Good bye Beautiful Samoa

We're leaving Samoa. 

"It's easy to say hello, but hard to say goodbye". That is what our cab driving friend Tiali told me today. How right he is. We've had a great time here. We've met incredible people. We've seen stunning natural features and landscapes. It is an incredible country. 

But, our pocket books, calendars, and livers are all screaming for a break...so tomorrow, we head for Canton Island, in the Phoenix Group of Kiribati.

We will not have internet again for many months. Please hold off on emailing us with your photos for a while. We will continue to update our blog via the satellite phone. Unfortunately, I won't have enough time to update the blog with all our Samoan adventures, but here's a few images of Samoa.

Dancers at the Fia Fia

Dancers at the Fia Fia

Daniel cruising down at the Sliding Rocks (photo by Michelle)

Renova disappearing in the swell (photo by Eric)

Here is Renova and Evangeline bobbing about as we left the harbour during the Tsunami warning. (Photo by Eric)

A few of the interesting items at the fish market (photo by Dom)

Fire dancing (photo by Dom)

The sunset dinghy derby. FISH ON.

Earlier this week, I've added a few other posts of our time in Samoa...but you'll have to scroll down to see them...they are backdated. 

Naomi is a Samoan Name

I've taken to introducing myself as Nah-omi. As opposed to my usual NAY-omi. Rhymes with FA-omi...as in the musical note FA. It is a common Samoan name, and that is the proper pronunciation in Japanese too. So it isn't a stretch. And the local people love it. They always tell me that their wife, cousin, sister, etc is Naomi! Or the ferry. Or Ruth's sister. Cool.

Introducing...MUFFIN

Our new dinghy. A West Marine special. Super small. Super floaty! Hurray. We have to patch a couple holes, but in the meantime, John is just enjoying it on the dock. Alec is looking pretty pleased too. 

Catch me now...

Here's our new Yamaha 4hp Outboard. And John whipping around the marina with it's newly installed carburetor. Happy guy. 

A New Ride

So, if you've been following along with this blog...or if you know me a little... you may know that I've been jones'in for a folding bike for some time. A small bike would be the perfect get-around vehicle for these small islands, where the anchorage isn't always beside the bank and/or grocery store. 

As luck would have it, our dive charter company had a couple of small folding bikes for their employees, and they were going to upgrade to mtn bikes!! Hurray for me. He sold one of them to me for $300 tala. About $120 CDN. And the best part...it is blue! It is pretty small, not at all well-fitting, single speed, poorly equipped, but worth every penny. Apia is about a 10-15 minute walk, so the bike makes little errands super easy. And...there aren't many bikes here, so the locals get a kick out of seeing me with my little bike. I'm just as happy as can be.

Daily Ritual

While in Samoa, we've had to work hard to keep cool in the blistering heat. Being in the marina doesn't allow the breeze to flow through the boat, so it is stifling hot. We suffer. By the afternoon, we're all ready for a break. Most days, we head to the pool at Aggie Gray's Hotel for happy hour. Not much is better than a cold cocktail and a swim. 

Christmas in Samoa

Dom is here!! He arrived late on Monday, with a pack FULL of goodies from
our wish list, and odd treats sent from friends and family. Thanks to
everyone who filled his bag, especially Amy, Dave, Mum, Murray and Celina!
We are now happily fixing the outboard, eating chocolate and conditioning my
hair! Ahhh...the simple pleasures!!

We spent his first day exploring town and seeking the Prime Minister's
permission to explore some of the outer anchorages. Today, we hope to tour
the island with our taxi-driving friend, Tiali.

Marina living...

They have a new marine here in Apia. Only a couple years old. Nice cement
docks. And you MUST tie up here. There is no longer any anchoring permitted
in the harbour. They even send out a boat to greet you, guide you into your
berth and help you to tie up. And...there is drinkable water (hurray) and
electricity (220v - not so handy for us). And of course, there is a nightly fee...which adds up quickly.

Marina living is pretty good. We were put into the slip right at the bottom
of the ramp to shore, so we have met everyone here. Not many cruising boats
here - a couple of empty sailboats, and a few fishing charter boats.
Everyone has been super friendly. And for the first time in memory, we're
the largest boat, for the moment. Weird. So we've been having quite a few
dinners aboard Renova.

Here we are enjoying musical performances from Alec (fishing guide aboard
Southern Destiny) and Shawn (local from across the street). Dom and Eric
also provided musical entertainment for the evening!

Siva Afi

We have been lucky to arrive in Apia, Samoa in time for the 10th Annual International Siva Afi competition. Siva Afi is fire dancing. So for the past three evenings, we've enjoyed first the seniors qualifications, the juniors, and the finals! There is big stakes for this competition. The winner receives $3000 tala...almost 3/4 of the average annual income!

The shows were incredible. It was difficult to take photos, but I'll try to process some of the small video clips in the coming days.

Here are John and I, sporting our lava lavas...the sarongs that are commonly worn by men and women in the Samoas.

When was the last time...

That you had to bring in a flat bed truck in order to take home the fish you just caught??


Well, I have to admit that I've never had to call in a truck for my fishing exploits. In fact. All the fish I've ever caught (in my life) would probably fit into the trunk of my Civic.

SO...that provides a bit of context for this...

I'm sitting in the boat, cleaning the galley (guest is coming, remember), and this is what I see out the port hole!!

 

Without doubt the biggest Marlin I've ever seen. The young guy, Ryan, caught the fish.

It took him 2 and a half hours to bring it to the boat. And then they had to drag it to the marina, as they couldn't bring it aboard. Whew. It weighed 198 KILOS!! It was a Blue Marlin. Beautiful. Amazing. Humongous. And Sad.

A Birthday Party!

La Familia threw a birthday party for Liva's 2nd birthday, even though we were a few days late. Grandma and Grandpa were visiting, and with several other boats, we had enough people to warrant cakes and ice cream!! Hurray.

Here we are...singing Happy Birthday in English and Norwegian!

Arrived in Samoa

We arrived in Samoa this morning, after an overnight sail under a full moon from American Samoa. The port control met us in the harbour and led us to a berth in the new marina. Throughout the day, we've been visited by Customs, Public Health, Agriculture and Immigration officials.

We are currently snuggled into the Apia marina, our first marina since Mexico!! Our position is 13°49.6 S, 171°45.5 W

Our friends on La Familia are also here, and Secret Agent Man has just arrived. We're looking forward to exploring! But first...we'll catch up on some zzzzzz's.