Back to the Tropics

Out the window pane, a spectacular view. Blue, mystic ocean as far as the eye could see in all directions. Fluffy white and pink clouds floating by. A cluster of dots grew larger, gained definition, and palm treed beaches came into view. Our plane touched down and I breathed a sigh of relief. Samoa. After 10.5 hours in the air, it was a comfort to have solid ground under us again. Matalena had slept 9 of those hours in a curled up position on top of one of my legs, which had gone numb...but I didn't care, I was so grateful for the long sleep!

Upon exiting the plane door and beginning the trek down the stairs to the tarmac...Samoa greeted us in full force. Hot humid air, beauty like a dream, and foreign faces smiling at us. We were fully sweating by the time we got to the immigration lineups. The kids were in full length PJs so as not to be cold in the plane, but now they were starting to be very uncomfortable!

We collected our many many suitcases, filled with our needs as well as enough kitchen/medical supplies to start a small business operation...which was exactly what we were afraid they would think we wanted to do. People from home sent us with gifts of love to bless the people of Nu's village, and Nu managed to get us out of the airport without having anything confiscated or taxed heavily due to some quick bargaining, a chance encounter with an old high school friend, now a customs officer, and a sly slip of a 20 dollar bill. When in Rome...

A good friend's brother picked us up in his van, and we headed for the main city, Apia, about 30 minutes. There we would be reunited with Nu's aunts Valelia and Faloia and cousin Reita, her son Shalom and another family member, Elisapeta.



These people are some of the most gentle and gracious that I know. They take us into their small fale, feed us, put out mattresses and sheets for the night and make us feel at home. It's so good to see them again.

After freshening up a bit with a frigid shower, we head into town to do the day's work: rent a vehicle, change money over, finagle a good deal on a refridgerator and book a spot on tomorrow's ferry. Our usual mode of transportation here is taxi. Very few people own a vehicle and many take the taxi daily.

Bump, bump, bump, down the little dirt lane from the fale. Passing lush tropical plants, growing tall, scraping the windows. Past empty open houses, laundry hanging here and there, a stray dog of two, a couple crisply uniformed students walking with their books, and the little store at the corner that sells out of the front window. Into town, where it is all noise and bustle. Lots more vehicles on the streets than there were 5 years ago when we were here. Vehicles come first on these streets, pedestrians second...so watch out! Apia boasts (?) the one McDonalds of the country, and we stop in for an ice cream cone with the kids. It's a nice break where they can play on the play structure.

Our business is accomplished and we've enjoyed the day with the relatives. We head to bed early to prepare for the journey tomorrow.



The next day we said goodbye to the hustle and bustle of the city, ate some fresh fluffy white bread and boiled eggs at the ferry landing, then took a morning ride over to Savaii, where Nu grew up. We had so many suitcases, plus the refridgerator, that we had to take 2 vehicles to the ferry. Nu drove our rental to lead the way, and myself and two of the kids followed in a taxi. We had a crazy driver. He tailgated Nu much of the way, passed him, then realized that he was supposed to be following him and waited on the side of the road. Pause, then repeat. And Nu was not driving slowly by any stretch of the imagination. I almost told him to go sit in the back seat and took over the wheel myself!



Once we arrived in Salelologa, we set off again, Nu leading, us following behind. We had a much better driver this time. We passed through his village on the way to Lano, where Nu's parents live. His wife and son were standing by the road waving at him pass. We stopped to grab some ice cream. This was a mistake. Ice cream melts at the speed of light in Samoa. And so it was a race against time for the two kids and I to eat our ice cream before it ended up in a sticky mess all over our taxi's velvet covered interior. oh dear. I had my wet wipes out, but it was really a disaster. Now we were covered in ice cream drippings, sticky, and leaving our taxi driver with apologies for the mess...ready to greet Nu's Mom and Dad at Lano.