Samoana Drama

So continuing our trip around Upolu we next moved on to Samoana Resort where Adam and I had been once before. We got checked into our 2 story "fale" and appreciated the comfort after our basic stay in Maninoa. There was plenty of time for sitting in the "Air Chair" or hammock asleep or reading or having a drink or 2 in the bar before dinner.

One eventful night while Dad, Adam and I sat in the bar doing what you are meant to do when on holiday Mum decided to go out for a walk. She was gone quite a while and I was just starting to wonder where she had got to when she turned back up holding her arm. She had had an encounter with some very slippery rocks (it always pays to be wary of the green slimy ones) and had slipped over landing on her arm. The owner of Samoana was very helpful and brought us some ice which helped to make it feel better. The arm was pretty sore after this for most of the rest of the holiday actually and you will see why in the photos. Upon arriving back home in NZ (Mum was not going to go anywhere near a Samoan hospital after the stories she heard from our friends one night at dinner) the arm was found to be fractured so it's been in a purple cast for the last 4 weeks. Whoops. After this it was decided no one was going off on their own exploring. Mum however battled on like a trojan and didn't let it ruin her holiday.

The next morning was drama part 2 when we all decided to go paddling the kayaks before breakfast. As Mum could not really paddle with her arm we loaded her into a double kayak and launched her out to sea with Adam. Dad and I had to take a single kayak each. The waves were pretty rough pounding into the beach which did not make the launching very easy. Dad managed to get tipped out in the process. Before long though we were paddling happily around the coast towards Virgin Cove resort. We came to the lagoon which was like glass and was the calm before the storm. After paddling around the mangrove area and surveying the colourful fish from above we decided it was time to paddle back for breakfast.

On the way, in my wisdom or not, I decided to have a go at riding the waves on my kayak. After one successful attempt I should have quit while I was ahead however I had another go and managed to get dunked!! Ankles hit the coral but luckily the boat stayed with me. It took a bit of paddling to catch back up with Adam and Mum who had started to head for home.

Next drama to happen was that Dad got cramp. We tried our hardest to hitch him up to one of our kayaks so that we could help him paddle home but after that was unsuccessful he decided he would have to dig it in and paddle himself back. By this time Adam and I had swapped kayaks and I was now paddling Mum. We were going along great guns until a bit of swell came along and I got that ah oh feeling. Sea sickness!! I knew it wasn't going to go away so made a beeline for the beach with Adam in tow asking me what was wrong!! I was not too keen to get back in that boat I can tell you. So .... Adam paddled Mum back in the double and I stayed washed up on a desert island stranded waiting for him to come back for me.

Drama number 5 was that a freak wave caught Adam and Mums kayak on the way home. Now we all know Mum is not that happy about being out on the water at the best of times so here was the son-in-law who managed to tip her out in the deep waters and leave her to get herself back up into the boat with a fractured arm!! This story will last the distance!!

I waited and waited on my desert island and eventually was not too happy to see Adam paddling back towards me. Not happy as I had hoped he would be on foot!! Him paddling meant that I had to paddle too to get the other Kayak home. Luckily by now my tummy had settled down a bit so in we launched for the 10 minute journey. I'm pleased to say that we eventually all made it back safely.

Not without 1 more drama though! Dad on his arrival back at the beach managed to get tipped out of the kayak again and majorly graze his leg on the rocks. Pretty painful. Dr Jowitt has never had to get the First Aid Kit out so much before. Luckily the Betadine did the trick for infection.

And last but not least we all missed breakfast this morning as our sedate paddling trip took so long so we were pretty hungry by lunch time and even more hungry for dinner.

One last thing to say about Samoana was we had ordered a chocolate and coconut cake to celebrate Dad's birthday (albeit a bit early). In Samoa things are not done in halves so we managed to provide dessert for all of the guests that night and even have some left over for the ladies in the kitchen.

What a couple of days!!