Author: Tim

Sunday, February 8 – Port Vila

It’s raining this morning, and forecast to continue for the rest of the day. Perfect! What??? Well, I need to get some more travel planning done, and now I’ll be able to do that without the guilt.

…And after reviewing many options, I think I finally have my Japan itinerary sorted. I’ll be arriving on April 12, and heading back to the States on May 6. Most of those 25 days will be spent outside of Tokyo. All of my accommodations are booked, but I can’t make any train reservations yet because their system only opens one month prior to the date of departure.

I still have about two weeks in late March / early April to figure out. I’m booked in Laos through March 27, not sure yet where I’m going after that. It may depend on what Southeast Asian city has the best flight option to Tokyo (both price and schedule). Watch this space…

Vanuatu Facts for Travelers

• Vehicles operate on the right side of the road (like in the U.S.). This is the opposite of the other islands I’ve visited. Why? Well, Vanuatu was previously a territory governed jointly by both France and Great Britain. France drives on the right, while Britain drives on the left. When it came time to standardize the rules of the road, the French influence ultimately won out. This was partly due to the logistics of vehicle imports and the fact that the French administration was particularly dominant in urban planning during that era. Most of Vanuatu’s neighbors – such as Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa (where I’ve visited) – were either British colonies or heavily influenced by Australian and New Zealand trade. (Interestingly, Samoa actually drove on the right until 2009, when they switched to the left specifically to make it more feasible to import used cars from Australia and Japan.)
• The Constitution of Vanuatu recognizes three official languages: English, French, and Bislama (the national language). Everyone I’ve encountered was able to speak to me in English.
• Electrical outlets are the same as Australia
• I did not drink the tap water (except after I boil it in a tea kettle)

Travel Note: There is no expectation of tipping on any of the islands I’ve visited (maybe an Australian influence?). Obviously my cheap self appreciates that!

Monday, February 9 – Port Vila

It’s a pretty morning. I got out early for a walk, for a couple reasons: a) cooler temps, and b) there was something I wanted to do later this morning.

This was taken across the street from my apartment.

Back on the waterfront path…

I was (pleasantly) surprised to see this new Land Cruiser at the nearby Toyota dealership. Surprised, because…

…the Gazoo Racing (GR) Sport version is not officially sold by Toyota in the United States. However, there have been listings of imported GR Sport models for sale in the U.S. with prices in excess of $100k. So, also kind of surprised to see such an expensive vehicle here in Vanuatu.

I was out the door around 7:45, for a little over two hours, and came back sweating like crazy!

Travel Note: After nearly 5 weeks, I think I’m getting a little burnt out on the islands. Sounds silly, I know! But even the locals complain about the heat this time of year. (Take note, if you’re thinking of traveling to this part of the world.) For me though, this is when I travel. And it is the low season, with the nice prices and less tourists, which you know I like!

Soon after I returned to the apartment it started pouring rain! Nice timing! And it actually turned out okay…

…as it allowed me to watch the Super Bowl without the yearning to get back outside (despite the heat)! The kickoff was at 10:30am here, and I was able to watch the game via the Peacock app on my iPad. It was nice to have the opportunity to tune in; I usually don’t have the option, since I’m typically out of the country this time of year. Not much of game though. Oh well!

Sidenote: Vanuatu became a key strategic base for the Allies during World War II. After the Japanese advance reached the Solomon Islands in early 1942, the U.S. military realized they needed a massive staging area to launch a counter-offensive. They chose the islands of Espiritu Santo and Efate. At its peak, Espiritu Santo was the second-largest Allied base in the Pacific, trailing only Pearl Harbor. Interesting stuff. You can read more about it here.

Travel Note: Like Tonga, the locals here are not very friendly (or, should I say, outgoing). It could be based on their (lack of) comfort level with the English language. The women and (especially) children have typically been nicer to me than the men.

Tuesday, February 10 – transit from Vanuatu to Fiji

My flight back to Fiji was at 2:40 this afternoon, and I received a late checkout from the apartment, so I had some time to kill this morning.

I ended up going back to the cafe next door to get another smoothie – this time mixed berry.

My prepaid transfer to the airport picked me up at 12:15pm…

…getting me to the airport in plenty of time.

The check-in area. And yes, the Fiji Airways ticket agent did ask me if I had an onward ticket from Fiji.

The departures lounge.

And, of course, it started pouring rain as the flight began to board! (thankfully they had umbrellas for us to use!)

Folks queuing up to board. I was in no hurry though, hoping the rain would let up. Spoiler alert: It didn’t!

When I checked in for the flight a couple days ago I was assigned a middle seat. That hadn’t happened on my previous island flights. Made me think this would be a crowded flight. And I was right! I’d say 90% full. But the good news is that the aisle seat next to me was unoccupied, so I slid on over!

(I later learned that the Vanuatu national soccer team was on this flight. Cool! And yes, they do call it soccer here.)

This was another short, 90 minute flight, but we still received a meal service: Grilled chicken salad, and I had a glass of wine. I even got a refill (on this quick, crowded flight)! Thank you!

And here’s a first for my four arrivals at the Nadi Airport: a massive line at immigration! I guess I arrived during the perfect storm of multiple flights. I passed the time though talking with a family of four from Colorado who just arrived after spending 6 weeks in New Zealand. They’re finishing up their trip with a few days in Fiji.

I’m spending my last three Fiji nights back at the Ramada Suites on Wailoaloa Beach. Taking the city bus there is not convenient, so I booked their shuttle for 10 FJD (4.50 USD). Fortunately the driver patiently waited for me as I made my way through the immigration queue!

As I began unpacking my things, I could tell that someone had gone through my bag after I checked it for my flight. A security issue? Unfortunately not. It turns out my electric hair clippers were stolen! And it’s not like they were packed out in the open; they were inside my toiletry bag. I’m trying to recall if I’ve ever had anything stolen from a checked bag, and nothing comes to mind. So annoying! And it’s not the cost (around $40 maybe); it’s just the fact that someone rummaged through my stuff, and now the inconvenience of having to replace it. I guess I’ll go hippy mode until my next stops in either Singapore or Thailand (probably cheaper to wait until Thailand).

I went through the rest of the items in my bag, wondering if anything else was taken, but it doesn’t look like it.

(I did wonder if the clippers were taken as a security issue, but quickly rejected that idea. I’ve always put them in my checked bag. And I reviewed the TSA website – they recommend putting them in checked baggage, because it’s possible that an agent could take them from a carry on bag.)

Tuesday, February 3 – transit from Fiji to Vanuatu

My flight to Vanuatu wasn’t until 1pm; makes for a relaxing morning, especially with only a 5 minute walk to the airport!

I’m back on a Fiji Airways 737, only about half full for this 90 minute flight. I was assigned an aisle seat, but after the door closed I moved back to a window. Today’s meal service was a nice chicken-pineapple salad. And yes, I did have a glass of wine! (Reminder: These island hopping flights are kind of expensive. The fare for this Fiji/Vanuatu round trip was 439 USD).

I’ll bore you with some pictures from the flight…

This is the Vanuatu island of Efate, where the airport is located. Also where I’ll be staying.

