Umu on Namua Island

Last weekend we took a trip to a tiny island called Namua.  It's got no electricity, and is inhabited by a very hospitable couple who runs a type of bed & breakfast quite common here: beach fales with a restaurant.  The island was the perfect size to explore - we circled it at low tide in about 2 hours, playing with hermit crabs and watching crashing waves on the back side.  There is a reef that meets up with two parts of the island, creating a very calm lagoon, roughly 4 feet deep between Namua and the main island.

We took a small boat out to the island and it looked like a postcard.


The water was crystal clear and we saw a turtle on the 10 minute trip (left side of picture; roughly 2 feet from head to toe).

We had a traditional Samoan meal called an Umu, on Saturday night, some of which I'll describe here.   First a hot fire was made, and rocks place on the fire, to heat up for later.  Also, some leaves were dried quickly over the fire.

Here are the remanants of some coconuts, which the meat was wrung out to create the delicious coconut cream.

The coconut cream is ladeled into a pouch of taro leaves, breadfruit leaves, and finally wrapped in banana leaves - wrapped tightly to ensure the coconut cream didn't leak out.

Taro root is stripped of its bark.

Extra coconuts in a traditional woven basket.

When the foods are all prepped and the fire hote enough, any combustibles are removed, and the rocks spread out.

Taro root is placed on the hottest rocks, and then fillets of fish, pieces of chicken, and beef with pumpkin are put on the rocks.

Rocks are also placed on top of the food (sometimes separated by banana leaves).

Most of the food (see the pumpkin on the back right) for about 25 people, and covered by leaves to keep some of the moisture locked in.

Additional banana leaves to keep the moisture locked in.

My meat-light plate; from 12 oclock: Fish, cole slaw, pumpkin and beef, palu sami, and taro root.  I was just trying things, and definitely got seconds.  My favorite dish was the palu sami, which is the taro leaves wrapped around coconut cream.  Delicious, despite looking like steamed spinach!

In the morning, we hiked up to the top of the island to see the sunrise!

Flowers continue to amaze us!

Leaving the island to return to another small tropical island.  :)

Samoa Treehouse

One night last week we stayed in a treehouse!  As far as we know it's the only treehouse in Samoa, though there's potential for more with all the awesomely huge banyan trees.  Built by a carpenter from Oregon, and his wife, the treehouse is best described as a typical two story American home, inserted 20 feet up in a banyan tree.  It was superbly made, respected the tree's root system, dry inside, and very comfy!
Their website for info and bookings:  http://www.lupesinatreesort.com/

There are a few landings as the stairs wind from ground level up to the front door.  Note MS beckoning on the first landing in these photos:

And then the view down from the front door:

There are a few extra supports to hold the house up, but that doesn't detract at all from its greatness:

The rooms often have banyan roots coming throught he ceiling from above, and delving through the floor below; there are perfect cuts through the floorboards.

The house sleeps four, with two bedrooms, one on the 'second' story.  In the living room, there's a root with a horizontal section that is a perfectly comfortable seat!

The bathroom is functional with plumbing, and has an open-air (open-root?) shower, and a tiled catchment below.

The owner is building two more tree houses, though they won't be as large as the first (they don't need to be).

Wave Pendulum

A while back helped a friend, Dan Busby, in building a Wave Pendulum.  I posted a few pictures here, but never got around to posting any videos!  Here you can see Dan and some elementary kids geeking out on simple science!

(Here, our wave pendulum is part of the STEAM Carnival by Two Bit Circus!)

Also, here's a self-made video in a back alley of the wave pendulum, un-cut.