SAMOA DIARY

Apia, 8.9.2000

The bus to LALOMANU leaves from Apia at 10 a.m. It is a beach at Cape Tapaga near the eastern end of UPOLU, the main island of  West Samoa. For two hours the bus rolls through coastal and mountain areas, a green and juicy tropical landscape very pleasing to the eyes.

Next to me sits a chubby Samoan lady. Tisna told me to keep away from the local women. But in this case the close encounter can’t be avoided. And so it happens that for the first time the sweat on my thighs mixes with genuine samoan sweat – on a narrow and hard wooden bench. But I am quite comfortable on the air cushion under my behind. I carry two of those pillows when travelling. One is for the head, the other for the bum in case I have to sleep on wooden boards or concrete floors. And if a boat sinks I have something to keep me afloat.

Lalomanu is precisely the South Sea paradise advertised in the brochures of the travel industry. The rather narrow beach is fringed by steep mountain slopes covered with palm trees and luscious vegetation. The equatorial heat and aromatic fragrance of the plants is mixed with the salty air and cool breezes of the ocean. Lazy waves break into ripples along the sandy beach. The beach by the way is artificial. Like in Waikiki the sand was poured onto black volcanic pebbles.

           

Almost hidden among the vegetation at the bottom of the mountain slope are the huts and houses of the Samoans who operate the picturesque resorts along the beach. There is a sealed road and between the road and the water’s edge are rows of  samoan style huts for tourists. They are simple wooden raised platforms with open walls and roofs of tin covered by palm leaf fronds. Inside are foam rubber mattresses covered with sheets and pillows. Toilet blocks with cold water showers are nearby. Some of the huts even have electric light.

Such accommodation is not only easy to build with a minimum of capital. The huts are also affordable for tourists who have spent a lot of money to get here and want to experience the supposedly easy lifestyle of the Samoans.

 As I stretch my aching spine on my mattress I can’t help imagining what would happen if a hurricane would swamp the beach with angry waves and flood the beautiful scenery. I guess the storm would provide an early warning and there would be time to flee along the coastal road since there seems to be no way up the cliffs.

After a swim I enjoy the coolness of the air a few meters from the water. In the distance  behind the coral filled sea the waves break into white foam and provide a never ending roaring sound. Behind my big toes the island of Nu’utele floats in the blue ocean just over a kilometer away. Locals call the island VINI which is the name of a beach on this uninhabited island. From 1914 to 1916 it served as a leper colony. Apparently adventure holidays on the island can be arranged, all the more interesting because of the infestation with rats for which an eradication program exists.

 Soon it is time for a samoan style dinner served by the smiling  and friendly hosts to whom this paradise belongs. It is always a joy to stay in places which are managed by locals. Their charm makes good for any shortcomings the foreign tourists may like to complain about.

The host's family at Lalomanu

Later on I join a group of young tourists in the community hall. A student from England tries to teach me backgammon. As I fall asleep the breakers on the reef cause slight vibrations in the pillow under my ear. Tomorrow morning I will have to return to Apia.

29.9.2009

After a massive earth quake south of Samoa a tsunami 6 to 8 m high hit Lalomanu. And this is all that is left of the hut where I slept and the surrounding resort. Thirteen members of the family of the owners perished.

                 

 

The friendly ladies at Reception.  Are they buried under the rubble too?