There are places we just can't fit into our schedule. Here is a Top Ten List of places we will not be going to, along with the reason why we cannot go. However, if enough people want to go, then maybe it can be on like kong!
Siva Afi Fire & Knife Dance dinner show, Apia Harbor, Upolu
If you are in Apia on a Tuesday night - go to the Siva Afi show to see world class fire dancing! From fire and knife dancing to coconut milk making and other traditions, all explained in a quick and entertaining manner. Go early to get a good spot and combine it with a local dinner. The local food is delicious and it since it is quite hard to find around the island you better take the chance. The show is held at Ooh La La Ice Cream Bar. Note that we will be going to the fire knife class, we just wont be dancing in the audience participation portion of the Siva Afi, because it is too expensive at WSY75 or $33.00. I am investigating just the show part for WST25 or $11.
Giant Clam Sanctuary, Savaia, Upolu
"One of the most astounding things I've seen!Check the tides before you go, must be high tide. Also they move around so be prepared to swim around to find them. The area they are in is cordoned off with white floats on a rope. It is actually more fun to have to look around for them. They are amazing, I have never seem such brilliant colors, there are all sizes, huge ones, and baby ones. The giant clams can be seen by walking out into a large lagoon and snorkeling about 250m off shore. Truly spectacular - as large as coffee tables and a mixture of purples, greens, blues and reds. Over 400 in the lagoon. Definitely worth seeing. A person must pay a small fee at the village before entering the ocean, the beach has toilets and showers. The reason why we are not going is that I just found out about it tonight.
Hold on! I am trying to swap out another activity for the GIANT CLAMS! GIANT CLAMS!
After you’ve picked up your fabric from the likes of Forsgrens or the Tuttu’ila store, make your way to your favorite sewing shop. There are about 40,000 on the island with a population of 65,000...okay, okay, an exaggeration, but only a slight one. Basically, sewing shops are like the mainland Starbucks- there is one on every corner. I prefer Athena’s Boutique which is not nearly as posh as it sounds. Athena’s is tucked into a corner of Steven & Sons (picture a ghetto convenient store, reduce the brand options, throw in some chicken in the parking lot). But don’t let it’s drab look fool you, this 2 seamstress enterprise is quite the quality place. A puletasi will cost you $27($2 higher than the going rate elsewhere but the end result is worth it).
Get your puletasi sewn, $27.
After you’ve picked up your fabric from the likes of Forsgrens or the Tuttu’ila store, make your way to your favorite sewing shop. There are about 40,000 on the island with a population of 65,000...okay, okay, an exaggeration, but only a slight one. Basically, sewing shops are like the mainland Starbucks- there is one on every corner. I prefer Athena’s Boutique which is not nearly as posh as it sounds. Athena’s is tucked into a corner of Steven & Sons (picture a ghetto convenient store, reduce the brand options, throw in some chicken in the parking lot). But don’t let it’s drab look fool you, this 2 seamstress enterprise is quite the quality place. A puletasi will cost you $27($2 higher than the going rate elsewhere but the end result is worth it).
Explain to the seamstress what you would like (or draw it out if your like me). Samoan’s get all sort of fancy necklines and trim that you would typically only see on tacky clothes. Costs around $27. The seamstress will then measure you, and let you identify all the particulars: the width of the neck, the length of the skirt, the length of the sleeve. One week later and you have a puletasi! I just received a request from Sandy for a puletasi. The only way we could work it is to have measurements taken in Upolu right after we land at Faleolo and take the bus to Apia. I am investigating squeezing in this activity into our existing itinerary.
Nuu'uli Falls, American Samoa
There is just no time on the schedule, as I suspect that the falls may be closed on Sunday. This is the village of Nuu'uli, where Uncle Oapapo's wife is from. I watched some youtube vids of the Falls and decided we could pass on them. There are more spectacular falls elsewhere, and this has a little bit of a hike to it. The falls themselves would be low, as we will be there right before the start of the dry season.
