Dying of thirst

On Saturday morning I helped Darren (a fellow volunteer) set up a couple of basketball courts for a new competition he's organising for schoolkids. We had to head down to Matautu-tai (right near the wharf where the HMAS Stuart was docked) and measure out the court distances then construct and place the rings accordingly. Sure, the courts are grass (but what great grass!) but we're still happy with the result.

The work was pretty tough though. It's been hot in Samoa lately. The dry season is well and truly upon us, with only two days of rain in the last two months. Even at 10am it was really hot and the sun beat down on our backs as we undertook the work. It was clear to us that equally as important as erecting the rings was the matter of how we were going to cool down afterwards.

As we left the courts, we saw Scoops from afar and, dying of thirst, knew what we had to do. Scoops is the best ice cream & drink parlour (as it were) in Samoa. We made our way there and ordered the largest, coldest drinks they had. Two jumbo-sized chocolate thickshakes were shortly placed before us and we were as happy as pigs in poo (doesn't Darren look excited?). I think the shake would have to qualify as the single largest drink I've found in years. Probably as one of the best for value for money too. The shakes cost us $11WST a piece ($5.50AUD). Bargain!

Sure, it's not as refined as drinking a beautiful white wine from the Yarra Valley. If I could lay my hands on a good wine from the Yarra I would. But on Saturday, in the heat of the day after our labours, the largest thickshake in Samoa was exactly what we needed.