When Things go South (Apia, Samoa)

Just as I was thinking to myself that everything was going alright and that I was stressed for no reason, as I was eating a disgusting Caesar salad at LAX, I hear an announcement that on my flight there’s a 7 kg limit for carry-ons.

Of course all my camera gear weighs way more. The Air New Zealand guy wanted me to check the back and I told him that there’s no way my gear leaves my sight. A little sweet-talk got me enough pity to get to keep my gear with me (though I had to have the computer and a camera on me during the whole flight), but what if this hadn’t worked?

Just a little reminder that, especially when you’re far from home, it doesn’t take much for things to go South (or North, whichever one is the wrong way in this hemisphere).

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I took advice from different people:

-Last thing I did on Canadian soil was to buy and eat a Tim Horton’s honey-cruller (good idea Karen).

-Just before my trans-Pacific flight, I took Ron’s suggestion to buy an inflatable pillow, which made my 11-hour flight, barely endurable.

-And a few times along the way, I had a Diet Pepsi; thanks Fred!

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The rain sounds like a train, it comes fast, it pours like hell (makes buildings shake), and goes away. Until the next train.

I have to say I’m really thankful for the clouds because this morning, the heat and humidity were unbearable (35 degrees, 78% humidity).

So I decided to do what locals do, which is, not much. I took a walk “downtown” Apia, the capital city (population 40 000). Not much picture-wise (anyway tomorrow I’m going to that fale (hut) on the beach).

This photo was snapped out the window as the driver was on his way to drop me off at the so-called hotel.

Sunrise in Samoa (my plane landed around 5:30AM local time).

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Internet is not easy to find around here so it might be a while before the next post.