get temporary local license plates and pay the road taxes.

16  In the flowering garden of the

Le Manumea Hotel in Vailima, every

morning and every evening this

beautiful Cardinal pays us a visit

17  The Ginger plant in its

deep red color is one of the

most fascinating flowers

of the tropics

18  This black crested

endemic red-vented

Bulbul is very curious

and relatively tame

 

However there is no favored treatment. As everybody else, we have to queue up with our agent for two hours until it is our turn. And as everybody else, we have also to pay the full yearly tariff of around US$200 despite that we will remain only three months in the country. But we do not want to complain, because we are more than grateful that the country’s Cabinet exceptionally accepted to admit our left hand driven vehicle temporarily. Any such import has been recently banned due to the fact that in September the island will change from right to left hand drive – a much discussed and hot subject. After buying a local driver’s license and having fixed our brand new license plates with the number “18864” to our LandCruiser, we are ready to explore the “Treasure Island of the South Pacific”, or “The Pearl of the Pacific”, as it is also called and written on the plates.

19  A lovely sunrise announces a new

day on the island of Upolu in Samoa

20  Girls are practicing for their

dance performance behind the

Tourist Office in Apia .....

21  ..... and the men are practicing

for races in 45-man canoes held on

special occasions, e.g. during the

independence celebrations on June 1st

 

“In Samoa, the world seems still to be intact!” This goes through our mind when we step into the anteroom of the Deputy Prime Minister, Hon. Misa Telefoni, without being checked and screened. We want to express our gratitude and appreciation personally for all his support regarding our car’s entry permit. Shortly after, we already sit in his office in front of a cup of coffee. After Yemen und Guyana, it is the third time that we are greeted at such a high level, except in Kuwait maybe, where Emil was invited to a Sheik to attend an Ambassador’s farewell.

22  The unique flair of Polynesia is

awaiting us at the legendary Aggie

Grey’s Lagoon Beach Resort & Spa

at the Northwest coast of Upolu. We

are invited there for two nights .....

23  ..... sleep in a deluxe room

facing the Pacific Ocean and

enjoy the beautiful exotic flower

arrangements on our beds .....

24  ..... and the lonely sand beach at

the far east corner of the Hotel Resort

 

The conversation is very relaxed. And in the short available time before his next meeting, Hon. Misa Telefoni gives Nora, his secretary, the order to arrange a press conference for tomorrow. Casually he remarks that he will arrange for us a couple of nights to a minimum cost in some luxury resorts and expresses his wish to be allowed to drive our widely traveled LandCruiser for at least one mile. Additionally, he spontaneously invites us to a personal dinner with friends for next Saturday. In Samoa not only the world seems to be still intact, but it appears to be full of surprises too.

25  The Museum of Robert Louis

Stevenson, Scottish author, who made

Samoa his second home and who spent

his last five years in this beautiful

residence four miles South of Apia .....

26  ..... His last wish was to be

buried at a plateau just below the

summit of the “Mount Vaea Scenic

Reserve” – a one hour steep trek

through the forest. This was 1894

27  View from Robert Louis

Stevensons’s Tomb over the

harbor and the city of Apia,

capital of Samoa

 

The press conference is taking place in the open behind the tourist office. At least, the rain has stopped, which has bothered us since our arrival. It is a very unique moment when Hon. Misa Telefoni climbs onto the driver’s seat of our LandCruiser, with Emil as co-driver, and off they go together. For the cameramen of the two TV stations and the journalists it is peak time. After a while, the two return smiling. “You should have seen the face of the policeman when he realized WHO is sitting behind the steering wheel of this ‘funny’ car”, recounts Emil. “He could not stop staring after us with his mouth left open”. It is one of those happenings that make us smiling whenever we remember it.

