Bula, Part 2

Our adventure began with a little 15-seater airplane taking us to Apia, Samoa (Western). These rides are always fun. They seat you according to body weight, and somehow I got to sit right behind the pilots. I jotted down a few thoughts on the 30 minute ride.

Maybe I prefer to sit in the back where I can't see that our plane is being maneuvered by normal humans using dials and switches... Where I can't see the co-pilot pull out the trusty school-type Casio calculator to plan the flight. (Can you imagine shopping for aviation instruments in the school-supply section?) His hands seem to be shaking. Is it the plane vibration? My hands aren't shaking. Yet.

When he revs the throttle and the pilot releases the brake, we zip forward like a paper wad in a sling shot. I just remembered that we didn't write a will. But I did wash the dishes. What would we include in our will? We have nothing really. The kids split the car? Ella gets the iMac to do her TuxPaint (promising graphic design career), and Isaac gets the surf gear with our hopeful aspirations for him?

Ah, Lalomanu, we're almost there. Maybe we don't need a will yet. Actually we're not almost there; this island Upolu is huge. I forgot all these miles and miles of coconut trees like green icing stars dotting a cake. And large banyans from here are bits of lichen, patches of moss carpeting the mountains and valleys.

There are the tiny cars. Intersections meet with no imposing stop signs, lights or traffic directions. Folks walk side by side down the middle of the road. They feel perfectly safe, and from my view I know they are. On closer look it seems the coconut trees looks sickly on the golf course. And now the banana trees are in sight.

Oh the landing! How many prayers have been most sincerely offered on this runway? We all become earnestly though temporarily pious Christians for these moments. Until we land safely and enter the slow lines of customs, immigration, inspections, and then face hounding taxis outside. Where did our piety go?

Here's our bungalow at Aggie Grey's where we only spent about 5 hours due to our 2:30 am checkout when we had to leave for the airport again. A short but very sweet beginning to our week.