We did a loop around for the landing.

I pre-booked airport transfers (pickup and drop off) through my hotel for a total cost of 3,000 Vanuatu Vatus (VUV); equivalent to 26 USD. It was a shared ride, but with just one other person, who was dropped off first. Still, the total duration of my ride was only 30 minutes (the airport is close to the town).

My driver, Jacob, was trying to sell me on booking him for a day tour of the island. He was pressuring me for a commitment by saying he’d be busy on the weekend because there would be a cruise ship in port. But I knew he was lying. How? Well, after seeing the ships in Tonga and Suva, I went online looking for an arrival schedule for Vanuatu. I discovered that there would be a cruise ship here today, but the next one wouldn’t be until after I left next Tuesday.

I’ll say it again: Damn taxi drivers! (needless to say, I won’t be hiring Jacob…)

When I arrived at the hotel, my room wasn’t ready. I was a little puzzled by this, because it was after their stated check-in time, and they knew when I was arriving because I booked the airport transfer with them. After discussing it a little more, they admitted that they provided the previous occupants of my apartment with a late checkout. This got me a little miffed. Sensing this, the manager invited me to the cafe next door and gave me 5,000 VUV (43 USD) to get something to eat while I wait for the apartment to be cleaned. That was a nice gesture.

Cute place

And they had a mango smoothie on the menu! Of course I had to try it. 650 VUV (5.50 USD). It was good, but didn’t match the Panda Tea version in Tonga (and this one was more expensive; which you’d expect, based on the ambience!)

Elliot, the hotel/apartment manager, suggested I get something with tuna, as it’s supplied here fresh daily. I wasn’t super hungry after the meal on the plane, but decided to go with an early dinner. This is the tuna poke bowl, 1,850 VUV (16 USD). It was very good!

After finishing, I checked back next door on the status of my apartment. They were still working on it, and honestly, I didn’t want to rush them. The housekeepers were very nice, and I’d much rather they take their time and do it right.

So I killed some more time by going across the street and exploring the waterfront.

This is Iririki Island on Mele Bay.

Eventually, around 4:30, my apartment was ready. (Vanuatu is 1 hour earlier than Fiji)

I’m staying at The Mariner Apartments. My apartment is on the first floor, far left.

156 USD/night

View from my patio (power lines again!).

(BTW, I offered to give Elliot back the change from my cafe smoothie/poke, but he declined)

Wednesday, February 4 – Port Vila

Pretty morning from the patio!

I did (just) a little bit of walking around this morning, and made a grocery run, but that was about it. I was then back at the apartment working on a rather lengthy Journal Entry (which I enjoyed!).

Steps Update: I am at the 1/4 mark of the trip, and I can confidently state that there will be no daily average step count world record this year! My current average? 11k. Not only would that not be a PB (16.4k last year); but it will fall well below my previous low point of 13.2k in the Caribbean (2023). Pathetic!

Travel Note: None of the 4 island countries I’ve visited here in the South Pacific have required a visa for U.S. citizens.

Thursday, February 5 – Port Vila

Travel Note 1: I just heard that there was an earthquake in Tonga last Sunday!! It was of magnitude 5.8, and the epicenter was about 70 miles offshore from Nuku‘alofa, where I was staying. Crazy! Thankfully, I saw no reports of injuries or casualties. (Thanks for letting me know Chuck)

This is the view looking out my patio door this morning. It hasn’t been raining. It’s the condensation caused by the (very) humid outside air meeting the air conditioned inside air!

Kind of another boring day, I’m afraid. I need to get my Laos and Japan plans finalized soon. I did book a couple things today, but still have more work to do. I’m having a rethink on how much time I’ll spend in Japan, for a few different reasons – personal and financial. Thailand and Laos are so inexpensive, and Japan is not. I may skew the durations to favor those Southeast Asian countries. Hopefully I’ll have a better handle on this before I head to Singapore in a week.

(I literally spent all day reviewing different travel scenarios. I’m exhausted!)

Travel Note 2: Speaking of earthquakes, one occurred here in Port Vila on December 17, 2024. Fourteen people died, while 265 others were injured. Extensive damage occurred here in Port Vila and the surrounding areas. I’ve seen some evidence of it as I drove from the airport and walked around town. You can read more about it here.

Forgot to mention, this was given to me as part the check-in to the apartment. Very good!

Friday, February 6 – Port Vila

I decided to book a full-day (well, 6 hour) island tour today. I know it goes against my philosophy stated in previous Entries, but I felt kind of guilty about the amount of time of I’ve spent working in the apartment the last couple days.

I used the website Viator. I’ve utilized them in the past, and have had good experiences. Plus, I can pay with a credit card via their website, which is more convenient than if I had to pay a local tour operator in cash.

Today’s itinerary included the following:

• Crystal Blue Lagoon
• Turtle Sanctuary
• Rarru Cascades

I was picked up at my apartment at 8:45am, and there were only three of us on the tour (low season benefit!). The other two were a young woman from Sydney, Australia, and an older gentleman from Brisbane, Australia. And the poor guy was in rough physical condition; he could barely walk, and hear. I give him credit for making the effort though (both on the tour, and to travel here from Australia).

Our driver/tour guide’s name is Junior.

Our first stop was to take on some fuel. Perfect opportunity for a…

…Fuel Price Check: 166 VUV/liter = 5.37 USD/gallon

I tried to get some pictures as we zoomed along to the Blue Lagoon…

The Blue Lagoon, or Blue Hole, is a 45 minute drive from Port Vila. It’s a popular spot for both tourists and locals (less busy during the week, especially during the low season).

We ended up staying here around 90 minutes. Very relaxing. I nice spot.

Our next stop was the “Turtle Sanctuary”. This was a disappointment. It turns out it’s run by the company that organized this tour. It has iguanas and a coconut crab on display in cages. And they have about 40 baby turtles housed in a man-made concrete pool. The tour guide stated that the turtles were taken “in the name of conservation” as they hatched on a beach located across the island. Why not just let them hatch and go into the ocean as they normally would? Obviously they’ve done this to attract tourists. And they also have two more mature turtles located in a fenced-in area of the surf where visitors can feed them tuna for photo opportunities. I did not participate. I must admit I was surprised that as I asked the guide about their practices with the turtles, he admitted that they have had warnings issued to them by the Vanuatu Department of Environmental Protection and Conservation; to the point that they were threatened with being shutdown. Not surprised.

We also had lunch provided here, and I have to admit, it was pretty good.

This is a pretty setting. Lunch was served under the canopy off to the right.

Barbecue beef, sausage and wings; fries; grilled onions; papaya; banana; and pineapple. All very good, but the pineapple was amazing!

Our last stop was the Rarru Cascades.

Located on the Rentapao River, the cascades are a series of rapids and waterfalls.

There’s a nice path along the riverbank leading to the waterfall.

Only a 10 minute walk to the falls.

This was a fun stop. Very pretty and relaxing.

I was back to my apartment by 2pm. So, what did I think? This probably could have been done instead by hiring a driver (not Jacob!) to take me to the lagoon and cascades, while skipping the “turtle sanctuary”. Not as convenient though. But most likely less expensive (the cost of the tour was 107 USD).