28  Samoa has one of the biggest con-

centrations of churches of any kind we

have ever seen. This is the treasure of

Fasitoouta near the airport of Faleolo

29  Children, all dressed in

spotless white, sit outside a church

in Apia during Sunday mass

30  Another of the plentiful

churches that shape Samoa

 

Saturday, we put on our newly ironed best dresses and head for the Sails Restaurant at the seashore for the private dinner with Hon. Misa Telefoni and his wife, Ms. Sarah Retzlaff. The place of honor is taken by Christiane and Herwig Niggemann, Germans from Bochum, who have published a small picture book “Samoa 1904” with old photos from Otto Tetens, the brother of Christiane’s grandfather, who traveled to Samoa in 1902 to build the Apia Observatory. It is an impressive collection that shows the way Samoan people lived 100 years ago.

31  Both are impressive: The oval

Meeting Hall in the Head of State’s

compound as well as the

huge tree beside it

32  A typical more modern home

in Samoa. It consists of one room,

just with pillars without exterior

or interior walls to maximize the

cool breezes inside

33  A relaxed picnic at the sea shore

 

With exquisite food we spend a relaxed evening. Emil and I enjoy striploin steak with pepper sauce, vegetables and potatoes as main course, while the other guests prefer garlic prawns with ginger, rice and salad. The other invitees are: Former Tourism Minister Hans Joachim Keil with his wife, and our Swiss Honorary Consul-General Marco Kappenberger with his wife. We are the last ones leaving in heavy rain and returning this time to the up-market Le Manumea Resort Hotel at the foot of Mt. Vaea, where, through intervention of our today’s host, we will be staying for an entire week in an own spacious garden bungalow with an outdoor (!) bathroom.

34  Near the pass of the „Central Cross

Island Road” stands the” Baha’i House

of Worship” with its 62ft. high dome. It is

one of the eight such temples in the world

35  From the “Central Cross Island

Road” a sweeping view opens to

the palm fringed South coast

36  Locals pose spontaneously

for a picture

 

After the last eventful days, it is getting quieter around us. And after the long lasting rain, finally also the sun is shining again. We are eager to explore the surroundings and head to the nearby forest of Mt. Vaea, where the Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson spent the last five years of his life and is buried at a platform below the peak. We can imagine how difficult it must have been to carry his coffin up the steep narrow forest path to his last resting place, when it takes even us one strenuous hour to get there from his mansion, which has been transformed into a museum. From his grave we enjoy the lovely view over the capital.

37  The Togitogiga waterfall on the

South coast plunges in two levels

into refreshing pools

38  A single yellow star charms this

white blossom. These flowers are

especially suitable for decorations

39  The tiny tropical island of

Nuusafee on the South coast

protrudes from the Pacific Ocean

 

Apia, Samoa’s Capital with its provincial character is the most attractive along the water front. The harbor wall stretches more than a mile to the tip of the Mulinuu peninsula, where the parliament house and also some tombs of ancient kings are located. But along this seashore it is also more or less the only spot where we can pitch up our camping table and chairs and enjoy our lunch without being afraid of being on private land. Because on one occasion we experienced a rather embarrassing situation: Misguided by a road sign saying “Reserve”, we entered a gate and suddenly landed in the unguarded premises of the Head of State.

40  This traditional modest thatched

house (Fale) with its simple meeting

place is a harsh contrast .....

41  ..... to the monumental new

church with its modern meeting

houses standing right next to it

42  Still the traditional Samoan

way: A home, open to all sides,

with blinds woven from palm

leafs to shut down during the night

 

Only through the two watchmen who immediately showed-up we realized where we are. We expressed our apologies and started to pack-up. To our big surprise, the more competent of the two suddenly said: “It is not a problem; you are welcome to eat your lunch here!” We could hardly believe it – neither scolding nor a charge, simply nothing. This can happen only in extraordinary Samoa! As it is the case on all of the Pacific Islands, the “private land system” applies also in Samoa, i.e. every square inch is family owned, what makes it not only impossible to camp but also very difficult to roam around freely.

43  On the Southern side of the „Le

Mafa” Pass the spectacular 177ft. high

waterfall Sopoaga plunges through dense

rainforest into an impressive gorge

44  Very green is the landscape

from the “Le Mafa” pass towards

Falefa on the Northeast coast .....

