Pago Pago, American Samoa

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I was up first before Clay's alarm went off this morning. We couldn't see land yet. We could see it on TV from the bow cam though. We enjoyed breakfast at 7:30 am in Waterside as we sailed alongside American Samoa. Pago Pago is a snug little protected harbor and it was a pleasure to be docked here today instead of tendering. We entered the harbor and saw our docking spot before Serenity slowly spun in place and backed up to tie off.

Our tour (description pasted below) was to depart Stardust Club at 9:45am. There were only 6 tours offered here by Crystal and we heard someone at breakfast say that due to rain, theirs had been canceled. We paid $59 each for the tour and that was probably too much.

WEST SIDE ISLAND DRIVE & TUTUILA CRAFTS
Discover the marvels of nature and the traditions of handcrafts during an excursion that takes you on a scenic drive on the west coast and to the Maliu Mai crafts center. Along the way, enjoy stops to appreciate island monuments and scenic vistas.

From the pier head west in your open-air, island-style bus and discover a nearby natural wonder the Flowerpot Rock, a large rock that rises from the waters of Pago Pago Harbor. Sporting a bushy carpet of vegetation sprouting from its crown, the rock resembles a plant in an enormous flowerpot, thus giving it its name, Flowerpot Rock. Stop to photograph this unique landmark and then travel to the southwest side of the island and the town of Leone, the ancient capital of Tutuila. It was here that Samoa’s first missionary, John Williams, landed in 1832. In front of the town’s Zion Church stands the Leone Missionary Monument, paying tribute to Williams’s arrival and the work of the London Missionary Society. Note this interesting testament before rejoining your bus for the journey along the beautiful Leala coastline, stopping to appreciate inspiring island vistas en route.

For a glimpse into local traditions in handcrafts, continue to Maliu Mai. Here, you will discover the art of crafting and enjoy a chance to relax as you witness basket weaving and hear ancient storytelling, and perhaps purchase a refreshment at the onsite restaurant.Having learned about the natural environment and local traditions, return to the pier.

Transfers are by open-air island bus with bench-style seats. Tour guides may be local high-schoolers without professional training. However, their knowledge, friendliness and enthusiasm are sure to add to your island experience. It is recommended that guests dress in casual clothing and wear flat, comfortable shoes. Guests should also wear a hat and apply sunscreen. This excursion will operate in all weather conditions. The order of sights visited may vary.

Our bus and guide were as described above. Our 3 buses drove directly to Flowerpot Rock for a photo stop. I am sure most  of us had photographed it from sea as we sailed in. We did drive on to Leone where the buses turned around and parked us for a photo stop at Leone Healing Garden. We did not stop at the John Williams monument though our guide did point it out as we were driving back by it. Our final stop lasted over an hour and as our guide said, it was at a bar. A nice bar on the beach by the airport. They were offering fruit and restrooms along with seats as they described and demonstrated weaving pandanus leaves as well as cloth painting. They were selling craft items like jewelry and painted cloth. They were also selling beer, sodas and coconuts. This stop was kind of a cluster cuss.

It was unbearably humid here. Men and women alike mostly wear skirts that reach just below the knee. The women tour guides were dressed in ankle length dresses that our tour guide described as formal wear like to go to a funeral. Or to guide a bunch of cruisers. We were dressed in our bug repellent clothes as the CDC listed this as a place with an active Zika virus outbreak. Given all the rain and puddles that we saw it was amazing that we saw not one mosquito. After the hour + at the bar, our bus took us to what the guide called an industrial park. It was a waterfront recreational park, it had playground equipment, tennis and basketball courts and picnic tables. It had no shade. We arrived there after 12:30pm which is when we were scheduled to have returned to the ship. Our guide asked us to step off the bus there and everyone balked and refused and asked to be returned to the ship. I don't know how long they'd have toured us around if we'd gone along. We got back aboard around 1pm just in time for lunch at Silk. Clay had a local beer here, Vailama. He also got a T-shirt with the logo on it for only $12.

We showered and made it to the cool Hollywood Theater to see the 2:30 pm showing of "The Post". It was a great movie and another we had missed seeing til now.

We are all aboard at 5:30pm and the captain just announced we'd leave now. He said more rain ahead as this is the rainy season here. He only predicted seas of 4 to 6 feet between here and Fiji. He reminded us that we'll cross the International Date Line and tomorrow will be the 29th of January and not the 28th. We'll skip Monday, January 28 this year!

We have dinner reservations at Umi Uma, the Japanese restaurant. We liked it last time and we're both planning to order something different this time. I'm back to say that Clay ordered different dishes except for dessert just because he likes tapioca soup with green tea ice cream. I ended up ordering the exact same meal as I had last time. They have 4 noodle dishes and I meant to order one of them, but on questioning the waiter I learned all 4 had fish! I should say that we both ordered something different in Prego last night and enjoyed it just as much as previously. Except dessert. Prego dessert we ordered the same as last time and both feel dessert is weakest there.

I am counting this as my 86th country. I believe it is a US territory, but I think it counts as a new place for me.

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