Have I become too down on the touristy stuff? I mentioned this previously. Maybe so. I’ll try to develop a better attitude!

Saturday, February 7 – Port Vila

A rather low-key day planned. I’m just going to take a walk along the Port Vila waterfront (starting right across the street from my apartment!).

Down the road from my apartment complex.

I’m now at the open air market; mainly produce, but also these beautiful flowers!

The price on those pineapples is equivalent to 45 cents.

Along the waterfront path…

There’s a nice path running along the edge of the bay, heading north from my apartment.

I thought this was an interesting monument…

…celebrating the invention of the rain gauge in 1441, in Korea! The last sentence reads “Hopefully, the old Korean wisdom of water management can be used to solve water challenges in Vanuatu and other countries as well.” Let’s hope!

Yes, there is a casino here. (no plans to enter)

The Vanuatu Parliament House. The government was established in 1980, upon Vanuatu’s independence from France and the United Kingdom.

The final stop on my walkabout is the grocery store!

A beautiful day for a walk, though pretty hot, as typical.

Saturday, January 31 – transit from Nadi to Suva, Fiji

This morning I’m traveling across the island, via bus, from Nadi to Suva.

There are two companies that work the route, Pacific Transport and Sunbeam. And it’s been a challenge trying to figure out their schedules and where they stop. I’ve spoken to locals, visited their websites, and reviewed online message boards. A lot of conflicting information. One thing I’m fairly certain of though, is that the bus picks up at the Nadi airport (I’ve spoken to folks at the airport help desks – both arrivals and departures – who confirmed this).

Now, I’ve read online that the Saturday buses can be crowded; weekend travelers. So, I thought I should try for an early bus. One schedule I have for Pacific Transport indicates they have a 7am pickup at the airport. I’m going to go for that.

I wanted to get to the airport early, in case there was a queue forming. I arrived at 6:15am and confirmed the location of the bus stop with a security guard.

(The airport was actually pretty busy this morning – a lot of international departures. I have an 8am flight when I head to Brisbane in a couple weeks.)

When I got to the stop there were only a couple others waiting. Not bad! I spoke with a woman who was also waiting on the Suva bus and she confirmed I was at the right place. Great! And she thought the bus would be arriving around 6:30am. Glad I got here early!

(She arrived on a flight from Sydney last night and was heading back home to Suva this morning)

And sure enough, at 6:30 the Pacific Transport bus to Suva arrived. For payment, the buses require the same prepaid transport cards used by the local buses here in Nadi. I topped mine up at the Vodafone booth when I arrived at the airport yesterday. And like the other range of bus (mis)information I obtained, the actual fare cost was not clear. The Vodafone salesperson thought it was 20 FJD each way, so I made sure I had at least 40 on my card. Turns out she was spot on! The cost was 20 FJD (9 USD).

Six of us got onboard at the airport, joining the other 6 who were already seated from the previous stop, the route’s origin in Lautoka. No waiting around either! We were on our way at 6:35am.

Here’s a map of the route. The bus was nice. A fairly modern coach with air conditioning and 2×2 seating. I was told by one of the locals to sit on the right side of the bus for the better views. And the woman I spoke with at the airport made sure I got onboard okay and was settled in. Very nice!

Our next stop was the Nadi Central Bus Terminal, and that’s where it was busy! (I was tipped off that it’s better to board at the airport if you want to have a good selection of seats) The bus completely filled up here.

And I was the only westerner/tourist on board. Pretty cool, I think. Kind of meshes with my comment in the previous Entry about trying to become familiar with a community and its inhabitants. Plus, this is a fun way to experience some of the island and its villages, with nice views along the way.

About an hour into the trip, we made a 10 minute stop in Sigatoka (see map) where passengers could exit to buy snacks and drinks. I stayed on board, but the man sitting next to me did get off, and asked me to save his seat. Will do! I read on a message board that poaching of seats can take place at this stop, and sure enough, a guy did try to sit next to me. Sorry, it’s taken!

Soon after this stop we started getting some pretty views of the coast. It’s hard getting good pictures from a moving bus, but here are few that turned out okay…

Slowing down for speed bumps provided good photo opportunities!

We arrived in Suva at 10:30am. A fun 4 hour journey! I’d say 90% of the passengers boarded in Nadi and exited here in Suva. Just a few stops in between. Sitting across the aisle from me the whole time was a woman with a little boy sitting on her lap; maybe 3 years old. He was so well behaved in an uncomfortable seating position on this crowded bus. It was amazing!

A picture of our Pacific Transport bus upon arrival at the Suva Bus Stand.

My hotel was a 20 minute walk from the bus stand, so I just decided to hoof it.

Another view of the bus stand (local routes).

And I’m glad I decided to walk to the hotel, because right next to the bus terminal was…

…this amazing Saturday Market!

A view of Suva Harbour as I make my way to the hotel.

A nice waterfront path.

I’m staying at the Grand Pacific Hotel, and it’s the main reason I came to Suva.

The hotel dates to 1914, and has had many notable guests over the last century, including Queen Elizabeth on multiple occasions; the first being in 1953.

There was a brief downpour shortly after I arrived. Happy it didn’t occur during my walk!

I arrived too early for check-in, so I dropped my bag and did a brief walk around the neighborhood.

There is a complex of government buildings just across the street from the hotel.

This is the Post Office.

In the background is the Parliament Building. The statue honors Ratu Epenisa Seru Cakobau, the Vunivalu (King) of Fiji who signed the Deed of Cession to Great Britain in 1874.

I still had some time to kill before my room was ready, so I decided to…

…join these 3 boys for a swim in the pool!

Travel Note: Fortunately I already had my swim trunks on. I’ve been wearing them a lot; easy to wash, and quick to dry!

My room was ready around 2pm. I splurged a little for a Habour View room, and I’m glad I did! (172 USD/night)

It’s been kind of a long day. I think I’m just going to hang out in my room, and…

…enjoy the sunset.

Ordered a Mahi Mahi Poke Bowl from room service.

Sunday, February 1 – Suva

I see a lazy Sunday in my future! Most of the city is shut down anyway…

(I never left the hotel!)

Pretty morning

Heading into port is what appears to be the cruise ship that was in Tonga. Another reason to avoid town today!

Sidenote: Back on Black Friday, I signed up for HBO Max @ $3/month for a year (with commercials). So, I’ve been using their app on my iPad (via a VPN that provides a U.S. ip address) to watch stuff while I’m traveling. My current binge is season one of The Pitt. Wow! Amazing show! Highly recommended! (thanks for the suggestion Kait!)

Not sure what kind of sunset it will be tonight.

Tonight’s meal is chicken curry.

Cruise ship departing…

Not too bad!

Monday, February 2 – transit from Suva to Nadi

Sadly, I’ll be checking out of the Grand Pacific today. It’s been a nice stay!

Enjoying a spot of tea on this beautiful morning.

Travel Note: If I had to do it over again, I probably would have tried to spend more time in Suva rather than Nadi. Being the capital of Fiji, I think Suva has some interesting cultural attractions worth checking out. The issue is that the ferry terminal and airport are both located in Nadi, which was convenient for the island hopping I wanted to accomplish. Maybe I’ll get back to Suva, and the Grand Pacific Hotel!

