American Samoa Map

 

 

                  

 

         

                             Map of

                           the Pacific

 

latest picture: July 31, 2009

• click a picture to see details

01  On July 2nd, 2009, we are

approaching with the ferry “Lady

Naomi” the island of Tutuila, the

biggest of the seven islands

of American Samoa

 02  A television crew is greeting us at

the port of Pago Pago on our arrival

03  Pago Pago (pop. 11’500) nestles

wonderfully at the foot of the steep and

deeply forested Matafao Peak (2’140ft.).

The port of Pago Pago is known to

have the highest annual rainfall of any

harbor in the world

04

 05

06

A group of women and girls are skillfully weaving all kinds of baskets and mats from Pandanus leaves

07  The „Flower Pot Rock“(Fatu Ma

Futi) southwest of Pago Pago is a well-

known land mark of American Samoa

 08  The „Turtle and Shark Site“ at

Vaitogi’s rough seashore in the Southwest

is connected with many local legends

09  The village of Vaitogi sits

picturesquely among

coconut palm trees

10  Our relaxing “home“for one month:

The peaceful “Turtle & Shark Lodge” –

1 mile outside of Vaitogi – is sitting above

the majestic Vaitogi cliffs with views over …..

 11  ..... the untouched “Larson”

Cove with the Fogama'a

Beach to the West .....

12  ..... and the waves of the Pacific

Ocean crashing to the Southern shores

13  Lunch on the porch at

“Turtle & Shark Lodge”

 14  A Kingfisher is part of our neighbor-hood, besides many Bulbuls

and Mynas. In contrast to those in

Samoa (picture 53) its chest is white

15  Early morning: The moon is setting

behind the palm trees of Larson’s Cove

16  A tropical tree in full bloom

 17  The Frangipani (“Tiare”) flower

is the symbol of the South Pacific

18  Coconuts produce the rich milk

used in the Samoan cuisine as well as pure

and refreshing water to appease the thirst

19  The two tower church that graces

the village of Leone in the West. Leone

with a population of 5’000 is the second

biggest place in American Samoa

 20  A tiny rock islet in the West of

Leone supports just a

single coconut tree

21  The three turret church in Leone

is the work of the first missionary,

John Williams, who arrived on

October 18, 1832, to American Samoa

22  Inspiring scenery along the

Southwest coast between

Leone and Amanave

23  In the village of Seetaga along

the Southwest coast sits another

of the many impressive churches

24  Five lonely coconut trees took

roots on the volcanic outcrop near

Amanave at Cape Taputapu

25  View over the lovely village of

Amanave at the scenic Southwest coast

 26  Waiting for the bus in Seetaga

27  A private beach short of Fagamalo

28  The sleepy hamlet of Fagamalo,

where the road ends in the West

 29  A rainbow decorates one of

the many white sandy beaches

dotting the Southwest coast

30  A nice way for a deceased

person to be remembered

31  Courtesy visit at the Honorable

Lieutenant Governor Mr. Faoa Aitofele Sunia

on July 21, 2009, at which occasion he presents

us with the illustrated book “American Samoa,

100 Years under the United States Flag” .....

 32  ..... with his personal

dedication

33  People wait patiently for their turn

on the ground floor of the Pago Pago

Government Building

34  View from Pago Pago over the

Bay towards Leloaloa in the North .....

 35  ..... and from the North over

the Bay to the capital Pago Pago

(part Fagatogo)

36  The 1’718ft. high „Rainmaiker

Mountain“ (exactly Pioa Mountain) is

blamed that the port of Pago Pago receives

the highest annual rainfall in the world

37  “Charlie, the Tuna”, is the

symbol of the Starkist cannery in

Atuu, the largest tuna processing

plant in the world

 38  Workers from the tuna cannery,

mainly from (Western) Samoa and

Tonga, enjoying their lunch break

39  Cans of tuna are fork lifted into a

container. While the “Samoa Packing”

cannery closes in September, the “Starkist”

will produce furthermore tuna cans

40  Coastal scenery before Alega

towards Cape Matatula, the most

Easterly point of the island of Tutuila

 41  One of the individually owned pick-

up trucks, modified for public transport,

which are serving the whole island

42  The driver of such a bus

is smiling brightly at us

43  In Southeastern Tutuila, the

densely forested hills meet the

ocean – here near Auasi

44  View towards the distinctive

Southern shoreline towards Pago Pago

45  At the beach of Onenoa ends the

“Trans-Tutuila-Highway” in the East. In

the distance are the cliffs of the Pola Isl.

