We ran out of petrol but had fun

By Talaia Mika 21 November 2018, 12:00AM

It was probably an anti-climax to what the Singapore couple had hoped for—to do a round trip around the island of Upolu.

Danny Jo and girlfriend Juliette Bonga were first time visitors to Samoa, and while they had been to Savai’i, it was the round-trip around Upolu that they set their minds on.

When it finally happened they were ecstatic and looked forward to completing it—until the vehicle ran out of petrol.

“We actually almost completed the round trip because we were at the last petrol station and unfortunately, the petrol station did not have petrol.”

“We were stuck there for four hours and we couldn’t have time to finish the trip around the island,” Danny said.

The couple are on a tour of the Pacific Islands over the next six months and had already visited Tonga and Fiji before stopping over in Samoa.

They said they saw a lot of similarities between the cultures of Samoa, Fiji and Tonga.

“What we very much like because that we have visited Tonga and Fiji before Samoa, is how a lot f these Pacific islands share a part of their culture like the dish Oka. You have similarities in dishing the fish so it’s so amazing how you can still keep track of your history,” Juliette said.

Jo said he admired Samoans’ love for culture and it was something that even bad weather could not stop.

“I love how they maintain their culture by doing these cultural villages despite that the rain stopped them from experiencing it earlier before yesterday but now we are very happy to have seen it and experience it,” he said.

Catching a ride on Samoa’s famous public buses was also another experience for the couple, though they recommended that improvements be done to the service.

Out of all the attractions that Samoa has to offer, it was the natural features of the islands that appealed to them more than the others. 

“We saw a lot of these things like waterfalls, caves, beaches, fales, blowholes and so many beautiful sites in Savai’i and here in Upolu, we went to the marine park on the other side of the island, where they have big clams to discover,” Juliette said.

The friendliness of Samoans also touched them, not forgetting the local cuisine which led to great dinner at night. The couple’s only wish is that they lived within the vicinity of Samoa, which would see them returning for visits every other time. 

“If ever we would live here in the neighborhood, I would definitely come back because the people are nice, the food is nice and the scenery is very nice, although the gas station got us stuck there for four hours, but we would love to come back and hopefully, the stations would have progress in time,” she added.

By Talaia Mika 21 November 2018, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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