"Treasures of Cruising the World" with Bill & Mary Ann: Report #26 Apia, Upolu, Samoa October 20, 2016 Thursday Partly Sunny & 86 degrees 85 Pictures Part #1 Of 3

Our port of call for today was Apia, on the island of Upolu, Samoa. The population is 37,000 people. Even though the distance from Pago Pago is over 80 miles, there is a sharp contrast between these islands. Yesterday's port was more village-like and far less modern. Apia is a bigger city with high rise buildings, huge markets, hotels, and the hustle and bustle of a busy metropolis. We get the feeling that this island may be more suited for tourists, looking for diving, snorkeling, and hiking, but also for luxury and comfort.

The claim to fame for Apia is the fact that Robert Louis Stevenson, the famous author, lived and wrote here for a number of years. He said he found island bliss here. His home has been turned into a museum, and you can take a tour there. Speaking of tours, four of them were offered in and out of Apia today. Durations were from 3 ½ to 6 hours, and all but one had a kava ceremony involved. That one was a panoramic drive with a beach stop and lunch. Last year, we took an all day tour to the Le Vasa Villa Resort, assuming there was no kava ceremony. Wrong. Once we arrived to the resort, about a 2 hour ride, the first thing they did was invite us into the lobby to participate in the kava welcome. As we mentioned before, kava is a concoction made from brewing roots of a peppermint bush (or something close to it). Not sure what else goes into it, but it comes out like a muddy drink, which is shared from a common bowl that is passed among the participants. And it is probably not polite to refuse it.

So we tried to fade into the backround, blending in with the wallpaper, so to speak. Maybe they won't notice us. After all, there were about 30 of us that came in the bus. Nope, didn't work. Wouldn't you know it……the chief headed right for us with the muddy drink. No choice, we pretended to take that sip, then quickly pass it to the next guest. Bottom line…..we survived it, but promised not to be put in that situation again.

So, no tours for us today. First thing we did, was get off of the ship, and get a good map of the city. By 10:30am, most of the tour buses had left, and the local greeters were not too busy. One of the gals gave us good directions to town and the best place to find a nice lunch.

On our way out of the port, we talked to friends that were already on their way back to the ship. They hiked over an hour, but the heat got to them. Glad we threw a couple of sodas in the bag before we left.

Right on the pier, there is shopping……..souvenirs, clothing, carvings, etc. You did not have to go far to find a treasure. The money used here is the Samoan tala and is worth 2.62 to the US $1.00. However, at these open markets, they gladly take US dollars.

We walked and walked around the Apia Harbor, all the way to town, passing by a slew of taxi drivers, offering us cheap tours. We have to admit, they were polite, even when we said no thanks. One of the nicest hotels we passed was the Sheraton. It was formerly Aggie Greys Hotel until Sheraton bought it a few years back. We will definitely come back here after our walk.

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is a beautiful church that we toured last year. A good place to stop was the Samoa Tourism Authority, where we picked up more information with numerous pamphlets.

Right in the center of town is the Town Clock, which was built after World War 2. Nearby was the Fish Market, a large Flea Market, and the local bus depot. We read somewhere that there are no specific bus stops. You simply wave them down, then pay when you exit.

The fish market was interesting, although technically it opened at 5:30am and was supposed to close by 8am. An assortment of freshly-caught fish was still being sold, so half of the vendors were still there, waving the flies away with palm leaves.

We picked up some small keepsakes at the Flea Market, but did not last long under the tents. It was just too hot and sticky there. Up the road a piece, we located the Fugalei Market, the largest open-air produce and souvenir building. Of course, it was easy to find some more treasures here. We would have liked to buy some of those small tangy bananas, but it was too far to pack them.

Making our way back, we went directly to the Sheraton. We were received into the lobby like we were royalty. People here are really nice. We inquired about a restaurant here, and we were sent through the lobby to a winding roof-covered path to the swimming pool and restaurant overlooking it. A duo of guitar singers were entertaining some guests there while they enjoyed lunch.

Never guess what we had………..Margherita pizza, of course. And local beer by the name of Manutagi. Sitting under the overhead fans near the outdoor breeze was perfect. Our waitress said it had rained all night, and they were looking forward to the change of seasons. She said it was too hot and humid for the locals too. Compared to yesterday, the weather was partly cloudy and warm today. Of course, packing the umbrella did the trick.

Walking back, we crossed a small bridge over the Vaisigano River. A feral dog was wading in the shallow pools in the river, cooling off in the heat. He wasn't dumb. A reminder we needed to cool off ourselves, but that would be back on the ship.

All aboard was 4:30pm, and the sail away party was at 5pm. It was easy for the ship to sail out of this harbor, because it was right outside a small breakwater. We doubt we even had a pilot with us. As the island got smaller, we watched the sea birds work the wake, catching small fish. We were about to leave when we saw a couple of tropic birds flying around the aft of the ship. They are a give-away as they sport one long tail feather, and are prettier than the terns or gulls. Definitely prettier than the one frigate bird we saw chasing after the tern's catch.

While we were working on photos, we noticed that we were passing a bunch of tiny islands outside our window as we sail towards Fiji. Should be there by Saturday.

Most of us ordered the salisbury steak for dinner tonight. It came with a mushroom gravy with mashed potatoes and peas and carrots. Such a typical comfort meal.

Showtime was a performance by the singers and dancers, we assume. Bellisima was the title with a classical concert-style experience. They really are a talented group. Wonder why they did this show tonight, instead of saving it for tomorrow's Gala evening? Unusual entertainment for a port day.

The clocks went back one hour tonight, which is unusual to do two time changes in two days. Take one hour away, then give it right back. No wonder we are getting dizzy.

Bill & Mary Ann

Flowers from Christel, guest relations manager