Pago Pago, American Samoa….as I write we are moored beside the fuel dock waiting for permission from the Harbor Master to have moved our boat from anchor to the fuel dock, apparently ALL movements of the boat must first have written permission from the harbor master who is of course several blocks walk from any public docks. John is on foot now trying to acquire the required paperwork. Yesterday we had to speak with the district governor of the Manu’A Island Group to get a letter granting us permission to visit Ofu and the other islands just west of Tutuloa. If you arrive without these documents, they will call the police to evict you! Samoa is very protective of their culture, at least what is left and not only do they not really encourage tourism or provide any great resources, but the outer islands are restricted.
Of course being a US territory they still have McDonalds, KFC, Pizza Hut and lots of the less healthy USA products in the stores. Obesity, heart disease, diabetes and alchohol are real problems here. We had a delightful visit yesterday with Misa, the district governor of Manu’A, and he has granted us permission to visit their islands and to be escorted on our tours while there by his nephew. I’m really looking forward to this. We plan to leave early Friday morning, the trip takes about 10 hours by boat and we’ll stay 2-3 nights. The beaches of Ofu are described as the most beautiful in the world:)
Being an extinct volcanic crater, Pago Pago is a fantastically beautiful natural harbor which has become sullied by also being an industrial capital for tuna processing. There are several huge fishing boats the size of large cruise ships, docked along the shoreline with massive derricks to hoist the miles of fishing nets – I can’t help but think that these must be the nets that are referred to as the “curtains of death” by conservationists. 
Tuna has been an $800 million+ industry for American Samoa primarily because the USA does not charge import tariffs on tuna which has been processed here, so boats will travel hundreds of miles in order to offload their catch here. The newspapers are filled with the recent news and controversy over the fact that Starkist tuna has plans to close their plant here causing a loss of 300+ jobs because the workers were demanding minimum wage and controlled work hours – note that min wage here is only $3.00 per hour (not the same as in the USA.) Starkist had threatened that if the workers organized and made demands, they’d move their plant elsewhere. So capitalistic bullying is alive and well here in Am Samoa – very sad. In the meantime the pollution in the harbor is toxic to everything and the noise and smell are quite unpleasant. 
The island of Tutuloa is absolutely gorgeous with towering cliffs draped in vegetation and sculpted peaks rising out of the beautiful green and turquoise waters. Driving around is a constant experience of hair raising roads steeply climbing up and down like a roller coaster with barely enough space for two vehicles to pass and terrifying drops below! You REALLY have to trust the brakes on your vehicle here! In September last year, there was a huge tsunami that hit this island and its devastation is seen in many of the villages in scattered bays and and sections of Pago Pago. They are still in the process of rebuilding, yet many families are living in brown army tents. Some sort of US welfare system exists however which provides food stamps, housing, free public education and even Medicare and Medicaid. The emergency medical services are impressive and very busy.
Tonight we’re going to a traditional Samoan feast with about 14 other cruisers. Should be fun.
