Deep Fried Paradise: Savai'i Island
Trip Start
May 31, 2008
1
20
28
Trip End
Dec 15, 2008
Where I stayed
Savai'i,
Samoa Western
Friday, October 31, 2008
I stand in water made white by the reflection of the sand beneath it and I watch the colour deepen, flaring out into endless blue; and as embarassingly cliched as this is, I want to cry. Looking out at the turquoise foreverness, I feel the need to purge my heart through my mouth and send it soaring into the sea. I'll let it float there, in the middle of nowhere, until the water and salt impregnates it. Making it swell to it's normal grandeur instead of this pathetic Grinch-like shrunken mess it's become. These threatening tears aren't for sorrow, but for beauty, this is truly an inspirational sight. All the cliches are true: it is taking my breath away.
On the bus ride to Tanu Beach Fales, there was a Samoan man sitting in front of me with a 'Canadian Rockies' t-shirt full of holes. I had to laugh - home is always reminding me that it's thinking of me. Even on the edge of the world, in the middle of the ocean, Canada manages to send me a nod.
I spent an entire week in Savai'i doing little but licking my wounds, reading, swimming, eating, staring out into the ocean from my fale which was spitting distance away from it
Ferry to Savai'i
. I let the sun burn off (literally, unfortunately) all the negativity I'd been feeling before I left for the island and I allowed myself the time to just be. Chasing away the feelings of guilt that I wasn't exploring the island but instead was taking time for me. I feel like I'm on the tip of something but I'm too toothy and whatever's on the tip of my tongue keeps getting trapped by my teeth. Stuck inside the dark cavern of my mouth; it will not voice itself.
~~
Sometimes I feel so utterly triumphant that, stepping out towards the water, I know I could walk on it. But unlike Jesus, I'm no Son of God, and my uncertainty (that I won't just drowned) acts like a ball and chain, dragging me to the bottom of the sea. I try to find a balance with one foot planted firmly on the crest of a wave while the other languishs beneath it in the surf. In that way, I am free - finding my equilibrium somewhere betweeen Heaven and Hell (on Earth). Balanced and centered with my feet planted firmly on the ground.
~~~
Ticktickticktickticktick. Ticktickticktickticktick. WTF?! Ticktickticktickticktick.
It's 2:30am and I can't figure out what that sound is. I get up like a shot and snap on the light, thinking it might be my water bottle or the raining dripping into my fale and ruining my writing. As the light flickers on, barely illuminating anything, I see that nothing's wet.
Ticktickticktickticktick.
Okay. It's definitely not liquid, whatever that sound is
Grin or Grimace?
. I stand up, stooping a bit and try to locate where it's coming from. There. Holding my breath, I stand still and wait.Tickticktickticktickticktickticktick. WHY HELLO.
Gasping and nearly falling over backwards (if it weren't for the mosquito net holding me up), a crab crawls out from under the roof. But not just any crab. The biggest, hugest, most ridiculously monstrous thing you have ever seen. I didn't know crabs could be this massive! It's body was the size of a man's clenched fist PLUS it had legs. It's huge beady black eyes stared at me and for a second I was reminded of a devil. I felt my heart stop for a moment before I reasoned with myself that it was just a crab. Not Satan. My soul was safe (for now).
Then the hunt began (because there was no way I was going to be able to sleep with something that huge and able to cause my bodily harm hanging out above my head while I slept!), I looked for something to poke it out from the roof and into the sand - I hoped. It just sat there. Staring at me. Like Satan. Laughing. Evilly. Finally, I found a stick and just as I turn around to see if I can gently shove it out of my fale....ticktickticktickticktick IT DISAPPEARS.
Well, shit.
Armed with said stick I got back into bed and tucked the mosquito net tightly around my mattress in hopes that if it were to suddenly appear on the floor, it wouldn't be able to get at me easily. I slept, sort of, and dreamt of massive pinchers that looked like pitchforks clawing out my eyes. I wrote the next morning: A massive storm is coming over the ocean (note: it was really cool to watch the clouds and ocean change as a storm brewed and began miles away, working its way nearer to me) but all I can think of is the giant monster crab who kept me up all night with it's clicking claws and my fear of being its dinner.
I never saw the crab again. I really want to know....where did it go?!...... 0_o
That's my Halloween story from Savai'i, enjoy the pictures - they also have more story to tell.
Lots of love,
K
Comments
Laughing Out Loud
I seem to have this problem lately that everytime I'm sitting in some little Indian internet cafe that I seem like this crazy foreign chick cause I keep reading things from back home (or from people from home in your case) that make me laugh out loud. The mental image of you and this crab was just too much. I could hear the crabs thoughts 'what the hell does this white girl think she's doing...oh she's afraid of me...i'm just going to stare at her... *giggling crab* it's freaking her out! Oh no! She's getting a stick..time to go!'
Beautiful pictures... glad you got a break.