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April 30 - It was too dark to pack last night, so it was a 6.30am start this morning.  After packing & breakfast, the staff of Virgin Cove sang us a farewell song, which when they had finished we held up score cards, much to their amusement.  We said our goodbyes to Rob & Sarah, then Sam, Neil, Tom & I headed for Pivla Cave Pool.  The cave wasn't very deep but it had a bit of a James Bond feel about it.  Afterwards we dropped the cars back & got a taxi to take us to the Wharf for the boat to Manono Island, but on the way we drove through a load of chicken feathers from a poor chicken who will never get to find out, why the chicken crossed the road.  We stayed at Sunset View Fales, where the owner is really humble & even thanked us for choosing to stay with him.  We really hit jackpot on this one, as he was currently renovating the fales we were meant to be staying in, so we all got upgraded to a small bungalow at the top of the hill.  This had electric, mossie nets on the window, an indoor bathroom and a veranda.  There was another Australian couple staying at Sunset Views & so the 6 of us walked through the village to the shop and on the way back we asked the village's permission to go for a swim on the beach which was lovely & refreshing.

May 1 - Got called for breakkie by a Conch Shell at 8, but thanks to the roosters outside the bungalow, we'd been awake since about 5.30!  We didn't really do much today, just wrote up our journals & joined Sam and Neil on their veranda for a chill out & chat.  In the evening, there was a huntsman spider, a gecko & a mouse joining us around the dinner table so needless to say, I kept my feet off the floor as much as possible.

May 2 - Deep Fried Banana Doughnuts for Breakkie! Then Sam, Neil, Tom & I walked around the Island.  We stopped to watched the local boys (about 18 years olds : ) ) playing volleyball & then a little later on we saw them practicing to compete for a place in the Long Boat Samoa team for the 2007 South Pacific Games, being held in Samoa in August.  Their exercise equipment for this consisted of a seat beneath a tree, with a pulley hanging from a branch, and threaded through the pulley was a rope with a really big bag of sugar hanging on it. We also met a lot of children who kept gathering around us to have their photos taken & then getting all giggly when they saw the photos.  We bumped into a lady from New Jersey called Stephanie who is a peace core volunteer, helping out at one of the schools in Manono.  She was really nice & lives with a family in the village. She told us how quite a few of the children just wonder in and out of school when they want.  There was one child with really outrageous hair, that managed to persuade Sam to part with her twisties (crisps), he cannot attend school as the parents cannot find his birth certificate, however he didn't seem to be worried about missing school - I suppose kids are the same worldwide on that score.  The walk took probably twice as long as it needed, as so many of the locals are really happy to chat with you & find out where you are from, which is lovely.  We made it back just in time for lunch (although I think they were holding off until we got back) & then in the afternoon Junior & his younger brother took us out snorkelling off the boat.  Unfortunately, Western Samoa's marine life has been effected by bleaching, this is where the waters heat up & cool down over a short period of years, killing a lot of the coral & fish, however Samoa is working hard to help it replenish, which is great.  When we were back and showed, we joined Sam & Neil again overlooking the ocean, during which time we saw a long boat with about 42 rowers & 2 cox go by, they looked very good.  Later in the evening the family were preparing an Umu which they invited us to watch. Tom & Neil had a go at scrapping the coconut out of it's shell & Sam had a go at basket weaving - I took the very important duty (& easy option) of feeding the chickens! After dinner, we all laid out on the pier with the family, looking up at the stars & played games with the family's youngest Son, Netti who is 5.  When we returned to the bungalow, Tom found a huntsman spider in the shower & managed to persuade it that it would be much happier outside with all the bugs to eat!

May 3 - We chilled out reading books etc in the morning.  In the afternoon Jnr & his younger brother took us in the boat to the next village, where they asked if we could visit the villages' Island where the flying foxes (bats) live.  Permission was granted (helped along with a donation of TALA$20 for the 6 of us) and we set off.  We had to jump off the boat & wade in to the Island & then the fun began.  It is a very steep walk to the top of the Island, which was about 85/100 foot high & the majority of the time we were pulling ourselves up by roots & branches, but when we got to the top it was great to see the bats flying around quite close to you & you also got a great view.  On the way down I got to about a third of the way from the bottom when I slid onto my bum, Tom & Jnr both tried to grab me as I flew by, but I thought I may as well carry on me bum as it was the easiest way.  I did however end up with a big layer of mud & a rip in my shorts!  On the way back to Manono, we stopped & did some more snorkelling &, amongst other things, I saw 3 seahorses.  We all sat out on the pier chatting when we got back & then after tea we persuaded Jnr and Kate (his sister) to do some dancing.  Neil, Tom, Izzy & Janine all had a go & then Neil, Tom & Izzy showed their dancing skills to which Jnr later asked Tom to do some more ‘silly' dancing.  I was in charge of the photography & filming with the assistance of Sam, which meant we just got to laugh at the others.

May 4 - The roosters started at 5.30 again today, even though the sun wasn't up yet.  We went for another walk today & Neil ended up having to be bowler for a game of cricket with some of the local kid - cricket being a big stick for a bat and a ball made out of part of a tree.  Tom was drawing pictures on the ground with some of the other children, but they thought his pig was a cat : ) A small girl was trying to talk to me in Samoan & was touching my hair so I think she was quite fascinated by the colour.  In the afternoon, we packed & chilled out yet again on Neil & Sam's veranda & in the evening we all watched the stars.  I saw 3 shooting stars.

May 5 - 5.45am start this morning.  After Breakkie, the oldest & middle son took us back to Upolu, ready for the 8o'clock boat to Savaii.  There were lots of different coloured small boats lined up as we approached the Wharf & it looked really pretty.  As we got off the boat, the boat next to us was also unloading and a little girl didn't make it across to the pier & slipped down the side of the boat, she was ok but shaken & she lost her flip flop.  Then as a small baby was being passed over, the boat started to move away from the pier again, Sam & I cringed but we would have just crowded the situation & made it worse if we tried to help. There was a lot of people at the Wharf as the new long boat for the village we had stayed in had just been unveiled. The boat to Savaii  was a big boat, but not very stable, I could not believe it rocked so much in such a low swell.  Unfortunately it was pretty full too with some people laying across the benches.  I did manage to sit down and got to chatting to a lovely Samoan lady who was carrying her 3 month old baby.  On the inside of the boat, there were people lying down & sleeping in the alleyways, it is just a different, but good way of life that they lead here.  The boat was very simple, but in the indoor sitting area there was a new big(ish) flat screen TV which had been donated to the Samoans from Japan, and they all seemed to be appreciative of it.  Once we landed on Savaii, the four of us hired a jeep from PK car Rents, who were very professional & the jeep was in good condition & lovely to drive.  We first of all headed for the market, Tom was offered some drugs but when he said no, the guy just apologised & went on his way - they have very polite drug pushes here! The market was pretty busy, but was good to look around before heading across the Island to Tanu Beach Fales where we were staying in a fale that was at the top of the beach.  In the evening, the four of us went to a beach bar & watched the last sunset of the day (Samoa is the most westerly point of the earth - the closest thing to the date line).  During dinner we met Mike & Rachel, a couple on honeymoon from New Zealand, they were really nice & we all got on well, however I stupidly drank a 750ml bottle of coke to myself & so had a 'little' trouble getting to sleep, but my book was getting really good so I really didn't mind.

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