Friends vouch for cleaner Samoa

By Ivamere Nataro 24 February 2018, 12:00AM

Amidst the hustle and bustle of Apia town were friends Miri Gold and Kaye Zamek. 

This is their first time on Samoa’s shores and they are here with their husbands.

Miri and Kaye have been friends for 45 years, even before marriage and they shared with Dear Tourist that they also had their first child on the same day.

As friends, they’ve travelled to a number of places together, including Fiji and Singapore. So their next stop would have to be Samoa.

“We haven’t been here before and it was just the only one available,” Kaye said. “We’ve been to Fiji and New Zealand but this kind of caught my eye.”

We asked Kaye why Samoa was so eye catching and she replied: “I’ve worked with some Samoan people and they were beautiful and the people we’ve met here have been fantastic.”

While Miri’s husband, Baron, was wandering inside a shop, she said they came to Samoa because of their friends’ suggestion.

“Our friends made the suggestion and we came along for the ride and we are so happy we did.”

They noted that Samoa and Fiji have so much in common in terms of natural scenery, but Samoa is much cleaner. 

“Between Fiji and Samoa, it’s really clean here, you’ve got waterfalls and it rains regularly so everything is washed,” Kaye said. 

However, they do have some suggestions on how to better improve the tourism industry in Samoa.

“Samoa has got to develop, otherwise you’ll be lost, and if you don’t move forward you’ll be behind. 

“When I say development I mean infrastructures like roads so you can get around easily and staff in the hotel need to speak enough English so you don’t feel uncomfortable and the local industry needs to keep up with the hotels and tourism industry around the world so you can bring more people here,” Kaye explained.

Miri added: “The attractions I think needs maintenance like at the Papaseea Sliding Rock, it’s a little bit dangerous going down because the railing is broken and it needs fixing because safety is paramount.”

Kaye added: “The To Sua Ocean Trench ladder it was really scary and we didn’t try that. The safety of the older people needs to be considered, the cross section between the young and old and in Australia when people retire they like to travel.” 

Considering the number of years they’ve been friends, we had to ask their age.

“I’m 67,” Kaye said, to which Miri, 63, jokingly replied: “Gosh you’re old.” 

“I know, I am an old bugger,” Kaye laughed.

The friends seemed not to mind walking under Samoa’s heat yesterday. 

“No we don’t love the heat, but when you’re on vacation, you don’t really mind, when you’re hot, you jump in the pool,” Miri said.

“It’s hot and it’s a challenge, but when you jump in the ocean, it’s lovely,” Kaye added, after which  she was joined by her husband, Myer and Baron.

We learned that their husbands have also been friends for 45 years and while they could practically pass as brothers having so much in common, football is what sets them apart, especially when their teams face each other on the field. 

The couples have been here for eight days and they leave the country today.

Do they have any plans to return?

“I really wouldn’t rule it out,” Miri said. 

“Who knows, I’m retired. I worked in the bank for 23 years and I’m still waiting for my friend to retire so we can do some planning together,” Kaye added.  

And with their description of falling in love with Samoa’s crystal blue ocean and sunset while sitting on the deck of their accommodation, and Savaii’s picturesque view, you really can never rule them out.

By Ivamere Nataro 24 February 2018, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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