Samoa 2003

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Now the journey goes overseas, across to Savai'i, which is the big island of Western Samoa. The Samoan people regard it as their place of origin. All peoples of the South Sea have a similar migration myth. The Maori's ancestors are coming from a place called Hawaiki, the Hawai'ian's are from Hawai'i and the Samoan's from Savai'i etc. In the Samoan language the H is the S and sound K is nonexistent.

The car ferry connects Upolu and Savai'i in about 90 minutes. From here I traveled on by bus along the East coast.
Striking features on both islands are the enormous churches that form a distinct contrast in comparison to the simple dwellings. In each village there are, in average, 3-5 churches of different confessions. The missionaries have done their job very thoroughly and are in fact still doing it enticing away the "customers" from each other...
A simple fale with a thatched roof and walls "on demand". This traditional house is much more common on Savai'i than on the main island of Upolu.
In the village of Manase on Savai'i's north coast I have stayed in such a Fale. I liked it very much. It is very cozy and appropriate for the climate.
Nanny teaches the youngsters a new dance. My daughter Majella would have liked this too.
The kitchen and in the background the baking oven, a very simple construction made from an old drum covered in clay. The fire is fed from behind and burns underneath it.
The days were not always sunny. At least once a day the clouds were towering up to discharge their moisture in a thundery cloudburst. The thing that has to be remembered in such an incident, is to lower the right walls of the fale, to prevent the rain from getting in. With these cloud formations there are often stunning sunrises and sunsets.
Sunrise in Manase
Sunset in Manase
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