Post from Tim:
The last five days have been rejuvinating. Our cabin by the water at Si'ufaga Beach sports a small kitchen, so I've been experimenting with coconut rice, fresh bananas, Samoan cocoa, and canned food. My eyes are blurry from reading too many books. My only real excitement turned out to be the huge tarantula I found next to the toilet. Needless to say, Michelle wasn't as excited as I was.
But it is a good day to leave the house and look around the island of Suvai'i. So we rented a car from a guy named Otto.
Suvai'i is one of the largest islands in Polynesia, but circling the island's well paved coastal highway only takes 3 1/2 hours at a slow pace. The style of our Korean-made diesel 4 wheel drive was similar to a classic jeep. Although the car itself was not old, the spongy brakes, broken windshield, fishy steering, and bald tires made me feel like I was driving a true classic. At least it ran well.
We headed up the east coast of the island looking to complete a counter-clockwise loop. The eastern coast of the 50 000 person island is the most heavily populated, so we passed through village after village of colorful fales. After the lava fields of the north side, we entered the Falealupo Peninsula. An old Catholic church lay there in ruins, destroyed by a terrible cyclone almost 10 years ago. Continuing down the west coast, we passed tall rocky sea arches and stop in the Taga Blowholes.
The Taga Blowholes shoot a huge blast of misty air and water every minute or so. It is said to propel coconuts hundreds of feet into the sea. I couldn't help thinking of myself shooting up through it like a human cannonball. I wasn't equipped with a crash helmet and jumpsuit, so I decided not to try it out. Maybe on my next visit.
Our circle complete, we returned the car, hitched a ride from Otto, and made some strange stew with canned mackerel.
But it is a good day to leave the house and look around the island of Suvai'i. So we rented a car from a guy named Otto.
Suvai'i is one of the largest islands in Polynesia, but circling the island's well paved coastal highway only takes 3 1/2 hours at a slow pace. The style of our Korean-made diesel 4 wheel drive was similar to a classic jeep. Although the car itself was not old, the spongy brakes, broken windshield, fishy steering, and bald tires made me feel like I was driving a true classic. At least it ran well.
We headed up the east coast of the island looking to complete a counter-clockwise loop. The eastern coast of the 50 000 person island is the most heavily populated, so we passed through village after village of colorful fales. After the lava fields of the north side, we entered the Falealupo Peninsula. An old Catholic church lay there in ruins, destroyed by a terrible cyclone almost 10 years ago. Continuing down the west coast, we passed tall rocky sea arches and stop in the Taga Blowholes.
The Taga Blowholes shoot a huge blast of misty air and water every minute or so. It is said to propel coconuts hundreds of feet into the sea. I couldn't help thinking of myself shooting up through it like a human cannonball. I wasn't equipped with a crash helmet and jumpsuit, so I decided not to try it out. Maybe on my next visit.
Our circle complete, we returned the car, hitched a ride from Otto, and made some strange stew with canned mackerel.
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