Pago-Pago- Tropical Paradise
Pago Pago villages in American Samoa preserve the Samoan Way while its harbor, shopping and attractions show off its urban spirit.
February 1, 2014
Pago-Pago, Eastern District, American Samoa
There’s nothing like jumping in a 4WD and venturing out on the open road to explore a new destination and see where the road takes you. So today, we did just that. I talked to Faletui, a local Samoan to take thirteen of us in his wooden bus called “Le Truck” for a scenic ride around the island. The US Dollar is the local currency in Pago-pago so it was easy to negotiate our US$20.00 per person fee for the three hour tour.
American Samoa, being fourteen degrees latitude below the equator, is theUnited States' southern-most territory. It is known as the heart of Polynesia. If you draw a triangle from Hawaii, New Zealand and Tahiti you would find Samoa in the middle. Western Samoa is a neighboring independent country that shares the same culture. American Samoa became an unorganized U.S. territory in 1900. Pago-Pago (pronounced Pongo Pongo), which is the capital, is stunningly beautiful, and this was very obvious once we started our drive along the coast. The town is located near the westernmost end of an L-shaped bay which is surrounded by lush green mountains. Bright red hibiscus, towering ginger plants with huge red flowers, yellow bells, gardenias, camellias and violets lined the streets, and entrances to individual houses. Coconut, pomelo, bread fruit,bananas and other tropical fruit trees are abundant.
Pago Pago Bay is one of the most dramatic harbors in the South Pacific, a region known for dramatic landscapes.
“We have lots of food here from the land. One can never go hungry,”stated Faletui. “the land belongs to us, the people. Before the government can do anything, they have to consult the people first,”he continued. “If you want something, like bananas or anything from your neighbor, all you have to do is ask.”
At our first stop by the beach, he grabbed some coconut palms and demonstrated how quickly he was able to make a hat, and wove a basket. He wanted to impart the knowledge that one can be self sufficient in Samoa.
“Look at those bananas!” I exclaimed while pointing to the bananas as large as my arms. “And oh, the flowers too. Could we stop here?”I asked.
The coconut is the most useful of all plants in Samoa.
One by one we jumped out of Faletui's truck and started gawking at the huge bananas spread out on the makeshift stall. There were large papayas too, and big baskets of breadfruit that looked like rounded jack fruit. On the left side of the stalls were huge beautiful floral arrangement ready for the taking. They were only US$10.00 each and one of the ladies in our group bought one for her cabin. I asked for a coconut and paid US$1.00 while Sandy in our group, bought a huge pile of bananas. Each one of us had a banana and it only cost Sandy a buck!
Faletui also took us to Vaitogi where we watched the tidal pools and blowholes. We also visited a resort where we had our refreshment. The resorts swimming pool is still covered by sand and Faletui explained that it was by ruined by the tsunami that struck on 9-29-2009. We also dropped by at his house where he picked some bright red bromeliads for us. During our brief stop, we learned that American Samoa retains much of its traditional way of life called the Fa'a. In Samoa, the head of the extended family enjoys great respect. Nearby, we saw many villages with fale, guest houses that look like large gazebos, where people entertain visitors. The higher the fale,the higher the status of its owner. Religion also plays a major role in life on the islands, and we saw many churches on Tutuila. In line with local tradition, graves are in the foreground of their property, and mostly inside the entrances of the house, particularly if the deceased were parents.
An indulgent treat-bananas of all kinds and sizes.
Football is also a big thing in the Samoan life as several Samoans are presently playing for the US NFL League. We saw some of their houses including the latest one being built for the mother of the player for the San Francisco 49ers. At A'oloaufou, which is 1,340 ft high, we stopped and enjoyed the breathtaking views of the town and the bay, before heading back to the dock.
At the dock, the town itself was small and quiet. Houses have been built on the steep hills not far from the seafront, and most of the shops including McDonalds, line the street that runs alongside the dock itself. The only shop missing is Costco or Walmart according to some passengers who are still experiencing their Costco and Walmart withdrawals!
Overall, Pago Pago is a very small town, with a very limited number of restaurants, yet it is beautiful and quaint. Of all the many islands we have visited, it is the most verdant, making it look like a garden paradise. Most of all, its people are some of the friendliest people in the world! It is definitely one place we would like to come back to!
Comments
Happy and good looking people who live at these enchanted islands. May peace and prosperity continue to reign here. Thank you for taking the time to share with us. From Kim L., on Feb 14, 2014 at 07:34 p.m.