Apia Days

After recovering a bit of sleep back at our hotel we spent the next several days exploring Apia. Apia is the biggest city in Samoa, and is in fact, the only city in the country. It is hot and dusty, and Samoans in other parts of the country will tell you that people in Apia tend to be more stressed and less friendly, however this must be relative. A highlight for several students and staff members was going to church and then being invited to join local families for lunch. There are a number of churches in Apia, a reflection of the fact that Christianity is the dominant religion in Samoa. Students and staff split into smaller groups or pairs and ventured out to various churches. Most of the services were in Samoan, however many of us were welcomed during the service by the pastors who were speaking, and the majority of us were invited over for lunches of traditional Samoan food following the services.

We spent the remainder of our time in Apia visiting the various markets, snorkeling at a marine reserve, and listening to several professors at the University of Samoa discussing development and Samoan culture.