Our first full day in American Samoa was devoted to getting the lay of the land, taking care of a few practical necessities, and most importantly officially visiting the National Park of American Samoa office. Since it was Friday and the office would be closed for the week-end, we knew we need to make that our first stop.
By 9:00 a.m., we had picked up our rental car and were on our way. Many people finish visiting all 63 national parks at American Samoa since it is the most distant, takes more planning, and is one of the hardest to reach (though Gates of the Arctic and Kobuk Valley in Alaska are only accessible through a fly in as there are no roads). When I mentioned to the park ranger that this was my 63rd and final national park, I was unexpectedly presented with a certificate commemorating the accomplishment. Visiting all 63 parks has been a years long dream and finally, after all those miles, hikes, planes, ferries, rental cars and questionable camping decisions, here I was on the island of Tutuila holding a certificate that said I had finally done it. What a great way to begin the day.
With that milestone officially recorded, we turned our attention to some considerably less glamorous necessities. We headed back toward the airport in search of a grocery store. We wanted to stock up on breakfast and lunch supplies as well as explore SIM cards for our iPhones.
The first stop was Blue Sky to get an electronic e-SIM for my phone since I needed to be able to use the iPhone when out and about and unable to depend on wi-fi. As with most cell phone stores, we walked it and immediately found ourselves at the back of a long line of customers. Fortunately the line moved surprisingly quickly . Then the next challenge: What plan? How much data? I had no idea what I was doing or what I needed but knew I needed a minimal plan. I had to trust the staff not to over-sell me. I gratefully emerged with a working phone and not a depleted checking account.
We stopped at the TSM grocery. As I have discovered in other countries, grocery shopping is rarely quite the same experience as it is in the Untied States. In the United States we have become accustomed to supermarkets where an entire aisle might be devoted to cereal, another salad dressing and approximately 47 varieties of cheese simply because we might want some variety. This was not that kind of grocery store. For example I was looking for lunch meat and cheese for sandwiches and quickly found that my options were limited. Tucked away in the corner of a refrigerated shelf unit, there were exactly two choices of lunch meat: chopped ham and baloney. And for cheese, I could choose between one block of cheddar or the individually wrapped slices of what I think of as “fake cheese” – the kind made from a blend of cheeses, termed American, and containing enough additives to make you wonder if it qualifies as cheese.
I had not eaten baloney and fake cheese in years and I wasn’t ready to revive that chapter of my culinary preferences. So I went with the chopped ham and block of cheddar. It wasn’t exactly the deli counter at Trader Joe’s but I would survive. We also stocked up on peanut butter, bread, oatmeal, apples, and fresh fruit so we could make our own breakfasts and picnic lunches and avoid having to dash out someplace for food every time we got hungry.
After lunch it was time to get into the water. Tasia decided snorkeling was a great idea. My vision was different. So while Tasia snorkeled, Bernadette and I dipped into the ocean and later moved onto the pool. I allowed myself to get wet without having to look at anything underwater.
Later in the day we walked into town to explore the waterfront. Pago Pago Harbor immediately caught my attention and I was struck by the massive number of shipping containers stacked along the waterfront. They seemed out of place against the lush mountains and blue waters. But it is a working port and it’s a vital supply link since American Samoa is remote and depends heavily on goods brought in from overseas. This deep harbor is well suited to host large vessels to transport the containers after which the cargo is distributed around the islands.
But what really caught my eye as I wandered about town were the busses. They were unlike any busses I had ever sees — brightly painted and wonderfully individual. These family owned busses (not by a transit agency), often locally built, are called “aiga” busses and carry people around the harbor and to villages throughout the island. They all seem to have their own personality and from what I hear there are no fixed schedules, cost about a dollar, and are replete with loud music and crowds. I had sorely wanted to ride one but time ran out.
The government buildings added another layer of interest. There is a significant concentration of governmental and historic buildings, including the Governor’s Mansion. We spotted a long driveway leading up to what appeared to be the mansion. There was a cinder block building off to the side with a NO TRESPASSING sign but it didn’t appear to be any other indication that the driveway was off limits or that sign was for the driveway. So naturally I wanted to investigate. We made our way farther and farther up the driveway in the heat of the afternoon wondering if this might actually be open to the public. As we approached the top a security guard appeared and informed us that NO, the area was not open to the public and yes, we needed to turn around.
We had a laugh. Somewhere along the way I had concluded that, since the sign indicating this was the government mansion was the same as other’s indicating historical attractions open to the public, this perhaps too might have tours, as it too is an historical building. Though it wasn’t an open-house attraction, we had gotten a nice look at the surrounds and sometimes a little harmless trespassing makes for a good story.
We wound up the day with dinner at the Goat Island Cafe at Sadie’s. It was time to start treating ourselves to to some of Samoa’s local seafood. Wahoo was my choice of the evening and a delicious way to end our first full day on Tutuila.