Okay, I’m back on the bus to Nadi today. And I’m still pretty much clueless on the schedule.

I checked out of the hotel at 10:45am, and arranged for a taxi to take me back to the bus stand where I was dropped off on Saturday. The women who’s in charge of the taxis at the hotel told me the fare would be 5 FJD (2 USD) for the 10 minute ride. When I got in the cab and asked the driver the cost of the ride, he said 10 FJD. What! Gotta love taxi drivers! I told him what I was quoted at the hotel and he immediately dropped it down to 5 FJD.

It turns out my taxi driver used to work for a bus company that runs the Suva-Nadi route, and he told me that a bus was scheduled to depart at 11am, and that I should be able to get on that one. Perfect!

(I have to say, it was nice of the taxi driver to help me out, considering I had just cut his fare in half!)

We arrived at the stand just before 11, and it looked like the bus was just getting ready to leave. I was the last one to board, probably because there was only one seat left on the bus! All the way in the back row, the second seat over from the window.

For this trip I was on a Sunbeam bus. Compared the the Pacific Transport bus I used on Saturday, this one has some differences:

• Older and in rougher condition
• 2×3 seating, versus 2×2
• 19 FJD fare versus 20 FJD (50 cents less)

Once again, I was the only westerner/tourist on the bus. Just the way I like it!

(being in the back of the bus, I felt comfortable taking this picture without offending anyone)

Even though I wasn’t on the window, I tried to get some more pictures of the coastline views…

At the first stop from Suva (about an hour in), the man seated to my right exited the bus. Nice! Now there are only 5 of us in the row of 6 seats (and I can stretch my legs a little into the aisle). And then about 20 minutes later, another man to my right exited. We’re down to 4!

I ended up dozing a little bit on the ride, which was good and bad. I wanted to take in the views!

At the Sigatoka stop (about an hour from Nadi), a lot of passengers de-bused (including the man on my left in the window seat). I would say the bus was only about 1/3 full now, with only 2 of us were left in the back row.

Not that many people exited at the Nadi Central Terminal. That kind of surprised me. There were about 20 passengers left on board as we headed to my stop, the airport; where we arrived at 3:30pm. It ended up taking 30 minutes longer than the 4 hour trip on Saturday. I think that’s probably due to there being more traffic on a Monday afternoon versus a Saturday morning.

Only a couple of us got off at the airport. The rest would have been headed to the final destination, Lautoka (another 30 minute ride).

I wanted to get a picture of the bus after it dropped me off, but it took off too fast!

Here’s a picture of a similar bus that I downloaded from an internet search.

This was a fun weekend. I enjoyed the Grand Pacific Hotel, and the bus rides!

Tomorrow I’m flying to Vanuatu. That means I’m back at the Fiji Gateway Hotel for the night.

Before getting into the trip update, I should probably acknowledge the (minor) milestone that has occurred – as noted above, this is the 200th Entry of my Travel Journal. Not sure what that means, other than I’ve been blathering on for 7 years now! Anyway, thanks to those of you who have taken the time (and effort) to read all 200 Entries. I really do appreciate it! (and all of your feedback!)

Let’s take a quick look at the previous Journal Entry milestones:

• Journal Entry 1: January 12, 2019; Buenos Aires
• Journal Entry 50: March 2, 2020; Buenos Aires (interesting coincidence!)
• Journal Entry 100: February 15, 2023; Grenada
• Journal Entry 150: April 18, 2024; Albania

You probably notice the big time gap between JE 50 and 100. That’s attributable to the pandemic. My 2020 trip was cut short, and there was no 2021 winter escape.

Thursday, January 29 – Nuku’Alofa

My last full day in Tonga.

Remember the Greek Orthodox priest and his wife, who I met on the flight from Fiji? Well, I’m going to check out their church today. It’s about an hour walk from my hotel (I’m to the west of town, they’re east – figures!).

Kind of surprised to see the cruise ship still here this morning. I guess I always assumed the ships spent a day in port and then sailed on to the next destination.

Finally made it to the church. It’s a hot one today!

I like the Greek architectural influence.

This is Lydia. She happened to be outside when I walked by. Her husband, Father Bartholomew, was napping. I’m very impressed with what they are trying to accomplish here. They had an established church in Fiji, but were tasked by the regional director of the Greek Orthodox Church, located in New Zealand, to organize and build a new church here in Tonga. Construction started just before Covid, so it’s been slow going since then. And most of their laborers are volunteers. Best of luck to them!

Sidenote: Lydia was funny; she didn’t think she was dressed properly for a photo, so she kind of hid behind the column and plant leaves.

I hadn’t been this far east previously. This is a nice little beach (just across the street from the church).

I decided to forego the smoothie today (what?!?), and try some Tongan street food. (Maybe not the smartest thing, stomach-wise, being as I’ll be traveling tomorrow. Probably should have done this earlier in my visit.)

This is pele sipi – a traditional Tongan dish featuring lamb (sipi) cooked with tender, edible hibiscus leaves known as pele (or lau pele) in coconut cream. It is a creamy, savory, and hearty meal often prepared by simmering lamb, onions, and greens together. It is a Tongan comfort food staple. Cost: 12 TOP (5 USD).

Had my pele sipi on this shaded bench by the port. (and yes, the cruise ship is still here!)

So, how did I like pele sipi? I didn’t! I thought it was kind of bland, greasy, and it contained a lot of small bones. Oh well, I tried it. Should have gone with a smoothie instead (and saved 4 TOP!)!

My poor UW baseball cap just isn’t cutting it in this heat. Plus, the sun screen I’m using does not mix well with sweat. I think I need to go back to a wide brimmed hat, and find a better sunscreen!

(what sunscreen do tennis players and golfers use, that’s what I want to know!)

I was exhausted when I got back to the hotel today. I did a fair amount of walking, but the heat got to me as well. Plus, there’s that old age thing…

Travel Note: Still no Wisconsin shout outs as I walk around in my UW cap. A stark difference from last year’s trip!

Friday, January 30 – transit from Tonga to Fiji

My flight isn’t until 4pm today, but the hotel kindly provided me with a late check out. Thank you! I spent the morning working on some travel planning – primarily Thailand and Laos stuff (post-Singapore).

Travel Note: I thought about taking a driving tour around the island of Tonga, but the sights didn’t seem all that special, or I’d seen similar things in other places. I’m afraid I might be becoming a travel snob; which I absolutely do not want to happen. At this moment though, I guess I’m just more interested in becoming familiar with a community and its inhabitants. Will probably regret not partaking in the other stuff down the road…

As with my arrival, the taxi ride to Fuaʻamotu International Airport cost 70 TOP.

And yes, since this is my return leg to Fiji, the agent did ask me if I had a departure ticket off of the island. They obviously don’t want me hanging around!

I had a window seat again, but it was a kind of cloudy day; only a couple pictures for you…

Unlike the packed flight to Tonga, this return on the 737 was 2/3 full. I had an empty middle seat next to me. And we had a meal service on the 80 minute flight! Grilled chicken salad, and a glass of wine. Sadly, no refills this time!

