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On my final day back in Apia, I have some food at the famous Aggie Greys and wander downtown to a very colourful market where a Reverend filling in as a salesmen tries to make me a convert. The market is intriguing to wander through and it hosts stall upon stall of carefully crafted pottery and souvenirs, as well as some fruit, vegetables and old clothes.
I jump in a minibus from the centre of Apia, and spend the next 45 minutes bouncing over the rugged terrain of the inter-island road, before eventually emerging from a trail of thick foliage at the idyllic Virgin Cove on the south coast of Upolu. The accommodation awaiting me is yet another rudimentary but pleasant beach fale positioned right next to the shore.
The people of Samoa are amongst the most friendly I’ve ever come across. They are bronze in colour and often very large in size yet seem to possess a genuine innocence to the outside world. Despite having no modern comforts, no guarantee of food every day and little income, the people here always have a smile. There just don’t seem to be ulterior motives behind their warmth.
Journeying around Savaii is an intoxicating experience. For this is not just an island of sun, sand and sea. Actually exploring it is an adventure. There’s only one paved road that runs around the circumference of the island and we hardly ever meet another vehicle - except for the odd family run bus that bounces along with its stereo pumped up to maximum.
I’m off again, back in the direction of the airport, only this time further onwards to Mulifanua port, to catch the ferry to Samoa’s western most island – Savaii. It’s pitch black again, and the same invigorating Pacific breeze blows through the car. The sky is lit up by thousands upon thousands of stars, more than I’ve ever seen before. At the port its silent. No cars, few people.
