Day off!!!

Sorry, this is gonna be a long one… but with pictures!

Yesterday was our first real day off in Samoa! It had rained straight for the last 3 days, which was a nice break from the heat, but wasn’t great for swimming or seeing the island. Yesterday, though, it didn’t rain at all. Why? Because TIS. Because it was Matt’s birthday. Because life is wonderful!

We got up early in the morning and hiked to Nu’uuli Falls. This is supposed to be a very easy hike with a gorgeous view, and it’s a close walk to where we are staying, so we thought it would be the perfect morning excursion. What we didn’t anticipate is that, since it had been raining for the past 3 days or so, the trek would be a little harder than we expected… At certain points, we literally ended up fording river rapids, which was a little scary but also added to the adventure! The waterfall itself was gorgeous! People swim in it sometimes, but because the water was so high the waterfall was too wild for that. We got soaked just standing near it taking pictures, although some of us did hike a little through the water to get to a smaller falls nearby. One of the funniest things about Nu’uuli Falls is that it was so beautiful, but all the Samoans we have talked to have said they’ve never been: Samoans aren’t huge on hiking, I guess.

Going off into the jungle!

The group hiking to the waterfall.

Rapids!!!

Me being a dork, Nu'uuli Falls in the background.

After Nu’uuli Falls we caught a bus at the road and went down to the Marketi (market) to catch a bus to the East side of the island (we live in the Midwest). There aren’t as many buses that go East, so we had to wait a while. We did meet some very nice ladies that “adopted us” and tried to help us out, rounding up West side bus drivers who would agree to take us to the East for $3-$5 a person (not bad, but a normal bus ride is $1). The women were so kind and helpful, and basically the epitome of all of the Samoans we have met… the people here are absolutely amazing! We did finally find an Aoa bus, which would take us where we needed to go… which was… Tisa’s Barefoot Bar! Samoa is very modest, so most beaches require that all people (including girls) wear knee-length shorts and t-shirts or tank tops. However, Tisa’s is one of the only places on island that allows bikinis (and also serves beer and umbrella drinks!), so it’s very popular with the palagis (white people). After a long morning, we were happy to hang out in the water, relax in our bikinis, and have a few beers and the best pina coladas we had ever had! We also had a lot of fun talking to Candy Man, Tisa’s partner from New Zealand who has been in AmSam for 25 years now. He made us fresh caught fish for dinner and it was awesome! They also have kittens! And a dog named Palagi that is so friendly and clean, compared to the island’s stray dogs.

Tisa's!!!

The bar!!! (We loved it. Obviously.)

View of the beach from Tisa's balcony.

Jackie and Steevee enjoying the Biggest Beer Ever. (Strongest, too)

Kittens! On a beach!!! Beach kittens! Playing! I never wanted to leave.

Amazing.

After spending all afternoon at Tisa’s we caught a ride on the back of a truck with a man called Tonka Man, who was nice enough to take us past the Marketi all the way home!

Riding home in the truck! Absolutely the best way to travel, though it lacks the Aiga Bus soundtrack.

 That night, we were invited over to a Samoan friend’s house to hang out. He introduced us to some of his friends, and we drank a couple beers and just chilled, getting to know some new people and just relaxing. The guys were all really great, and it was a lot of fun to get out for the night! Some of them didn’t speak great English so they were a little shier, but all of them were so nice, and really funny! I have yet to meet a Samoan I don’t like. Michael, the guy whose house it was, offered to take us all dancing, but we were exhausted, so we stayed for a while and then he walked us back home (because he said the dogs get worse at night, though we haven’t had any problems yet). He also promised to take us to a great snorkeling beach sometime this week.

So far, this was my favorite day on the island… we got to explore, swim, and meet new people. I’m really starting to love Samoa, and every time I see something like the Nu’uuli Falls or the view from the balcony of Tisa’s I can’t believe how lucky I am to call this island home (at least for a while).

Alofa ia te oi (love you!), and miss you all! 

I leave you with the tiniest lizard I have ever seen.