8 June 2011 (-1 in time zone):

On the drive back, I was amazed at the open fales all over the place. Many Samoans still live in traditional open fales, houses that are just roofs on a perimeter of columns. No walls! People were watching TV, lounging on sofas, and tucking themselves in bed on the grass mats on the floor, all completely exposed to the outside world. This is the small hotel someone recommended for me. I'm using that large Vailima beer bottle to hold boiled water for me to drink for the night. I picked up that South Pacific Lonely Planet from the hostel on Muri Beach in Rarotonga - someone left it at the end of their trip.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2012/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-26.html

8 June 2011 (-1 in time zone):

Arriving at Faleolo Airport near Apia, the capital. I was immediately reminded of India by the heat, humidity, and chaotic atmosphere, not to mention being immediately accosted and followed by taxi drivers. A lot of Samoan men wear lava-lavas, a kind of skirt-like wrap.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2012/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-26.html

8 June 2011:

Flying between pockets of civilization in a ocean of emptiness. Kind of like travelling through space between planets, I imagine. It's interesting that by the end of the trip, I will have visited nearly every labelled place on this map. This is the Samoan entry form - I found Samoan to the be most exotic-sounding language and had very strange place names. To read Samoan correctly, replace "g" with "ng." For example, Pago Pago is pronounced "pahng-o pahng-o."

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2012/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-26.html

8 June 2011:

Auckland airport. I had a morning in Auckland, which I used to make a quick stop to say hi to some friends, had a doctor check out a lump growing on my leg, and had lunch at one of those wonderful New Zealand food courts.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2012/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-26.html