HOLY COW! What a trip. After wondering for a year about what Viks life is like on the other side of the world, I now know. The first couple of days were spent recovering from jet lag and getting used to a culture unlike any other I've experienced. We arrived in Apia in the early a.m. then set out to the beautiful beach in Lalomanu. We then set back to Apia for a night then it was off to the big island of Savai'i where Vik and Sarah live. We traveled around the big island staying in beach fales, riding the local buses (thats a whole other story!) and staying with local families. We were treated like royalty by the locals. They fed us, gave us shelter, told us about their culture and even fanned us while we ate. Soon it was off the the famous "pilage" fale (meaning white persons house) in Samaleulu (viks house). As we crammed in four people in to a one room house it was destined to be an adventure. There got to meet all the people that are an everyday part of Viks life. His village fathers, the kids ( who whisper into his window everynight, pssst VITA, VITA VITA!) and even baby Vita and baby Shirley. After 5 days at Viks, Chuck and Vik set off back to Apia where Chuck got his permanent Samoan souvenier while Jak and I stayed in a beach fale in Manase. Soon we all met up in Apia for our final stretch of time in the SOuth Pacific. We went out to eat, drank plenty of Vaillima and experienced a peace corps "fia fia" (party). We were blessed with an opportunity to experience 'fa Samoa' and all these wonderful things, but were more blessed to see Vik again. It was a hard goodbye and one I hope to do again.

Lonnie, Jak, and Chuck have come to the end of their journey through Samoa. They were shown the Fa'aSamoa as best as i knew how to present it, were given everything edible to eat, beaches to swim, local folks in my life to talk to, daily experiences to live. We have exhausted ourselves with bus travel, sea travel, and sleeping on floors. They've witnessed the hardest of rain storms and the blazing heat. They're headed weathered and worn, tanned as well, and with a whole new image of the Samoan way. It was to short but we made the most of it and everyone has lived to tell the tale.

More pics and tales to come.