On the Edge of Tomorrow

It's been a pretty long trip this time.  I'm winding things up with a drop in on Apia, Samoa. Just near the International date line.  You can see me on the map to the left. I'm the little yellow pixel, just below the letter 'A' in Apia

Since mid-September, I’ve been to Ohio, Minnesota, back to Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, New Zealand, Fiji and Samoa and then back to Indonesia.  I’ve changed my watch ten times.  Including my own, I’ve slept in 11 different beds. Now, part of this was with family and wasn’t work related, but I was on my own for a while.

Pre-mid life crisis, I used to dream of finding a job that would pay me to travel.  So here, I am.  Living the dream!

The upside, you can meet interesting people from all over.  You discover some unique and beautiful locations.  

A cab driver recommended this beach an hour so away. It was great to drive out and find it on a map and just camp out for the day.  Dozing in the shade of a fale, watching the waves far out on the reef. It's a great way to spend a morning.

He also recommended this waterfall. You can't hike to it, but you can pay the land owner $2 toview it from afar and imagine what it may be like to hike down to it.

Or there is this place, To Sua Ocean Trench.  Rated a “Place to see in your lifetime”  by someone who rates such things.  It’s an old lava tube that’s roof caved in.  The ocean fills it through an underground tube.  The only way down is via the ladder.  As swimming holes go, it is pretty idyllic.

You also stumble across some entertainment opportunities.  While out looking for dinner the other night, I found the Second Annual Samoan Jazz Festival, right there on the street. There was a solo, electric ukelele act who was simply wailing out the hits. Later there was a Cuban Salsa band and the night finished up with a Samoan/NZ Luther Vandross cover band.  It was amazing.  And throughout the evening. This was the view. Just a superbly unexpected evening.

The downside is the travelling by oneself. You don’t have anyone to share anything with.  No one to watch you dive into the deep blue hole No one to look at the sunset you’re pointing at. No one to shimmy with.

I guess this is long winded way to say, “Wish you were here!”

Rum and Coke Reprise

Sitting in the Esplanada hotel. Realizing that it could be one of my favorite places on earth.  There is a constant sea breeze, good food, a stream of interesting people and often live music.

Long time readers may remember my fawning over this place a year ago, but my trials at getting a rum and coke.  If you don't you can read about it here.

This year I was in the same mood. There was a band playing some great cover tunes.  I thought I'd try again.  Maybe to see if they'd remembered anything.  I called the staff over and asked for a rum and coke.

“What kind of rum would you like, Bacardi or Bundaberg?”

Hmmm. This was promising! The place may be stepping up! I chose the latter.

I was sitting with a view behind the bar, so I could see what happened. I watched her go and pour a shot of rum and pull a can of coke out of the fridge and put them both on a tray.  She told the other bartender to ring up what she was making. The other woman snapped something like, “serve it with ice!”, because the first bartender went and got a glass of ice. And put it on the tray.  

Then the second bartender barked, “serve them together!”  The first bartender got a third glass and dumped them all together and brought it to me.  Success!