Quality Hotel Tradewinds Pago Pago

... of which I've ever seen. I believe they stick to the deeper jungle. The most common wild mammal here is a giant 2-2.5 ft. wingspan bat. They're everywhere out here and can be heard fighting each other in the trees near our house. The most common mammals by far are the ridiculous number of dogs that roam the island. Most are fairly territorial and will attack if you're not careful. Two volunteers have already been bit. I've ...

... not only to stop giving me and my roomates our stipend each month, but to throw the entire group of volunteers out of American Samoa. My roomates and I were not happy with the decision, as the contract the Department of Education signed gives them absolutely no say in where we live, and they are making us move from our paradise house to one that is considerably less nice, and where we may have to live with this sister for part of the year. After a few days of ...

... before this. They're a really nice group of people though, and everyone has been getting along really well so far. <br><br>Orientation has been long and fairly boring at times, but parts of it are actually useful. We start at 8 am each day and end at 8 pm, with 2-4 hours of break time mixed in throughout the day. I've been getting up at 6 to run each day which has resulted in the guys in my room calling me Mr. Universe ...

... experience visiting American Samoa - a contrast of stark, largely unspoiled natural beauty with an almost third-world society. One the one hand, the Samoan people have tremendous humor, great dignity and have held on to their unique culture. On the other hand, they also struggle with the downside of being on the fringe of a technological society - solid waste problems, marginal economic power, and a political system based on nepotism and the balance of favor. On ...

... an umu is a Samoan oven consisting of heated rocks layered with banana leaves, taro leaves, and delectible foods. Second, Tisa is a local legend and environmental advocate that is slowly trying to help Samoans understand the beauty and value of their environment and culture - and that the two can and should coexist. There is too much to go into here about Tisa's, but I recommend you visit her website...really cool stuff... The food was ...

... that challenge the very meaning of the word. The B&amp;B is at the end of a really rough combination of asphalt, concrete, hardpan, and ruts...we can sense the ocean (very) nearby and are looking forward to the morning! Tomorrow, we are off to Ofu to REALLY get off the beaten path. Samoa pics and stories then! By the way, while we have internet at the Turtle and Shark, we don't have cell coverage (oh, darn...). We'll stay as much in touch as possible. Tom and Dart

... 11:10; GPS says it's 11:11; sat phone has 23:10; Olympus camera has 23:11 on the 5th; Nokia has 23:11 on 5th; Pentax has 12:12 on the 5th but also thinks it's in Pago Pago for some reason; and the official time is 10:10 on the 6th. I'll get the manuals out . . .

... of the prices charged ($15 each per hour).We also met up with Ron, Doreen, Dave and Carol and decided to flag down one of the local buses to try and arrange our own scenic tour of the island as there was now eight of us travelling together. It is difficult to describe these buses as they are converted commercial trucks, gaily painted and full of music. Sure enough, we negotiated a full tour for $10 each which was considerably cheaper than the taxis. Our driver ...

... foods and receive special gifts and clothing to wear. The women wear the traditional tunic and long skirt, often with fresh flower leis. The men wear bright, knee length wraparound skirts called lava lavas. Only a Samoan may own land and even the beaches are privately owned. You must request permission from the family to use the beach. One beach, called $2. Beach, is named because that is what the family ...

... made for fitful sleeping. Woke up finally the next day to sunshine, a rugged but very green island, a pretty dirty bay, and my first day aboard. We started early by moving the boat off it's main anchor and a back up (anchors in this bay tended to slip with heavy winds) to a mooring ball that another heavy boat had been tied up to for a few days. The rest of the day was spent loading up on supplies and meeting the small group of ...