Yesterday and today involved early starts to the day. This morning, to return the hire car and yesterday to get ready for our excursion around the southeastern part of Opolu Island and it was certainly a day of unexpected treasures.
After getting our picnic lunch together, loading up our snorkeling gear and picking up the car, we enjoyed the drive along the northeastern coastline through some of the prettiest villages we've seen, before heading south through the mountains and the Le Mafa Pass.
Our first stop was the viewpoint of the Sopoaga Waterfalls. It was something out of a story book. From the beautiful gardens and picnic table area one had a wonderful view of the gorge with the waterfall as the backdrop, set amongst the lush tropical vegetation. Here we meet the owner of the property and learnt that all the tourist attractions in Samoan are on private land and are established as well as maintained by the owners for the common b
enefit
of the village.
Our next stop was the To Sua Ocean Trench and something beyond what we expected. While we had seen photos of the trench, they do not do it justice at all. The entire area is beautifully setup against the backdrop of a stunningly rugged coastline with spectacular jade and turquoise waters. Beach fales provide the perfect spot under the shady cononut palms to savour the views and dry off in the sun, while the picnic tables at the rock pools provided the perfect spot for our picnic lunch.
The trench itself is actually two volcanic lava tubes that are connected. After decending a very steep ladder, one is rewarded with a swim in the clear, refreshing saltwater and at low tide you can swim from one trench to the other. It is a most unusual geophysical phenomenon and understandably one of Samoa's "must see" destinations.
After our picnic lunch and a refreshing shower to rinse off, we were back on the road. This time to visit the
Aleipata District, where we witnessed the devastation caused by the tsunami that hit this coastal area in 2009 and where the villages are still struggling to recover.
Our last stop was the Piula Cave Pool in the grounds of a Theological College. This was another strange phenomena, where a volcanic cave, filled with fresh water is only meters from the ocean. The level of the pool remains constant with the water seeping into the ocean, but not visa versa. Add to this the tropical reef fish, including eels, that ended up in the pool, but have somehow adapted to the fresh water. To say we took a refreshing swim would be an understatement - It was freezing! We also had the good fortune of arriving on the college's sportsday so we got to see the men playing the Samoan version of cricket and the woman playing volleyball in full-length traditional dress, including a head covering which almost looked like a burhka, minus the flyscreen. How on earth they could actually mov
e and
not pass out from heat exhaustion was beyond us, but both games were entertaining nonetheless.
By the time we returned to the marina, we were exhausted, but delighted to have seen these sights. After a Happy Hour drink and a bite to eat, it was back to Paw Paw for an early night.
Today was a nice quiet day aboard after dropping off the car and enjoying a light breakfast at Milani Caffé.
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