If the swaying coconut trees, the beautiful sandy beaches, and the lush green mountain landscape do not draw  you to Samoa, the smiles and laughs of the Samoan people definitely will.  The strong culture of "Fa'asamoa", the Samoan way, is still practiced, surviving outside influences.  The 180,000 people that live in Samoa live mostly on the main island of Upolu.  The Capital city of Apia remains traditional enough to be warm, friendly, and romantic, but modern enough to have industry, a bustling economy, ATM machines, and a nightlife. 40,000 people live on the bigger, but more rural, island of Savai'i.  The main Savai'i town of Salelologa consists of a produce market, banks, a few small stores, and a wharf which provides ferry transport to the main island.  Of the other seven Samoan islands, only two are inhabited and are much smaller.  "The Cradle of Polynesia" surely lives up to its name, with the earliest known settlers to have arrived circa 800 BC.  Samoa was also the first Polynesian country to regain its independence (1962).