Going with the Flow: Zen-infying in Savai'i
SAMOA
How many things on the ‘to see’ list does one need to check before it seems legit that you’ve actually been there? I was enjoying my meandering moments on the main island of Samoa, debating about heading over to Savai’i. But when LP says “[t]hese powerful blowholes are among the most spectacular on Earth, and well worth going out of your way for”, I was swayed. Problem was trying to get a rental car during peak season … well, problem #1.
I’m particularly appreciative of local businesses who try to enhance your visit while they make their coin. Lisa was like that - not only did she afford me a discount, buy me dinner and check in on me periodically to see if I made it onto the ferry over and back - but she also shed light on some Somoan social norms. Having locals share their lived experience in these ways is a total treat, and honour.
With the ferry terminal an hour outside the city centre, the fact that everything comes to a standstill on Sundays and that there was no online option to reserve or buy tickets, to see Savai’i or not to see Savai’i seemed less on me and more on the Universe’s flow.
How much of life do we try to anticipate, mould, control and resist? I awoke at dawn, having no clue where the day would take me, and while that seemed a theme for this trip, I suspected that it was equally true in day-to-day life.
I went through the motions and then came to realize that if I was going to see Savai’i, I’d need to be ready for whatever lay ahead. Sitting in line waiting to board with my vehicle, I watched the clock tick tock. The steamer was just about to snail away soon. Suddenly, I dashed out, ditched the car in the parking spot, then strolled aboard mere minutes before we set sail.
On Savai’i it it’s not possible to sell land and, overall, it seemed that things operated a little differently. Traveling on a Sunday reframed the slowness of island time as limited services operated even more erratically. Disembarking the ferry, I went with the flow. Quickly, I was sardined aboard a school bus. Mounting the steps, I tried to curb and cloak my curiosity as I gazed quizzically at the complex web of wires that were obviously critical in jumpstarting our ride. Minutes later, when seating room became scant, I noticed that several folks seemed to prefer sitting on a stranger’s lap rather than standing.
I watched men in black sarongs sit and quickly connect with one another. Many of them sporting a single lengthy braid, a trend that was popular amongst the Samoan lads. I hopped off at the stop near the blowholes, walked down the winding path and took in the coastline of ocean waves crashing against the boulders. That in itself was spectacular.
Then, intermittently and suddenly there was a pffffffft! Water leapt up from the ground like an Olympian long jumper determined to set a new personal best. While the camera catches only the spray and steam, the actual natural wonder left me in wonder.
To bolster the boom, locals often offer to place coconuts over these orifices that then splice, splatter and splay as a display of tropical fireworks.
I thought about how Nature expresses herself. How do we as humans process and proceed with the force of feelings that can sometimes escalate inside of us? I think to the times when I felt like a blowhole … Then realized how useful it would be for each of us to know our own triggers, that which tempers or tempts us further when the feelings outgrow that which we can contain.
Getting dropped off by bus was one thing … trying to find a way back was another story all together: Problem #2. With no bus, taxi or uber in sight, I began walking - fortunately, I didn’t map the route in real time, else, I would have been a little human blow hole once I found out it was clocking in as an 8 hour walking route for a 1h drive back!
None of the locals paid heed at my hitch hiking attempts. The sun was searing. My mind was racing, trying to map Plan Bs, Cs, and onwards … but somehow, I zenified into the moment and committed to going with the flow.
Getting into a state of flow, feeling flow and going with the flow are dynamic, sometimes intangible and definitely dynamite once we access them. From feeling high on life to centering into our purpose, this energetic space is the place to be. There is a peace and certanity of knowing that, even even against all odds, things will align.
And so it was. Just then, Tala pulled over and offered me a ride! Ironically though, they seemed much more shocked at the serendipity than I was. Not to mention, the ladies reiterated how rare it would’ve been for a local to stop to pick me up and just how lucky I was that they somehow did. As we shared the snippets of my sojourns, there was another surprise in store when they found out that I’d rented the car from their niece Lisa!
So gracious were they that they even offroaded a bit for me to see the Mu Pagoa Waterfall - one of the few tidefalls in the world, and the only one in Samoa. For the local lads it seemed like just another day to hang out, let alone at a rare natural beauty where a waterfall drops straight into the surging sea.
Whether we have insight into the wonders of our world or within ourselves, through all the experiences and emotions, perhaps there are more moments where each one of us can lean in a little more to the flow of life around us. After all, who knows where that might lead us, eventually …
May zen wash over us today, tomorrow, always.
Thanks again for sharing… it was like being there … fascinating place