Samoa beaches a special legacy...

Lalomanu Beach fale and beautiful beach

Yesterday, we had a whirlwind trip around the South Eastern coast of the Island of Upolu, after meeting with my husband's family in Siumu.

We then drove around to the Aleipata coast, passed by the village of Lalomanu, which had been devasted by the Tsunami of 2009 and over to see if we could catch the last boat to the Island of Namua but (aue!) we didn't make it.

So we headed back to the sandy golden beaches of Lalomanu where our two van loads of families got out, stretched our legs whilst some went to have a swim in the warm waters of Lalomanu whilst others lay lazily in the comfortable breezes of the beach fale (small open shelters) at $50 tala per car.

As the sun set, we proceeded to quickly finish our late wahoo sandwiches which I and my beautiful Samoan nieces had made earlier in Siumu. Then we set off back through Aleipata and a long night drive back to our home in Fasitoo-uta at around 10pm at night.

It reminded me of the night drives in Samoa that I had with my late father where I'd be driving and we'd be talking late into the night after driving back from Siumu along the Lefaga pass road. It brought back beautiful memories and I was reminded of the privilege of the legacy that had been left for me and my children's generation of the love for a special place in the heart of a father who had lived and loved...