45  ..... with an amazing

looking vegetation

 

Unique in its construction are the traditional houses, called “Fale” – the landmark of Samoa. They are round or square in shape with a high thatched roof supported by wooden posts. There is only one room, without outer and inner walls in order to allow the flow of the cool sea breeze. For privacy or in the event of rain, woven blinds made of coconut leaves can be lowered. Nowadays, modern houses prefer to use curtains. These structures dominate the landscape and villages of this peaceful Pacific island; they serve not only as homes, but also as primary class rooms and especially meeting places. With their posts painted in different colors and surrounded by much cared tropical plants and flowers, they are always a lovely sight. Samoa often looks like a huge exotic garden to us, and the red, green and yellow seem to be more intensive than elsewhere. It is also the cleanest Pacific island that we have visited so far.

46  One of the beautiful coastal

views near Vailele on the North coast

47  Despite of the afternoon heat,

women are playing fistball

on their sport field

48  Preparing to thatch a roof with

palm leaves the traditional way. Four

layers are used. A thatched roof keeps

a place cooler than a corrugated iron

roof but needs much more maintenance

 

The deep-rooted customs – the ‘Fa’a (the Samoan way of life) – are still widely used. The villages are built on common land of extended families. Everything is communal. People deliver their earned money and merely receive some ‘peanuts’. There is no “I”, only “We”, what – to our opinion – reduces the motivation to work harder and gain consequently more. On the other hand, everyone is looked after. The head of each village is a “Matai” (chief). Together with his council he makes the rules, discusses problems and arbitrates over disputes. He is also maintaining peace, order and discipline, especially among young people, and watching that the evening prayers are observed by everyone. Every night – mostly around 6pm – the church bell (usually an empty propane tank is hit with a stick or a conch shell is blown) sounds three times. At the first struck of the bell, all activities cease. At the second each family gathers for evening prayer and at the third one the prayer is over. Interesting is also to discover that outside of Apia town there is hardly any police, may be once in a while a patrol car. All difficulties are tried to be solved within the village community.

49  People leaving the church in their

fabulous white dresses after a Sunday

mass is always a most beautiful sight

50  View from the „Theological

College“ of Malua direction

East towards Saleimoa

51  Marching of the “Royal Police

Band of Samoa” from the police

station in Apia to the Government

building: The flag rising ceremony

is daily (working days) while the

national anthem is played too

 

Religion still plays a vital role in Samoan life and the pastor carries the status of a “Matai” (chief). In no other countries we have seen such an accumulation of imposing churches. The communities seem to compete with each other in the size and elaborate architecture. They are a striking contrast to the simplicity of the homes. It can easily happen that in a small village there is up to three churches, standing side-by-side, each one more impressive than the neighbor. Each community wants to show its wealth. In a way, we have a problem with it considering the modest houses of the islanders in comparison, who also take turns in providing food to their pastor and contribute large amounts of money to their church (up to 30% of their income – we were told). Sunday is sacred and is spent with the family. Together they attend the mass. For us, it is always a joyous moment seeing the church goers in their spotless white dresses, and it is also always an experience to listen to their beautiful chanting through the open church doors. Except for established hotels and restaurants, in most of the Pacific islands alcohol is also prohibited to be sold on Sundays, be it because of a possible abuse or for religious motives.

52  Our house on the seashore in

Puipaa, 4 miles west of Apia,

which we rented for a couple

of weeks. Camping isn’t possible

in Samoa, and spending the nights

in hostels gets more expensive

53  „Our“ Kingfisher that is

always sitting on the same tree

and on the same branch beside

our house (see the white

Kingfisher in

American Samoa (picture 14)

54  A lonely fisherman gliding

silently in front of our house

through an almost

mirror-calm sea at sunrise

 

On Easter Sunday, we change once more our accommodation – from Le Manumea Hotel to the “Aggie Grey’s Lagoon & Beach Resort” in the Northwestern part of the island, where we are able to enjoy all the luxury for two nights – and once more at a reduced rate. Here we encounter some of the romantic South Pacific atmosphere remembering from our short-term vacations back in the 1970’s, when we traveled through the Pacific islands more than once: Palm trees, a turquoise lagoon and a white sandy beach. Our room is decorated with a profusion of tropical flowers – beautifully arranged on the two king size beds and the table. And in the bathroom red Hibiscus flowers are glooming from every corner. It is a lovely welcome! From June to September the whole hotel complex, which normally is booked mainly by package tours from New Zealand, is rented out to the American television network CBS for their 19th episode of the “Survivor” series.

