American Samoa

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Day 163 Tuesday 25 August

At sea, bit of a swell

33c cloudy



Had breakfast then did Zumba (Gold and Regular) then Gail walked and I did some washing. They were going to have a crew tug of war but there had been some overnight rain so the deck was wet and they had to cancel. For lunch we had a Mongolian BBQ but I think I put too much sauce on mine and it was a bit salty. After lunch we had a cup of coffee then Gail went to Choir practice and I went to a lecture on the solar system. After, we played cards for quite a while. Gail got consecutive undeclared slams. I've never seen that before.



After dinner we went to the Vista Lounge and watched Martin Lawson, the Scottish lead singer give a cabaret. He was really good



I finished "Sympathy Between Humans" by Jodie Compton



Day 164 Wednesday 26 August

Pago Pago, American Samoa US$

30c



Had breakfast early and watched the entrance to the harbour. Went ashore about 9.00 am and were negotiating with a bus driver for a $20 per person trip around the Island but he was taking a long time to assemble as bus full so we jumped on another bus for the same price. It turned out to be a good decision.



We headed off to the western end of the Island. Our first stop was the Flower Pot Rock which legend has it guards the entrance to Pago Pago Bay. The guide, Alpha, pointed out to us all the damage done by the Tsunami and the rebuilding. Our second stop was the first church built on the Island which was being completely renovated. It was quite a job. From there we went away from the coast into the interior past the Community College which was the venue for the courses I ran when I came here. As we drove through the villages the driver/guide explained a few things about village life, particularly the burials in the front yards of the houses. The graves of the headman of the village are always at the front of the village and are the biggest.



Back at the coast we stopped at some spectacular cliffs where there was a blowhole. There was also a whale playing in the surf just off the rocks. Then we went to the Turtle and Shark Point which is the location of one of their legends and lo and behold there was a turtle swimming in the waves just off the rocks. It was a spectacular piece of coastline.



We drove back along the coast to the wharf then continued on to the Tuna processing factory ( which smelt pretty bad) and then along the eastern coast of the Island. It was actually prettier than the western side with lovely beaches and rocks promontories in the surf. We went right to the end of the road then turned around and came back. Apart from some residential side streets there is basically only one road which follows the coastline. There is a speed limit of 25mph.



When we got back to the ship we walked into the township and had a look at the old Sadie Thompson's and an open air market. We also had a look at a long boat they were building in a shed; 102 feet long with 38 rowers.



We then walked back past the ship to the other Sadie Thompson's which used to be the Rainmaker Hotel but is now a bar and a motel using the parts of the Hotel (where I used to stay) which had not been wrecked by the Tsunami.



In some ways there has been a benefit from the Tsunami as a lot of the buildings that were flattened were pretty old and run down and they have been replaced by newer much more efficient structures funded through Tsunami relief funds. Following the clean up after the Tsunami they decided to keep the place clean. There are anti littering signs everywhere and a compulsory clean up every Saturday. Consequently the whole island looks much better kept than I remember. Lots of people commented on it and compared Pago Pago favourably to other Pacific Islands we have visited.



We had a drink at Sadie's then walked back to the ship. I developed a headache and basically went to bed. Gail bought me some ice cream and got herself a plate of food and ate it in the cabin. She did not go to the show which was a pity because he was not a bad artist.



Day 165 Thursday 27 August

At sea. Moderate swell, and a South-South-westerly course close to Tonga

25c cloudy



We went to breakfast then I went back to bed and slept until 1.00pm as I still did not feel all that well. Gail went to Zumba, walked came back and had a shower I and went to choir practice and was sitting in our cabin reading when I woke up. I had not heard a thing.



We played cards then had pre dinner drink while we watched "5 Flights Up", a movie with Morgan Freeman and Diane Keaton. It was pretty good. We went to dinner and went to the show which was the second show of Michael Falzon and was as good as his first.



Day 166 Friday 28 August

At sea, pretty heavy swell

23c, strong winds



After breakfast and Zumba Gail walked and I went to a lecture on Nuclear Fusion which the lecturer believes will solve the world's energy problems, but not for a while yet.



Gail went to the final choir practice which was really a rehearsal then we had a cup of coffee and she got into her performance gear. We went down to the Princess Theatre and she went on stage. They closed the curtains and then the theatre really filled up. The performance was good and they got a rousing round of applause.



It was a formal evening so we got dressed up and went to dinner which was a the big chef's special evening. It was a really nice meal. The show was a performance by the on board pianist Derek Floyd who usually plays evening music in the Crooners Lounge. He was quite good.



We stopped in to the Wheelhouse Bar and had a dance and a talk to a couple from Camden.



I finished "Glenn McGrath, Line and Strength" by Daniel Lane with McGrath which is just another cricket autobiography until he meets Jane and then it becomes something altogether different.



Day 167 Saturday 29 August

International Date Line

There was no weather



We had no breakfast

Did no Zumba

Did not walk the decks

Did not read

Did not go choir

Ate no lunch

Read no books

Drank no alcohol

Did not dress for dinner

Had no dinner

Watched no shows

Watched no TV



Bit of a nothing day actually



Day 168 Sunday 30 August

At sea on a course of 213 degrees

20c cloudy



We went to Zumba at 9.15 which was only 30 minutes. We went back to the cabin and had a shower then went to Brunch which is a special breakfast with all sorts of extra things to eat and is only held on Sundays and not every one of them. It was very good.



We did not finish until after 12 noon so read for a while and then went to play cards at 2.00 which was earlier than usual because Gail had a special function for the choir at 3.30. I went back to the cabin and caught up with the blog then Gail came back and we went to the show which was on at 6.30 instead of the usual 9.45. It was a production show called "Jazz, Blues and Rock n Roll. We didn't think it was as good as their previous shows.



When it finished we went to the Wheelhouse Bar and had a drink and a dance then went to dinner. We talked for a "LNG time over dinner and were the last table to leave the dining room.

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