The Pacific Pearl Apia

... at the huge stick in the corner and winked I thought it best not to press him further. After all, the kids may be maniacs but corporal punishment is still illegal back home..heh.) I'm not a fan of Apia (maybe you could tell?); among other things, there are too many leering men who seemed to think that because I was a visitor, it gave them the right to obscene gestures and drunken attempts at invading my personal space. On my last day, when a boy who couldn't ...

... it LOL. I was a bot more cautious but the slates definitely moved. We were in bed for a while before the other person came in, he spent most of the night on the floor as he kept falling through the bed every time he moved. We eventually woke at 8 for breakfast which again consisted of fresh fruit. After having a look around the town of Apia we went back to the hostel. A girl named Hannah arrived and we pre warned her about the bed. That night ...

... we had paid to enter the properties we were told it would be a 15 min walk up to the mound since we only had a 2wd and couldn't drive all the way up there. We started walking and soon realised that it would be a much further walk than we were told; it took us about 35 minutes to get to the sight and then another 25 to get down again... It was really worth it though, what a spectacular construction and what a view!!! After that we ...

... is a spider ; do I have to mention that it didn't get my warmest greatings? Luckily, I think, it disappeared soon after introducing it self. Note the size against the head of the nail! My personal favourites, the geckos, are running up and down the walls in the evenings chasing insects, right now we have four individuals living with us. They are just so cute, and entertaining to watch when they hunt... Now to a whole different matter ...

Hi everyone! I think it's about time I took you for a walk around Apia, don't you? First we'll have a look at the tourist office, isn't it a sight for sore eyes! It's located down by the Main Beach Rd that follows, not surprisingly, the water line all the way thru Apia. It is built to resemble a traditional Samoan house, also known as a Fale. This beautiful town clock is located in central Apia in the roundabout were Mt ...

... another. Lots of churches, some 3 in a row! As we approach Apia you can see the build up of bigger buildings and industry. Most of the way there are mountains to the right and the ocean to the left. As we got closer to the place the sun started to rise on our first day in Samoa. I'm grinning and it's obviously contagious 'cause Vic is too :-) We finally arrive and Rev and his family show us to our room in the guesthouse. An ...

... front walk and their neighbors do the same. Making the trip around the island in a small car enjoyable in itself. We set out towards Manase, a well known village for its simple/cheap beach fale accomadations. On the way we saw many pig and chicken families crossing and running along the road as they pleased. It was a breath of fresh air to see men on bicycles with piles of fruite and vegetables and almost no cars on ...

... the most comfortable. After a few hours drive we arrived at Lalomanu beach which I heard is the best beach in Samoa, and they were not wrong. The beach was a stunning golden colour and the water was a beautiful blue. I got myself a beach hut with a matt on the floor which was very comfortable and nice in the evenings being able to hear the waves hit calmly on the beach. I spent more time than I planned to at ...

... to it. The points are dipped into the ink and then tap tap tap into the skin. I thought it was incredibly painful. Kind of like gnawing your arm off. Looks really cool though. Josh's tattoo took about 1 ½ hours and mine was only 30 minutes. Now we are back to work. I am trying to plan and prioritize projects for the next year, Ray is working with the students on the work benches and hopes to have the weak boys class starting soon. Round two has begun.

Drawing to the end of our travels, and sadly having to pull ourselves away from New Zealand, we arrived in Samoa in a torrential downpour! The plan from the outset was that we would arrive in Samoa, exhausted from travelling frenzy with 3 weeks to chill, sunbathe and snorkel getting home in idyllic calm. The actual outworking was that we arrived in Samoa, chilled and relaxed from our NZ experience and having to dig deep into the chill-out ...