Savai'i; Sounds like Hawaii with an S

This little piggy went to the market, this little piggy stayed home, this little piggy had roast beef and this big piggy got roasted!  After all, this is a food blog and pig is hugely popular on the islands. In fact, in the supermarkets they have entire pigs in the frozen food section. It is common to see a whole frozen pig standing upright in a shopping cart, along with the milk and bread. Little piglets run wild all over the island, until they grow up and become a Samoan feast. . This fat roasted guy was wrapped in palm leaves and carried on the car ferry from Savai'i to Upolu, most likely for the  family  feast in honor of Samoan Father's day, which happened to be this day.

Roasted and ready to eat, guts and all

Happy day's for this little guy

I myself, do not eat pig, although I must admit bacon is good and Canadian bacon even better. Oh well, some things are best left off the menu.

Love those Palm Trees

If Upolu is shaped like a humpback whale, Savai'i is a giant turtle with it's head forming the Peninsula in the northeast. An amazing combo of plantations, lush jungle, sea cliff walls, expansive beaches, waterfalls, and volcanic cones, lots of them. Savai'i is the third largest island in the South Pacific after New Zealand and Hawaii. Savai'i is Upolu's small cousin; less developed, sparsely populated, absolute Paradise, with breezy scattered villages along the coastline. Children sit atop the family tombs of ancestors, built like shrines in the front yard, ( the Samoans thought me crazy when I told them graves in your front yard are illegal in USA) men wander the roadside with long fishing poles, coconuts, and fresh fish for their dinner. The resorts are a collection of fales, along the beach and jungle trails. Olivia, Bruce and I stayed in a fale for $50.00 each which included our breakfast and dinner. Dinner was very good; and I don't say they very often.

 

Our fale on the beach

                                                                       

              

Jane's Place

 The little fales were very cozy and comfy, complete with mosquito nets and fans. The resorts offer fales that are more primitive with mattress on the floor and all sides of the fale are open. Jane's place was down the road from us and had an all day bar, pool table, and a very broad beach.

Our place was quiet and the beach was fabulous. Olivia and Bruce were up at the crack of day, to swim 1.5 miles to the motu out near the reef. I slept in and caught up with them in the kayak. The  shower was cold water only, which was okay but the tea cup size spider in my bed was not okay!

It was really quite cozy

Outdoor shower

I was really afraid 

 The shower was lovely and cold, but you don't mind because it's very hot and humid here. The floor was stone and the water came out of bamboo poles.



We took the rental car on the ferry from Upolu to Savai'i and drove around the entire island, which is really large. There were lush jungle trails, waterfalls with deep pools for swimming and rocks to lounge on after your swim. The mountains have a rain forest and we hiked up to this suspended bridge that crosses the canopy to a huge banyan tree. I have vertigo but with Olivia and Bruce's help I mad the walk across. The board was narrow and the bridge swung to and fro as you crossed...very scary, but well worth it.

In Samoa, all the attractions, including the beaches charge a fee to travelers for the enjoyment and use. Every village has a chief and the village collects $5.00-$20.00 Tala ($2.50-$10.00 US)

Bruce gave me courage

See what I mean! Nothing to hold onto except netting and the damn thing was swaying. 

Made it

Ron and Sooz were off to the States for a visit, both have weddings to attend. Ron gifted us a rental car for a few weeks, so I decided to celebrate my B-day early with a trip to Savai'i.

Good-by you two, we will miss you; bet you will be happy to see your friends and family. 

Olivia

Trinidad and the Cook on the beach at Janes fales. 

Olivia and Bruce swimming in the waterfall pool

 The waterfalls on the island were spectacular. After driving down a long dirt road we arrived a this wonderful series of pools. We met some nice Kiwi people there and had a lovely afternoon visit, swimming and chatting. Also met some lovely Samoan ladies from Oceanside, California!

Road along the coastline

Samoan ladies of the waterfall

Kiwi folk at waterfall

Cool sign to the caves