Today we went to a large bulk supermarket (like a Costco or Price Club). It was great to buy a bunch of American brands and certainly the prices seemed cheap compared to French Polynesia. We had to take a bus there and it was about a 20 minute ride out there but then since we spent over $500 - they took us back in a truck. We had so much stuff that it took two trips in the dinghy and I spent the rest of the day putting stuff away. I have to do some more provisioning if you can believe it! After that we will be set for many months, except for produce which is catch as catch can in the south Pacific. I have to get flour and rice here, which in most of the South Pacific, is weevil ridden. I am hoping since this stuff comes right from the US in containers that we will be weevil free. Roaches are always present and we hope to have escaped bringing some Samoan variety on board. All cardboard boxes stay in the dinghy and things in cardboard get transferred and then brought inside.

The bus ride was cool because we got to see half of the island! It is pretty once you leave town and reminds me of the Marquesas albeit with more people.

I stowed stuff and Jordan went to town to attempt to locate customs to finish checking in - unfortunately the customs man seems fairly slippery to locate. While he was gone, it started to gust around 25 knots and I kept running up to check if we were dragging. We were although slowly. I put the key in the engine and I spotted Jordan coming back. We pulled anchor and reset. It continued to blow but I think we are in good although who knows. The anchoring is terribly poor here as the bottom of the harbor is fouled with garbage.

We would like to leave, BUT it is Labor Day weekend so it really affects our ability to get things done. Sundays everything is closed tight as this is a very religious island. There is a church every half mile - really not kidding. We were invited to a Christian Youth Rally by a young local girl and we politely claimed we were already engaged otherwise we would come - yeah right. Thanks to all those freaking stupid missionaries - you have an island which is tolerant only to various forms of Christianity and nothing else. I talked to someone who claimed the Soamoans dislike outsiders. Not unusual to find xenophobia on a small island but we have found only friendly faces. Jordan thinks it is because we are a family. The guy who claimed the unfriendliness was a single male cruiser. Samoans think people are weird and strange who aren't married and don't have kids.

People are huge here - its funny being in a country where Jordan seems on the smallish side of things. The men mostly wear lava-lavas ie. wrap around skirts. Working professional men wear them too just with a button down and tie - its very funny looking. Obviously sensible attire in the heat. The ladies are all very conservatively dressed. Not a lot of skin showing - longish dresses with sleeves in tropical prints seem to be preferred.

I am supposed to shop for Jonah's birthday as this is the best hope but it doesn't look good. It looks like we will be here till Wednesday as we have to defrost our freezer before restocking on meat.