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News – June 2009 (Apia/Samoa, June 24, 2009)
- Website statistics: In May we were able to welcome on our website 35'734 visitors who did 1'247'634 hits.
- (April = 34'630 visitors – 1'203'787 hits)
- The visitors are coming from about 152 different countries!
- Record day since 12/17/1998 = the birthday of our website: 11/5/2007 = 13'407 visitors and 787'456 hits
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- Since our last News May of May 26th, 2009, some movement returned to our "Island Life": From May 31st, until
- June 2nd, 2009, the 47th Independence Day was celebrated, since the "Independent State of Samoa" became sovereign
- in 1962 – unlike American Samoa, lying just 80 miles to the East, which belongs since 1900 as an "unincorporated
- territory" to the United States. Before the turn of the century both countries belonged to the same Polynesian group and
- are actually history wise identical regarding culture and ethnology; but back at that time, Western Samoa, as it was called
- until 1997, was ruled until 1918 by the Germans and afterwards until 1962 managed by New Zealand.
- The event became for us so far unique, as we received a personal invitation to the stand from the Head of State (His
- Highness Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi) via the Deputy Prime Minister (Hon. Misa Telefoni Retzlaff) and could therefore
- watch and monitor the whole ceremony much better. We were also able to join the day before the Dedication Church
- Service at the Prayer House on Mount Vaea and to take part during the main evening at the Independence Garden Party
- at the Robert Louis Stevenson Museum in Vailima. In any case the two days became unforgettable, even if we had to get
- up at 4am in order not to miss anything – hence the parades started already at 6.30am, and after 5am the whole island
- population was on its way. Later in the day the temperature gets simply too hot for the participants.
- One week later, we experienced once more an unusual day in being summoned for an interview at the American Embassy
- in turn to get a new US visa. We received the last one 1999 in Japan, going to expire now. But we want to be ready
- anytime for another visit in the USA, who knows if there pops up suddenly a possibility for Hawaii – the last of all the
- American states not yet visited with our car. And if this should happen on a freighter, a valid visa is mandatory. But it
- seems to be extremely rare that Swiss citizens apply for an American visa in Samoa.
- But another Samoan highlight – the visit of the sister island of Savaii – was still ahead. That's why we sailed the following
- day on an ordinary ferry during 1½ hours from the Eastern end of Upolu to the Western shores of Savaii – a little bit
- choppy, but otherwise nothing spectacular. However this island, which is a little bigger and less populated, turned out
- to be a gem: Villages like in a picture book. But also the nature, i.e. the landscape, doesn't leave anything to be desired:
- lush greenery everywhere; in between some old lava flows! Not to mention the rough South coast with its exceptional
- stormy sea, where the roaring waves tower up as high as a house. Life here is obviously still smoother and more relaxed.
- As an extra, we were able to spend three nights at a reduced rate at the "Le Lagoto Beach Resort", one of the current
- stylish boutique-hotels, situated directly at a Northern sand beach.
- However we shouldn't forget four of our so many jubilees that occurred in June: On June 7th, 2009, we spent – still on
- the island of Upolu – after 399'910 miles of driving our 9000th Day, since we started on October 16th, 1984. Two days
- later we used for the ferry crossing from Mulifanua to Salelologa on Savaii the 250th Ship: The ferry vessel
- "Fotu-o-Samoa II"; and just the next day – on June 10th, 2009 – we reached the 400'000th driven Mile, when the
- odometer showed 655'127.6 km. And last but not least: The American Samoan newspaper Samoa News published on
- on June 18th, 2009, our 200th media article, even ahead of us as we haven't reached the island yet. We wonder where
- our "Silver Anniversary" of 25 years of traveling will take place once we reach Friday, October 16th, 2009?
- As already mentioned, we shall sail on July 1st, 2009, during the night (8 hours) on the "MV Lady Naomi" from Apia to
- Pago Pago in American Samoa – our 164th destination, where we will be able to visit with our car the third of the greater
- islands of the Samoa group, Tutuila. Exceptionally, the territory's Governor (Hon. Togiola T.A.Tulafono) allowed us to
- arrive with our LandCruiser model 1982, because since shortly all vehicles older than 1999 are banned from entering the
- country. During one month – until August 1st, 2009, – we shall stay on our 10th island in the Pacific. More about that in
- the News July.
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Temples, Pagodas, Shrines | |
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| The visit of 10 Pacific Islands with our LandCruiser | Pacific February 2008 - |
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| The visit of 13 Caribbean Islands with our LandCruiser | Caribbean June 2003-Dec. 2004 |
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| + added from the United Arab Emirates: | Fairytale Wedding in Dubai (March 1999) |
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| + added from a earlier visit to the USA: | Las Vegas (Millennium change) |
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| + added from our Arabian Peninsula round trip: | Pictures from Yemen (May-June 1996) |
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| + Flashbacks of our Worldrecordtour: | Pictures from "all the continents" (Oct. 1984 - April 1997) |
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