It’s interesting, when I first went through Fiji immigration, the agent wanted to see proof of my hotel booking. The second time they didn’t ask. Same today. I’m sure they have a record of me coming and going; probably has something to do with it.

Tomorrow morning I’m taking a bus to Suva, on the other side of the island. So I just booked a hotel for the night by the airport.

The Fiji Gateway Hotel is a 5 minute walk from the airport. (but they do have a shuttle bus too!)

It’s nothing special.

111 USD for the night (+7 USD for (not very good) WiFi). Rather pricey, but it’s all about the location.

Monday, January 26 – Nuku’Alofa

This morning I stopped by the Tourist Information Center (they were closed on the weekend), looking for suggestions on things to see and do. After I told them that I like walking around, taking my time as I explore an area, they provided me with a Nuku’Alofa walking tour brochure, with a map and descriptions. Perfect! Let’s go!

We’re looking at St. George Palace (ca. 2017) – home to the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Finance and National Planning, and the Office of Trade and Foreign Affairs.

Treasury Building (ca. 1928, restoration completed in 2023) – it houses the Kingdom of Tonga’s Ministry of Finance.

The old Prime Minister’s Office, just around the corner from St. George Palace.

Nothing significant. I just liked the look of this house and landscaping!

The Sai’one Centenary Church (ca. 1952), also known as the Free Wesleyan Centenary Church. It is also referred to as the Royal Church, attended by Tonga’s royal family. Three names. Impressive!

Headquarters of His Majesty’s Army Forces, consisting of around 700 soldiers.

Queen Salote College, a girls school founded in 1926 with a current enrollment of around 1,000 students.

Tonga High School was established in 1947. The original building was destroyed by fire in 2000. This current structure was built by the Chinese Government.

Teufaiva Sport Stadium. It is the home of the Tonga national rugby team. It has a seating capacity of 10,000. (best picture I could get; entrance to the grounds was closed)

The Centennial Church, also known as the Free Church of Tonga.

Sadly, it was damaged by Cyclone Gita in 2018.

A picture of the Church prior to the cyclone damage. Impressive!

Malaʻekula (The Royal Tombs) – This is the final resting place for the monarchs of the Tupou dynasty and their immediate family, established in the late 19th century. The site is fenced off and not accessible to the public.

I’ve done a lot of walking on this hot day. So, now I’m heading to…

…that’s right! Panda Tea for a mango smoothie. Hit the spot!

Noticed this fella on my way back to the hotel…

…doing a little cast net fishing?

Tuesday, January 27 – Nuku’Alofa

The taxi driver who picked me up at the airport on Friday informed me that cruise ships would be docked at the port on both Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. Good to know! Maybe I’ll avoid the town today.

So instead of heading east from the hotel into Nuku’Alofa as I usually do, today I’ll take the road less traveled…west.

Ominous clouds hang over the new arrival to Nuku’Alofa.

Pretty church just down the road from the hotel.

Nice landscaping at the nearby Kongakava Hotel.

Another piggy sighting!

Okay, this is the kind of path I like to explore. And it appears to be heading to the northwestern tip on this part of the island…

…nice! Well, until I started to round the corner ahead. Located there was what appeared to be a kind of homeless encampment. Looked a little dodgy, so I made a hasty exit. (Local Headline: Madison Man Disappears While Visiting Tonga!) Probably an overreaction on my part, but I thought it best to side with caution in this case.

What are you looking at?!?

This is a walk-up/drive-up convenience store; I’ve noticed a few as I wandered the area.

I just realized I have not yet done a Fuel Price Check on this trip. Doh!

3.35 TOP/liter = 5.33 USD/gallon (not so bad in the States, is it?)

I had a little bit of a scare as I was walking around today (besides the dodgy encampment). I’ve encountered a lot of stray dogs while wandering about the last few days. All have been docile and pretty much ignored me. Well, today I came upon a pack in which a couple of the dogs became rather angry and tried nipping at me. Fortunately, I was able to keep them a bay (or, more like they decided not to attack). Disaster averted. Dealing with a potential rabies issue would have been a nightmare!

I know, I said I was going to avoid heading into town, but it really wasn’t that (crowded) bad. Plus, I needed to get my fix…

…you guessed it! It’s mango smoothie time!

So, I’ve gone the mango route every time so far, with no regrets. But what do you think, should I try a different smoothie flavor?

Wednesday, January 28 – Nuku’Alofa

I’ve done a fair amount of walking (in the heat) the past few days…

• Saturday: 16.6k steps
• Sunday: 15.9k steps
• Monday: 22.2k steps
• Tuesday: 22.0k steps

I’m feeling a little tired; so, today I think I’m going to take it a little bit easier.

I had a leisurely breakfast, took care of some everyday life tasks, and then got motivated to head out for a little walk.

As promised, cruise ship number two has arrived. Didn’t see much impact in town though. Much smaller crowd than yesterday.

Sidenote: I was talking to a shopkeeper today, and she said that having two cruise ships arrive here in one week is very rare. I guess I just got lucky! (Joking actually; I wasn’t impacted at all)

Wow! Very cool; just hanging over the sidewalk, waiting to ripen and be picked!

And of course, I had to get my smoothie! What flavor did I go with today? Any guesses?

Those who had kiwi, take a bow! It was very good, but I’m sorry, not up to mango’s level.

Tongan Facts for Travelers

• Vehicles operate on the left side of the road (like in the UK)
• Tongan is the main language spoken, but every local I interacted with also spoke English. And English is widely used in government, education, and business. Also, in my conversation with the shopkeeper today, she mentioned that the Tongan people may seem unfriendly with foreigners, but part of that can be attributed to their lack of English language knowledge. (Sidenote: the children are very outgoing here; but as I approach them they usually greet me by saying “bye” rather than “hi”. Funny!)
• Electrical outlets are the same as Australia
• I haven’t tried drinking the tap water (except after I boil it in a tea kettle!)

Have you noticed a pattern between Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga? Pretty much identical Travel Facts.

Travel Note: When interacting with the locals here, I’ve been called a Palangi. It’s a Tongan term for a white person or foreigner, often of European descent, but it can also describe someone adopting Western culture. They tell me it’s not a derogatory term; but as I researched it a little I discovered that while sometimes friendly, it can be sensitive, especially if used to criticize cultural assimilation or imply a “white person’s” lifestyle over traditional ways. The term literally means foreigner or pale-skinned person, but carries cultural weight, referring to outsiders or Tongans perceived as overly Westernized.

Friday, January 23 – transit from Fiji to Tonga

I’m off to Tonga today. I’ve taken the bus from the airport into Nadi a couple times, but not the other way around. Let’s change that!

My flight isn’t until 12:30pm, so I have plenty of time to wait for the bus. The stop is a 5 minute walk from my hotel, and I checked out around 9:30am. Probably overkill on the timing, but that’s alright. There was a gentleman already at the stop, and he confirmed that I was at the right place for an airport run. And he later made sure I was boarding the correct bus. Thank you!

