It is a small town of less than 40,000 inhabitants but a megapolis in Samoan terms. I quite liked it. There are some quite grand buildings and the place seems well organised and peaceful.
This clock tower is the centre of the town.
Nearby are commercial buildings,
department stores,
a cinema,
and of course many churches.
This is a typical street scene
and the buses are colourful, cheap and, often, crowded.
You can even get a haircut.
This is Noreen in her best clothes (note the local bag and fan) off for an important meeting with the Ministry of Health. (They were interested in her views on the midwifery services and her thoughts on training midwives. There is the possibility of some sort of consultancy role developing in the next few years.)
Afterwards we went to Aggie Grey’s for afternoon tea to celebrate.
This is a Samoan institution made famous by American servicemen in the second world war and Aggie Grey was supposedly part of the inspiration for Bloody Mary in James Mitchener’s Tales of the South Pacific which was adapted into the musical and film South Pacific.
