After nearly a
week at sea, the breathtaking entry to Pago Pago, the port of American Samoa,
makes me want to jump overboard and swim to shore. The sun glistens through the
light marine layer on the green mountains, which resemble the paws of a giant
creature floating on the water. In the wide expanse of the lagoon, white-capped
waves break, betraying the reef and volcanic rock below. Their choppy rhythm matches my excitement.
Pago Pago
[pronounced Pango Pango], located halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand,
represents a balance between traditional Polynesian culture and the American
influence from the US occupation. Tuna fishing and canneries, along with tourism,
comprise much of the Samoan economy, which has been diminished somewhat by hurricanes
and tsunamis in the past decade. For those who grew up with Charlies the
Starkist tuna, you will be happy to know a statue of him exists outside one of
the canneries here. 
Samoan culture emphasizes family and community. In the villages throughout the island, you can see the open-aired bungalows and fale, where the village
members gather every evening.
In one such fale I had the honor of participating in a
traditional kava ceremony hosted by the village chief and his princess daughter.
Interestingly, Samoan homes have the ancestral graves, decorated with flowers and offerings, located in the front of the house.
The true beauty
of the island, though, comes through in the friendly Samoans who make you feel
like you are visiting a friend’s home.
