Heidi and the Gecko (not recommended for children)

We woke to the sound of crunching... rewind... first time we woke up, Heidi was scrambling round the room chasing after something. We established it was a tiny gecko, which had managed to hide behind the door. Satisfied it wasn't a rodent, we went back to sleep, only to wake a few minutes later to the sound of Heidi retching and regurgitating slime. The gecko was now headless and obviously didn't taste very nice. Heidi slunk off to recover and we went back to sleep. The third time we woke up, Heidi was crunching. Not long after, the only signs of the struggle were a few crumbs of something unidentifiable, and a leg. Definitely a leg. Charming. Heidi loves Samoa!

The biggest banana split

Shopping in Samoa is an interesting experience. Fresh fruit and veg is abundant at the local market, in every sense. Portion sizes are a challenge from those of us from western individualist societies. Samoa's collectivist culture is reflected in large families, made even larger by a strong sense of responsibility towards the aiga or village, and as a consequence, large amounts of food. If you feel like eggplant for dinner, make sure you have a recipe or two for eggplant dip, eggplant chutney, and eggplant curry - because you get as many as you like, so long as its family size.
... Pooley was driving back from the beach the other day through a banana plantation and thinking about how to cook the fish he'd caught for dinner. He spotted a man from the village at work and asked if he could buy a couple of banana leaves (to wrap the fish in). The man obliged by cutting down two whole banana trees! How much? 20 tala ($10AUD)... a ginormous banana split!

Tongariro - a retrospective

On our way to Samoa we spent two weeks touring the North Island of New Zealand. Our trip included four days hiking around volcanoes on one of New Zealand's Great Walks - Tongariro Northern Circuit (http://www.doc.govt.nz/Explore/002~Tracks-and-Walks/Great-Walks/Tongariro-Northern-Circuit.asp):
Day 1: Whakapapa Visitor's Centre to Mangetapopo Hut (with a side trip up Mt Doom)
Day 2: Tongariro Crossing to Ketahati Hut
Day 3: Ketahati Hut to WaihohonuHut
Day 4: Waihohonu Hut to Home
Highlights of the trip:
- Our 'short cut' down Mt Doom (a Pooley special and worthy of its own blog)
- Overflow at Ketahati Hut
- The Golden Girls
- Meeting a real Zimmerman
- Gourmet dining hut style, or how to make your fellow trampers feel even hungrier
At the end of the walk we spent the night at the Skotel beneath Mt Ruapeho - NZ's highest hotel - right in the path of a lava flow if the worst was to happen. We thought it did! About half an hour after we went to sleep (following a gourmet lamb dinner with ample red wine) the fire alarm went off and chaos ensued. We leapt up, dressed and shot out of the building like scalded cats, determined to ignore the assembly point and belt down the mountain in our car rather than drown in molten lava.
... it was a false alarm.

Rolling at black sand beach

Yesterday we decided to take the sea kayaks for a spin, literally. Pooley had a practice run last week and was keen to consolidate. The chosen spot was Aganoa Beach, a black sand beach on the South Coast of Upolu, about 45 minutes from home. Getting there can be an epic of its own, involving river crossings, mud and cutting wayward vines with the bush knife to make sure the kayaks stay on the roofracks. We timed it perfectly, arriving at high tide on a glassy afternoon. What a perfect spot to learn how to fall out of your kayak - a sheltered bay at a break in the reef, surrounded by coconut palms and banana trees, not a soul on the beach and no clouds (and no waves!) in sight. After practising emergency exits underwater, Pooley tried a couple of rolls, to no avail. However he did manage a few assisted rolls, where he used my bow to support himself. I was excused from this exercise, on account of being a wimp. We finished our day at the beach with a swim out to the buoy and back - Pooley wants to brush up on his swimming before attempting a surf out on the reef. It was an exhilarating swim out through crystal clear water about 7 metres deep, looking straight at the sandy bottom of the bay. Mercifully, no creatures of the deep down there looking for an afternoon snack.

Under construction

This time we are really doing it. Not just 'gunna'! So welcome to our new blog which we hope will help our friends and family around the world keep track of us and get a taste of life in Samoa. Expect more pictures than words, and snippets of info from time to time. Enjoy! Love the Poolberts.