I arrived at the airport super early; not a huge deal though. I used the time to stop by the Fiji Airways office to see if I could get a seat assignment on my flight to Brisbane next month. This is the ticket I booked via Qantas, with my final destination being Singapore. The second leg of the itinerary, from Brisbane to Singapore, is operated by Qantas, and I could pick my seat. The first part though is a Fiji Airways flight, and I couldn’t choose a seat. Mmmmm…

Well, I had no luck on the assignment. The (very nice) agent told me that seating selection would open 48 hours before departure. Okay. But she mentioned that the flight wasn’t very crowded. Good to know! And she also gave me some recommendations on local food to try when I return to Fiji next week. Will do. Thanks!

Unlike my flights to and from Samoa, today’s 737 to Tonga was completely full. I had a window seat, and next to me was a little girl who slept the entire flight. All good. Plus, it was only a 90 minute flight. But they still managed to provide food service! A tasty chicken panini. Like my Samoa ticket, this island hopping round trip is rather expensive – 485 USD. I guess Fiji Airways has a kind of monopoly in this part of the South Pacific!

Here are a couple pictures from the flight…

This is Wailoaloa Beach, where I’ve been walking the last couple days. The area that has been cleared by the water is the new housing development.

In the immigration line I met a Greek Orthodox priest who has a church here in Tonga. He said the congregation is pretty small. Not surprised! The church is close to town, so I may have to check it out!

The only option to get from the airport to Nuku’Alofa, where I’m staying, is by taxi. I pre-booked a ride through my hotel at a cost of 70 Tongan Paʻanga (30 USD) for the 30 minute ride.

Like Samoa, Tonga is 1 hour later than Fiji. Back to 19 hours ahead of Madison.

I’m staying at the Little Italy Hotel (run by an Italian married to a Tongan woman)

Saturday, January 24 – Nuku’Alofa

My room is second floor, middle

Just as I was getting ready to head out on my usual walkabout, it started pouring rain. Thankfully I wasn’t out the door a little bit earlier!

The downpour didn’t last very long though, and it actually felt like it cooled down a little as I made my way into town (about a 15 minute walk from the hotel). Now, I did take a bunch of pictures as I explored Nuku’Alofa, but the day was overcast and not very picturesque. And I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be much better, so I’ll probably revisit some of those locations then. (I wonder how I know this???)

My first stop was the Talamahu Market.

The ground floor is mainly produce

There is also a second floor, selling crafts and souvenirs. I checked it out, but not all that interesting to me.

And as I walked through the market (and around town) I had the impression that Tongans are generally not very friendly (or maybe I should instead say “outgoing”). Of course, the bar was set pretty high by the Samoans!

There’s a nice walking path along the waterfront. As I approached the jetty up ahead, I noticed there were some people swimming. Let’s take a look…

…I was able to get a candid picture of the boys, but then they noticed me…

…and had to pose (all except one)!

Another market, this one along the roadside.

I noticed some people coming out of Panda Tea with some smoothies that looked pretty good. I think I’ll investigate.

I had a concern about the source of the water used to make the ice used in the smoothie. Tap water wouldn’t do! I was told that they used filtered rainwater. Mmmmm. I was on the fence, but then the two women seated off to the right in the picture encouraged me to go for it. Sold!

Mango smoothie, 8 TOP (3.50 USD). It was very good! Except it was so good, I ate it too fast. Brain Freeze!

If my stomach survives, I’ll definitely be back for another Panda Tea smoothie!

On my way back to the hotel, I picked up a few things at the grocery store (my room has a mini-fridge).

The tide is very low. In fact…

…there are some folks way out there, maybe fishing or crabbing?

Sunday, January 25 – Nuku’Alofa

Smoothie Update: No stomach issues! I’ll be returning to Panda Tea!

A pretty sunrise this morning! (my room faces north) I know, what am I doing up so early??

And as I predicted, it’s a beautiful day; let’s make another photo run in town!

On Sundays pretty much everything is closed (except churches!). I’m expecting it to be rather quiet as I walk around (not a bad thing!).

I noticed this fella strolling along the waterfront as I came out of the hotel!

I’m approaching the Tonga Royal Palace (ca. 1867)

The Palace is not open to the public. I’m sticking my camera through the fence to get these pictures.

Tonga is the only Pacific nation never to have been controlled by foreign powers, and is the last remaining Polynesian monarchy. The ruling royal family of Tonga can be traced back more than 1,000 years.

This is a memorial to the Tongans who served in World Wars I & II.

There is a shop open today! Sadly, not Panda Tea, but maybe Coastline has something cold to drink?

No smoothies here, but they did recommend their watermelon juice. But first, I had to ask about the ice? They buy it pre-made, in bags. Perfect!

8 TOP (3.50 USD). It was very good, and no brain freeze this time! It’s a close call, but I think I prefer the mango smoothie.

Wednesday, January 21 – Nadi

I’ll start out with a thank you to everyone who reached out today and wished me a Happy Birthday. Solo traveling can get a little lonely at times, so it was wonderful to hear from all of you. Thanks!

So, another year; away from home again on my birthday. Coincidence?

These next couple days are going to be rather boring (for you readers) as I do some future travel planning and Journal work. In fact, as today I have no special plans, I think I’m going to consider my time at the Samoa resort as my birthday weekend. That seems more appropriate!

I did get out for a walk today though, so here’s a photo tour for you…

As I walked by this auto dealership, I was surprised to see an old Tokyo taxi. Pretty cool! (notice the salesman on the left coming up to talk to me – sorry, just looking!)

On the taxi ride from the resort in Samoa, I recognized the characters on the car’s display screen as being Japanese. Apparently a lot of second hand Japanese cars end up in the South Pacific (and fire trucks too!). Makes sense, I guess – both right hand drive, fairly straightforward shipping route.

If you recall, I encountered many used Japanese vehicles in the Caribbean as well.

Funny Sidenote: The taxi driver in Samoa told me that his sister had to use Google Translate to figure how to enable the Bluetooth capabilities via the Japanese menu items on his car’s display screen.

As I walked by the Nadi airport runway, I happened to notice a plane was about to take off. Happy coincidence!

Anyone interested in purchasing a new house in Fiji?

Here’s your chance to get in on the ground floor!

I’m back now on Wailoaloa Beach (I posted a picture from here a week or so ago on a cloudy, dreary day. Looks a little better now!)

The white building with the orange roof is the Ramada, where I stayed after my island trip. I’ll be going back there in a couple weeks.

Before heading back to the hotel, I made a stop at the grocery store.

Was this an exciting birthday, or what?!?

Sidenote: This is a little bit of a long story, so feel free skip it! The credit card I use for pretty much everything will expire in April (while I’m still traveling). I checked with the issuer to see if they would send me the replacement before I left, but no go; 3 months early max. I therefore had to change the autopayments I have set up on this card. One was my Spectrum internet. I’ve had the service since I moved back to Madison (7+ years) and never tried to renegotiate the rate. Well, when I called to change the autopay, they offered to upgrade my internet, at half my current cost. Yes please! And I was also offered a deal on their Mobile service. Unlimited data for $10/month for the first year, $40/month thereafter. And the kicker is that it also included free international coverage for voice and data (10 Gb/month). I was kind of hesitant to switch my cell provider (rather a big deal, at least to me), but that last part made it tempting. So, I went for it! And so far, so good; both in the States and here in the South Pacific. I’ll let you how it goes as I progress through Asia…

Thursday, January 22 – Nadia

Today was basically a repeat of yesterday – travel planning, Journal work, out for a walk, hit the pool.