55

56

57

The sunrises in front of our house show each day a new spectacular picture

 

The name “Aggie Grey” derives from a courageous American lady, who in 1942 in World War II sold hamburgers and coffee to US solders in order to feed her family. This made her known throughout the Pacific region. Her snack corner was the social meeting point of war tired solders. Some decades later, she expanded her “burger bar” into a hotel – the„Aggie Grey’s Hotel & Bungalows“ in Apia. Still today “Aggie’s” is a legend, where after more than 60 years bungalows are still named after visiting celebrities like Marlon Brando or Roberta Haynes. Aggie Grey died 1988 aged 91. The „Aggie Grey’s Hotel & Bungalows“ in the town of Apia, as well as the „Aggie Grey’s Lagoon & Beach Resort“ near the airport, respectively near the ferry terminal to Savaii, are now managed by her nephew Frederick Grey.

58  The traditional „Fale“ on poles

without walls dominate the look of

Samoa. They are used as gathering

places (in Siufaga – Southwest) .....

59  ..... or as family homes

(in Falelatai – Southwest) .....

60  ..... and also as school

rooms for lower classes

(in Fasitoouta – Northwest)

 

As it was already the case in New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Fiji, we spend also three months in Samoa in order to “amortize” the hefty shipping and airline costs of our Pacific island hopping. But the thought to have to move back to the cheap budget accommodations for the remaining ten weeks – and cheap means at least US$45 a night for a double room, does not make us happy. Why not try to rent an affordable apartment or even a house? We start investigating. Luck has it that one of the furnished houses of the Deputy Prime Minister in Puipaa – approx. 4½ miles West of Apia – is vacant at the moment, and he is willing to rent it out to us for the required period for a price that costs us half of what we would have paid in a budget hotel.

61  View over the Fagaiofu Bay in

the Southwest (and in the background

the sister island of Savaii) .....

62  ..... where in the village of

Falelatai stands one of the most

beautiful monumental churches,

which are nearly as numerous

in Samoa as the “Fale“

63  The setting of the “Return to

Paradise Beach” in the Southwest

comes already very close to our vision

of a Pacific paradise. It got its name

from the shooting of James Michener’s

novel “Return to Paradise” in 1951,

starring Gary Cooper

 

It is situated directly at the seashore, has a living room, three sleeping rooms, a shower with hot water, a kitchen and a porch. We like it at first sight. And being able to access also internet via Lesamoa.net, we move in on April 15th. It contains everything we need, even a washing machine. Very soon we make acquaintance with our surroundings: With the yellow-blue king fisher that is sitting always on the same tree, with the curious bulbul birds, with a red-black cardinal that feeds on the red hibiscus flowers, with the nearly flightless buff-banded rail (a kind of a small chicken) that is looking for food all day long on the lawn and with the smart mynas that appear in groups and seem to chatter all day long.

64  Sitting in the refreshing sea

makes washing the laundry by hand

in the tropical heat less strenuous

65  A father is fishing with his

two children. Each time a wave

approaches, the little girl grabs

fearfully her father’s leg

66  A fisherman is banging with his

stick onto the water surface in order to

chase the fishes into his laid out net

 

Continuations from Samoa:

 

• Pictures from the second part of our Samoa trip: Island of Upolu: Part 2
• Pictures from the 47th Independece Day in Apia/Upolu on June 1st, 2009
• Pictures from the fourth part of our Samoa trip: Island of Savaii

 

Articles in newspapers about us in Samoa:

Article: "Switzerland couple have travelled to 163 countries", Daily Newspaper "Samoa Observer" - April 5, 2009

Article: "World travellers take fond memories", Daily Newspaper "Samoa Observer" - July 1, 2009