within the National Park of American

Samoa along the Northern shoreline

46  The small hamlet of Alao in the

East reflects the peaceful mood

of the South Pacific

 47  One of the many one-man-

bunkers along the coast.

They remember of WWII .....

48  ..... and the skeleton of a vessel is

a reminder of the unpredictable sea,

which is mostly unprotected by a reef

49  Breezy „fale“ – a structure opened

to all sides – inviting to make a break.

In the background the Aunuu Island

 50  The tiny offshore island of

Aunuu in the Southeast is very

close to Auasi on the main island

51  The “Tisa Barefoot Bar” at

Alega Beach east of Pago Pago

is a prominent meeting point

52  From the Afono Pass, called also

“Rainmaker Pass”, we enjoy a

spectacular view over the tranquil

harbor bay with the capital Pago Pago

 53  Descending from the “Rainmaker

Pass” to the village of Afono, Tutuila’s

pristine North shore comes into view

54  Near the village of Afono, tiny

white, nearly inaccessible sandy beaches

nestle at the foot of steep forested cliffs

55  The cliffs of the tiny uninhabited offshore

island of “Pola Tai” (Cock’s Comb) near the

village of Vatia on the northern shore raise

more than 420ft. straight out of the sea

 56  A spectacular sight: The peaceful

village of Vatia at the bay with the

same name on the North shore

57  A tiny natural arch in the

cliffs at the end of the Vatia Bay

58  Picnic within the National Park

near “Pola Tai” (Cock’s Comb)

at Vatia Bay on the North shore

 59  View towards the West from

Fagasa-Pass to the same

named coastal village .....

60  ..... and towards the East

into the Vaipito Valley

61  The young man in Pago Pago

poses for a picture after we

answered all his questions

 62   This beautiful piece of art has

been carved out of a single tree trunk. It

stands at the harbor front of Pago Pago

63  Pago Pago looks more like

a South Pacific village than a

country’s busy capital

64  On a stormy day, the blowhole

at Larson Cove in front of the Turtle

& Shark Lodge shoots out fountains

of water high into the sky …..

 65  ….. and huge waves are

crashing with incredible power

onto the steep coastal cliffs

66  The sleepy village of Masefau in

the Northeastern part of Tutuila lays

in an idyllic setting between the forested

mountains and the Masefau Bay

67  View over the peaceful and

remote coast near the village

of Sailele in the Northeast

 68  Sailele is the village of the Governor

of American Samoa, Hon. Togiola T.A.

Tulafono. At the entrance he is pictured

on a board together with his Lt.

Governor, Hon. Faoa A.T. Sunia,

who welcomed us to his island

69  The white church in Sailele

shines in the evening light against the

green of the forested mountains

70  An American Samoan picture

book hamlet: Masausi on

the way to Sailele

 71  July 31, 2009, day of

containerizing our LandCruiser:

The Ministry of Agriculture

washes the car, while Emil is

talking to an employee

72  Ready to be shipped to Papeete in

Tahiti/French Polynesia: Our LandCruiser

is stuffed in its 16th container. The two

friendly girls of the “Polynesian Shipping

Services” – the agent of “Greater Bali

Hai” – and two port workers pose for

a remembrance picture

Articles in newspapers about us in American Samoa:

Article: "Governor allows small window of opportunity for landing non-compliant vehicles", Daily Newspaper "Samoa News" - May 20, 2009

Article: "Guinness world record travelers mark 164th destination in American Samoa", Daily Newspaper "Samoa News" - June 18, 2009

Article: "Emil & Liliana Schmid continue their world tour", Daily Newspaper "Samoa News" - July 10, 2009