This is the day that started out as Friday 16th and turned into Saturday 17th.
We breakfasted and checked out, and got the hotel to call us a reputable taxi. We left about an hour earlier than we needed to, but after the scare when Qantas wouldn't show our itinerary because it said there was no such booking, I just wanted to get to the airport and feel safe. And actually it turned out we were more comfortable sitting in the air-conditioned cab and then the airport terminal than we would have been in the hotel garden - it was hot already at 10.30 am. Also, Paul was able to log on to the wireless in the airport and take care of a few things like car insurance when we get back to the UK, so he was happy.
We enjoyed the journey back to the airport because we hadn't seen it before; when we arrived in Samoa, it was dark. I managed to take a photo from the taxi showing one of the delightful local buses. If it hadn't been quite so hot, I would have taken one during our stay.
Once again, we noticed the contrasts in this country. There were some very smart houses
And some that were not nearly so smart
The road to the airport was just a ribbon development of different villages.
Each village had a village meeting place, where the village chief could listen to complaints or hear of developments. Some of these were the old traditional shape
This one is roofed in corrugated iron. I couldn't see one with a thatched roof close enough to photograph from the taxi on my side of the road.
Some of them were more modern and somewhat smarter.
Every village had at least one church, often more. They were usually the best maintained building in the village.
I am not even sure whether this next one is a church, a monastery or a school. It says 'Salesians of Don Bosco' on it.
I thought a monastery would be more likely, as most Samoans are very devout. But I do recall in the 1970s, when I was a teacher, the school where I worked was twinned with a school in Belgium called Don Bosco.
By contrast with these beautiful buildings, there are obviously poor areas.
This is just a shack, where there seem to be some fruit and some coconuts for sale.
The road parallels the sea for miles, so there are beautiful coastal views with the palm trees fringing the calm turquoise sea, sometimes with the surf in the distance, sometimes with tiny fishing boats out in the lagoon.
By 11.30, we were at the airport and, as the check-in had just opened, we were able to check in and sit in the departure lounge until the plane departed. We had some good views of Samoa as we took off
You can see the island, with the shallower water around it and the surf breaking on parts of the reef.
Then we were warned that it had stopped being Friday and was now Saturday as we crossed the date line. Soon we had views of Fiji as we came into land.
It does not look all that different from Samoa. We had flown over some high mountains, and the airport is on the Coastal plains, where there are obviously lots of small farms.
There was quite a welcome at the airport
This is something of a contrast with a British airport. And if we did decide to welcome visitors with a band, I wonder if we would ever agree what band it was to be?
We were overcharged by the taxi who took us to the hotel, but not by much. The hotel receptionist told us that, by law, they have to turn on the meter when you get in, but our one didn't. He then demanded $12, though it should only have been around $9, apparently. We are getting a bit cheesed off with taxi drivers! However, the hotel is very nice - and very cool in our room.
Tomorrow morning, we will be picked up and taken to the Marina, where we will catch the fast catamaran to Mana Island. The lady in the Vodafone shop told me this connection would work there, as there is Vodafone coverage on the island. I hope she is right, otherwise, there might be no blog for the four nights we are there.
We return to Nadi on December 22nd and fly to Los Angeles.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
No comments:
Post a Comment