I know it sounds pretty boring, but I’m really happy with all the work I’ve got done. A lot of progress. Remember, this is a 4 month journey; I still have to take care of the everyday stuff!

A couple pictures from my walkabout…

I don’t think I’ve included any pictures yet of a Nadi bus exterior.

Doesn’t quite have the character of the Samoan buses!

Back on Wailoaloa Beach (from a little different perspective)

Worked up a little bit of a sweat today! The pool felt great!

Travel Note: I think all of the places I’ve stayed so far (except on the island) have included a kettle in the room for boiling tea water. And I’ve mentioned that I don’t drink the tap water. However, I do use tap water for making tea (I figure whatever contaminants in the water will have been boiled away, right?). And so far, no stomach issues. So, I’ve taken it a step further and used boiled water to refill my plastic drinking water bottles (filling the bottles AFTER the water cools!). Kind of doing a little bit to help the environment (plus, I save some money!).

Tomorrow I’m traveling to Tonga. The next Journal update will probably be in a few days. See you soon!

Sunday, January 18 – Si’umu

Not a lot to report today. It was basically a day of relaxation – swimming (pool & ocean, reading, laying around, being lazy). Kind of boring. Sorry!

Breakfast, 1st course. Also had some muesli with a Lady Finger (small) banana and milk.

Travel Note: There aren’t a huge amount of guests here, and they are nothing like the ones I encountered on Wayasewa Island. There is no interest in interacting with others. Kind of too bad. I suppose it’s a reflection of the disparity between the two accommodations – one rustic with family style seating at meals, and the other more upscale with small dining tables.

(Although, at breakfast I did have a nice, but brief, conversation with a high school age boy from Auckland.)

I had a fun encounter with one of the resort staff today. It turns out he was the man seated at the front of the bus yesterday who confirmed I was, in fact, on the correct bus. He got off the bus before me, so I didn’t have a chance to properly thank him. And then we ran into each other today. Very nice! And he passed on a story that further adds to the Samoan’s legacy of kindness: Apparently the bus was about to leave the Apia depot without me yesterday (not knowing I was nearby waiting), but one of the staff radioed the driver, telling him to wait for another passenger to get onboard (me!). Amazing…

Samoa Facts for Travelers

• Vehicles operate on the left side of the road (like in the UK)
• Samoan is the main language spoken, but every local I interacted with also spoke English
• Electrical outlets are the same as Australia
• I’ve been told the tap water is drinkable, but haven’t tried (risked) it

There were actually 8 of us at afternoon tea today! (it was raining on and off, so maybe that’s why) No interaction though, just silos. (I know, I could have broken the ice, so I shouldn’t complain!) Today’s snack is a type of fried sweet bread, not sure what it’s called…not bad!

Sadly, it was rainy a sunset; no pictures to pass along today.

Monday, January 19 – transit from Si’umu to Apia

I’m returning to the Tauese Seaview Hotel for one night before flying back to Fiji tomorrow.

It’s amazingly quiet here today; hardly anybody at breakfast. The low season in Samoa…

I was hoping to catch the resort’s shuttle into Apia this morning. However, it only runs when they need to make a grocery run, which isn’t today (I’m guessing the lack of guests here has something to do with that). So, instead of paying 40 Tala (15 USD) for the shuttle, it’ll be 70 for a taxi. (Errrg!)

I know what you’re thinking…Why not take the bus back to Apia? Well, it’s a little more problematic making the return trip. There’s only one bus that makes the loop north and south, and the schedule is rather random. Waiting it out at the bus depot in Apia wouldn’t be too bad, because it has places to sit (with shade), and food & beverage stands. For the return, I’d just be standing out in the sun at the entrance to the resort, waiting for the bus to come by.

Check out here at the resort is 11am. Check in at the Tauese Seaview isn’t until 2pm. The taxi to Apia takes about 30 minutes. Soooo….

I decided to hang out at the resort until 1:30pm and get a little travel-related work done. Not a bad office!

Travel Note: I’ve been using my credit card a bit in Fiji and Samoa, and pretty much all of the merchants have added a 3-4% surcharge to the cost. I’m not bothered by that. Fortunately the credit card I use does not charge a foreign transaction fee, so that helps.

After settling in at my hotel, I ended up watching the 4th quarter and overtime of the Bears-Rams playoff game via the Peacock app on my iPad (thanks to the strong WiFi at the hotel!). A rare occasion when I’m happy that a major sporting event is being broadcast via a streaming network!

Tuesday, January 20 – transit from Samoa to Fiji

My flight back to Nadi wasn’t until 4pm. With the one hour ride to the airport, I booked a hotel shuttle for 12:30pm (Cost: 60 Tala). And they provided me with a late checkout, which was nice. The woman at reception told me it was “On the House”, which I thought was pretty funny – a very American phrase coming from a Samoan!

I did just a little walking around in the morning…

This is the interior of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral, which is next door to my hotel. (I posted an exterior photo in an earlier Journal Entry)

Time to say goodbye to Samoa…

When I checked my bag here in the departures area, the Fiji Airways agent did ask me if I had ticket to depart Fiji (since today I was on the return leg of a round trip). Not unexpected…

The two hour flight back to Nadi on the 737 was about 2/3 full. And I had a full row to myself. Nice! We were served a tasty grilled chicken salad, and I had a glass of wine (with a refill!). A little better than what we’d get on a two hour flight from a U.S. airline! (Of course, I need to remind myself that my round trip airfare was 400+ USD!)

Here are few pictures of the pretty views from the flight…

I’m back at the Hibiscus Suites for three nights, so that means my transport there from the airport will once again be via a city bus. Excellent!

And as a bonus, I had zero wait – a bus was at the stop as I walked out of the airport! Plus, it wasn’t very crowded.

The view from my seat on the bus. And…

… a self-portrait in the rear view mirror!

Saturday, January 17 – transit from Apia to Si’umu

Today I’m crossing the island (north to south) to stay at a resort in the town of Si’umu. I’m typically not a resort guy (probably to cheap), but it’s only for two nights, so I thought I’d check it out.

It’s about a 30 minute drive to get there, so I asked the hotel to get me a price for a taxi. 80 Tala. What? That’s more than I paid to get from the airport, which is further away. You may recall that earlier in the week I walked by the bus depot and mentioned that I might use the local bus to make the cross island journey. Well, I’m going for it! (My hotel reception person here in Apia thinks I must be a little off; I probably am!).

I checked out of the hotel at 9:45am, and made it to the bus depot a little before 10am. Written down on a piece of paper I had the name of the bus I needed, and the name of the resort where I was staying. I asked around at the depot, and was pleasantly surprised at how helpful the locals were – walking around with me to look for the bus; asking others its status. Amazing!

