Day 27: (9 June 2011 (-1 in time zone)):
- Breakfast @ 9am. Chat with a Canadian who sailed from Raro to here. So many of them. See a Spanish couple.
- Very hot outside already. Buy water bottle (in a relatively large supermarket). Walk through market. Pretty large, different sections: produce, crafts, small cooking stations to buy prepared food.
- Bus station: many buses. Decorated, open. Loud music.
- Town centre. Bank & large building with symbolic Fale cool. Clock tower. Buses zooming around.
- Tourist office. A/C. Talk & plan, get maps & bus / ferry schedule info. "Big museum?" - "Yes."
- NZ family (talk to). Walk to museum. Road very nondescript. Complex (school?). one building is museum. Three small rooms, different levels of A/C. Very through tour. American guy (was peace corps, but married local & looking to move here.). Painted tires. A few from the sunken ship. a few German artifacts.
- Walk along back roads. Village-like. A few very modern buildings, funded by various agencies (UN agencies).
- Kids ride bike past me, say "give us money (?)." This seem to happen very often in Samoa, but most don't even wait for a response before leaving. Walk to water. Cool-looking church.
- People climbing up tall coconut trees - clearing for safety?
- Snorkeling at Palolo reserve. Small fins from Barbara (German). Swim to across a depression with fish. Dive down for look. Pressure on ears. Swim to stick: shallow full coral. Warm waters.
- Talk with Barbara, invite to travel/explore together. Give name of place I stay in Savai'i (Tanu Beach).
- After dry, realise shower. So do and re-dry.
- Pick up Barbara from Aggie Grey's. Walk. Small memorials made of stone.
- Fish market (closed). Flea market: meet a woman from hotel. Get a very large ice cream together. Talk. They both go back to hotel. I continue on walking tour.
- Pretty much nothing around parliament & courts. Large mausoleum & court. Nice park along water before. German memorial, excuse to take photo of small houses. Tiny parliament. Old parliament was almost a joke! "Take my picture" guy.
- Univ. of Samoa campus. Nice coconut grove. Road deteriorates, impassable. Nice tombs.
- Taxi to post office. Ask 4. No change. 3.50 OK.
- Sit outside Aggie Grey's watch sunset. Kid try sell, ask one tala, ask how much pen is when I refuse.
- Meet Barbara for fiafia at Aggie Grey's.
- Slapping dances very impressive, covered in sweat. Jokey part? Got pulled up to dance at end. Didn't want to, but insist, so go. Old man that doesn't want to leave.
- Old woman (ancestor of Aggie Grey?) go up & get lei. Presentation strange. Person slapping, make strange sounds, gets stood on. Remind me of crazy savage person in cartoon.
- Fire dance, many problems. Tricks quite good & fast. Drop baton under grass frills of drums. One end flung off & land in garden. One dropped in pool, etc. Hilarious.
- Many jump in pool after dance. Must feel good & refreshed after hard workout in hot & humid weather.
- Dinner: mix of European & Samoan. Raw fish oka not as good. Run out of hotel-made ice cream. Drizzle starts at end of dinner. Liked pulasami [sic.] again. Delicious papaya dish (starch in papaya sauce?). Sea urchin strange. Buffet line keeps changing directions. Guitarists sing to each table then try sell CD.
- Taxi back to wrong Tatiana's! Try sell, charge 10, sell hotel, etc. Take another taxi to motel.
- See Niue guy, didn't get address. Strange comments about rough day, jump the gun, on the law.
- Low sleep night. Mosquito & lots of noise throughout night.
- "Don't worry, it will be OK" when asking about how to get to airport.
Photos available at: http://mandarinmanmarktravelbriefs.blogspot.com/
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