American Samoa

The Iseulaolemoana is a grueling ocean race for longboats and a highlight for people of Fagatogo.

After a few sea days, we’re excited to arrive in American Samoa. Samoa is the only inhabited American territory south of the Equator. American Samoa is near (Western) Samoa, an island that is an independent nation. 

We bought bananas at the local market.

We visited the island of Tutuila where the capital city called Pago Pago (pronounced Pango Pango) is located. Steep green slopes reach down to the water’s edge where a long road ran from town to town. We were in Fagatogo, on the other side of the bay from Pago Pago. Smiling Samoans greeted us with handmade items for sale: palm leave baskets and hats, bins of pineapples and large bunches of bananas. We watched Samoan women weave baskets and bought some small ones.

Basket weavers.

Samoa is very tropical and most of the island is covered in rain forest. American Samoa is a self-governing territory. The biggest industry seems to be Starkist tuna - probably similar to the pineapple industry that made the USA want to own this island. Foreign business interests, a strategic naval presence in the South Pacific… But the island was also inundated by missionaries who did a thorough job here. 

Starting with Briths missionaries followed by American Latter Day Saints, these missionaries had an enormous impact on the islands and they reshaped both the culture and the religion of the region. The majority of people here now is Christian, Catholic or Latter Day Saint and there seems to be a church on every corner.

We strolled along the main road, stopping at stalls with shell necklaces and local batiks, along colonial buildings. A historic court house sat next to a newly constructed one. 

Walking along the water front, we found a wonderful library. Not only did it have wifi, but it also had some of my books!



We came across an Oceanic Center with a fun free presentation on the waters around Samoa. A large part of Tutuila as well as part of nearby Samoan islands, form the National Park of American Samoa. This is the only US National Park south of the Equator.

Family busses are the public transit here.

But what we loved most here in Samoa is the public transit system! Family owned busses drive along and will stop wherever you need to get on or off. There is no glass in the windows and the seats are hard wooden slats. But the atmosphere is unbeatable. Everyone smiled and welcomed us on board. And everyone wanted to know where we were from and where we needed to go. Whenever someone got off, they handed their coins to a fellow passenger and the money was passed along until it reached the driver in front. He waved away my payment until we reached our destination. And, when we started to get off, fellow passengers stopped short of hugging us - waving, reaching out hands and telling us to “come back soon!”.