We knew we were welcome during our visit to Pago Pago, American Samoa, on March 12, 2025. As our ship pulled up to the dock, a large collection of Samoans sang and danced. Huge signs proclaimed "Talofa!", or "Hello!"
We boarded a bright red bus, with a painting of Jesus on the back, for our island tour. Our guide quickly informed us that American Samoa is "one of a kind." By that, she meant that they had one hospital, one road, one airport, just one of everything. In fact, the road didn't even go all the way around the island! We went as far eastward as we could go and then turned around and went back!
We had our first kava ceremony on Pago Pago. The ceremony was then repeated on several other South Seas islands. The ceremony consists of visiting a local chief, who welcomes the newcomers, mixes juice that looks like dirty brown water, drinks some, and offers the rest to his guests. A representative of the guests sips some kava and conveys the group's best wishes to the chief. Every town has an open-air community meeting house, where the kava ceremony is held, accompanied by dancing and singing. After returning to Salt Lake City, I learned that the business of my neighbor, across the street, is importing kava from New Caledonia and marketing it to Americans! It is very calming, he says, and yes, it tastes like dirty water, as well as looking like it.
This lady volunteered to represent our group in drinking kava and conveying our regards to the chief.
The village princess danced for the chief.
Before the ceremony, we were each given a chilled coconut. We drank the juice while we watched the kava ceremony. I was not tempted to ask for a sip of the kava.
Outside, our guides serenaded us with Tahitian songs and with American favorites like, "You are my sunshine."
The Pago Pago coast was beautiful.
Back in town, we stopped at the market, with its heaps of fresh fruit--bananas, avocados, coconuts, papayas, guavas.
I browsed through a shop with dresses for sale to local women.
I was interested in the patterns of the dresses, and also in their sizes. This dress is marked "7XL" There are some very big Samoan women!
We asked our guide how we could find a taxi to the LDS temple, still under construction. She offered to take us herself. Our guide invited another guide, who was a friend of hers, to come along.
The friend was TiTi, an LDS girl who had just received her associates degree at the local college and was waiting to receive her mission call. She hoped to be sent to one of the other South Seas islands, "Maybe Fiji". TiTi told us that residents of Pago Pago have been eagerly awaiting completion of the temple, since they now have to fly or ride a boat to Apia, Samoa, to attend the temple there. The flight costs $350, round trip, which is a high price for island people. TiTi's dream is to become a cardiologist. She says that, in American Samoa, 1/3 of the 40,000 residents are LDS.
As we left the Pago Pago harbor on the Nautica, we passed several "long boats" preparing for the big race on "Flag Day", just a few weeks away. Flag Day celebrates the day American Samoa became a U.S. protectorate. Long boats come from several islands to participate.
We passed a ship from the U.S. Naval Base. A long boat sailed in front of it, with another boat sailing alongside, with coaches transmitting instructions as the oarsmen practiced.
Night fell as we sailed away from Pago Pago.
No comments:
Post a Comment