It turns out I didn’t have to wait very long for my bus. It showed up at 10:10. And it was packed! There was a seat available near the front though, and I was able to put my bag in the aisle. And the passengers on the bus were super nice. As I was getting on the there was a man seated at the front who confirmed I was on the correct bus, and after I sat down the women seated behind me checked to make sure I was sorted. Wow! I was blown away. I ended up talking a bit with Lani (the woman behind me) throughout the trip. Although it was difficult at times because there was loud music playing constantly! She kind of explained the idiosyncrasies of the journey, and her stop was past mine, so she would be able to point out when I should get off the bus.

I soon realized that, for many of the passengers, this bus was used as a means of transporting goods. There was a stack of lumber running down the aisle (4x4s, 12′ long), and something was stored under pretty much every seat. One passenger, as he was exiting, stopped at my seat and pulled out a couple cans of paint from underneath.

Besides the normal stops along the route, the bus also made the following diversions:

• Gas station for a fill up
• Local store – we stopped here and people got off the bus to go shopping and then got back on. About a 15 minute stop. Lani exited and said I was welcome to join her if I wanted to get something to drink, but I passed.
• Drop off of aforementioned lumber

As we approached my resort Lani made sure the driver was aware I was exiting, and another passenger helped me with my bag. What an amazing experience! I’m so glad I did this! Samoans are awesome!

(Apologies, I didn’t take any pictures during the trip. As I said, the bus was packed, and I thought it would be rude to take photos along the way.)

So, we left the bus depot at 10:10 and arrived at my resort at 11:50. Besides our diversions, another reason for the lengthy journey was the fact that we descending very slowly down to the south side of the island. The driver basically kept the bus in low gear the whole time. Kind of a long trip, but the time flew by.

And the cost? 5 Tala (a little less than 2 USD). Lani told me how much to pay…

Sidenote: Lani works in Apia, but returns to her home village on the weekends, which is very close to the resort where I was staying. She invited me to attend her village’s church service the following day. It was tempting, but when she told me it lasts 3 hours, I decided to decline her invitation. (probably something I’ll regret)

My bus stop, and my accommodation for the next two nights. Sinalei Reef Resort & Spa.

The outdoor shower (and bathroom) is kind of fun at first. But then there’s the bug issue, especially in the evenings. (I will say the sun warming the soap dispensers was an interesting experience – warm soap and shampoo! I liked it.)

The following are some random pictures from around the resort…

I couldn’t check-in until 2pm. So, after getting settled in it was time for afternoon tea. With some mini quiche. Yumm. And I was the only one there!

This is a view from the pier where I’m staying back towards the neighboring resort.

…not great, but I’ll take it! (I’d be a jerk if I complained about the quality of the sunset that I’m lucky enough to experience in Samoa!)

And it felt like those clouds at the top of the picture were right above me. Like a couple hundred feet overhead. Weird! (maybe they were…)

Well, this was a great day. The bus ride was amazing, and this resort is beautiful!

See you tomorrow…

Friday, January 16 – Apia

Today I’m going to visit the Robert Louis Stevenson Museum. According to Google Maps, it’s a 75 minute walk from my hotel. No problem! However, the distance is only 2.5 miles. Mmmmmm. I think I have a little elevation change to deal with here. Let’s do this!

But first…

Yesterday just after breakfast I was in my hotel room when I heard some music outside. I looked out of my window to see a little parade going down the street. I asked hotel reception if it was a special occasion, but she just laughed and said the police department and their marching band go by every weekday morning at 9am. Holding up traffic along the way…

So I made sure I was outside at 9 this morning to get a couple photos.

Making my way up to the RLS Museum…

Okay, I’m in need of a break and this looks like the perfect spot! I’m on the grounds of the Vailima Fou Theological College. Pretty!

Made it! The walk actually took right about 75 minutes. Google Maps must have anticipated my two rest stops!

When I arrived at the museum there was a roughly 20 minute wait for the next tour. Perfect! I need a rest (and cool down) break!

Worked up a bit of a sweat on the walk! (BTW, besides the Minnesota couple on Wayasewa Island, I’ve so far received no shout outs for the Motion W on this trip. Bucky’s not big in the South Pacific I guess. Still early though!)

Robert Louis Stevenson was born in Scotland, but traveled widely and in 1888 he and his family began a three-year tour of the South Pacific, eventually settling in Samoa. In 1890 Stevenson purchased 314 acres of land and began to build this home, which was completed in 1891 (the first two-story in Samoa). The house had five bedrooms and a library.

This is the parlor. It contains the first fireplace in Samoa (a carryover from RLS’s Scottish upbringing). Due to the warm Samoan climate, it was never used!

…which contains the second fireplace in Samoa. It was used just once, in an attempt to dry clothes. It produced so much smoke it too was never used again!

This portrait of RLS is said to reflect his bright side on the right, and dark side on the left (reminiscent of one of his most famous works, Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde).

This little building in the back is the kitchen. It was kept separate from the main house due to its fire risks.

Sadly, Robert Louis only lived in the house for three years. He passed away in 1894 at the age of 44. Following his death, the family moved out of the house. It was subsequently used as the official residences of the Governor of German Samoa, then later by the New Zealand Territorial Administrator, and, finally, by the Samoan Head of State.

In the early 1990s, the home was badly damaged by cyclones. After a period of renovation, the building reopened on December 5, 1994 as the Robert Louis Stevenson Museum. (The museum entry fee is 20 Tala, about 7 USD).

Following the visit to the museum, I decided to hike up to the top of nearby Mt Vaea, where the tomb of Robert Louis Stevenson is located.

The trail begins at the edge of the museum’s property.

These steps were very helpful. Surprisingly, more so on the way down, because the ground was rather slippery after much rain yesterday afternoon and overnight.

The proverbial fork in the road. Long, with a gradual slope (2.4km), or short and steep (800m). Which would you choose? I went short (might have been a mistake!).

This was a tough hike! I took numerous breaks along the way. And was drenched in sweat.

I think (hope!) that I’m close to the top…

Yes! 45 minutes into the hike, I made it.

I have to say, what awaited me at the top was kind of disappointing. The tomb is looking rather forlorn, and the views are nothing special. It felt good to get here though, after the strenuous trek. And there was a nice breeze to help with the cool down. No regrets.

For more information on the hike, click here.

The only hard part about the walk back down was making sure I didn’t slip and fall on my backside! It took about 30 minutes. Oh, another idiot move on my part: I didn’t think of bringing any bug spray for a middle of the day hike. Well, after all of the recent rain, I ended up getting a few bites around my ankles. Ugh!

It took about 45 minutes for me to hump it back down to my hotel. By then I was ready for a shower and some rest. (24k steps for the day)

And it turns out I was done for the day!

Note to Subscribers: I apologize for the fact that you have not been receiving your email notifications whenever I upload a new Journal Entry. For an unknown reason this feature was disabled in the time since I completed last year’s trip. The function has now been restored; hopefully no more cliches! (Thanks for bringing this to my attention Kari)

So, for those of you who are just now receiving your first email notification, this is the 5th Journal Entry for the trip that started about two weeks ago. A little bit of catch up; sorry!