This was another island instance where we were not prepared for the task properly; we thought it would be a nice little hike, and it ended up being quite the event. Also, since the trails are so hard to find here (often you must go through a village and into someones back yard to find them) we started the hike off by literally scaling the side of a slippery hill resembling a spider man type maneuver, except much less graceful. We had run into a local woman (there aren't many around on Sundays due to church...the island basically shuts down for all day worship) and she assured us the trail was up on the ridge after asking us jokingly why we weren't in church that afternoon and wished us good luck...shoulda known hen we were in for a task! We hiked for about 4 hours total and we were all sweating and breathing harder then I think any of us had in a long time. Each time we would get up a steep ladder another would appear and we would sigh and grab the rope and heave ourselves up once again. Great workout!
There was a little hut to rest and eat a snack and enjoy the view, and we ran into a nice New Zealand couple that we chatted with for a bit. In this hut there was a tupperware container with a guest book which was really cool. I have never been on a hike where there is a guest book at the summit, and we enjoyed leafing through it to see who had been there before us. We signed our names and were on our merry way. Once we finally reached the bottom of the hike we were weary and dragging just a bit, our legs were shaking but it was that good kind of pain. Michael, one of our fearless tour guides, proceeded to grab a coconut and start hacking away at it with his machete. I must say there isn't anything much better after a long hike then some fresh coconut milk straight from the source, it was amazing. We snacked on the coconut meat as well and it was delicious. Amazing idea. Great last full day in the island!
So yesterday Em introduced me to the Friday afternoon tradition of Golf at the Ili'Ili Golf Course, apparently a group goes every Friday to celebrate the end of the work week. There were 6 of us, and if anyone out there knows me they know I am definitely not a golfer...despite P's various attempts to introduce me to the sport I have never taken a shine to it. Emily assured me there is no skill necessary for this activity and despite the intermittent showers all day we set out to play a round. The game goes like this, basically everyone takes a shot and we play from the best ball on the course. So once we all hit the ball, we scramble into our carts and drive to retrieve the balls that were not the best shot and then drop them by the best ball to shoot again. If anyone has seen the movie House Guest with Sinbad, the way they play golf on this island reminded me of the scene where they play speed golf. It was a hilarious afternoon of scrambling, driving all over the greens, and laughing hysterically at how bad we all are. Emily even managed to fling her club about 50 feet in the air at one point which was pretty classic. The hilarity was amplified by the fact that it was literally POURING rain 90% of the time, and we played right on through. About 1 minute into the game we were all completely soaked and barefoot and loving every minute.
On the mainland the sight of some rain would have people heading into the lodge (Ili'Ili lodge pictured here...lil shoddy), but apparently in American Samoa they just play on through rain or shine. Makes for an interesting round, and seeing as it is a tropical island it tends to rain intermittently almost every day at least for a little while so it is fairly common to end golf sopping wet. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of us during or after the game because it was pouring so hard I didn't want to risk taking my camera with me, but trust me we looked like we had jumped into the ocean with our clothes on...classic. Anyways it was a great time and afterwards we all headed to the Rose Garden for a group meal of delicious Chinese food. Good times!
Wednesday night Em decided to take me back to Tisa's, where each week they have a traditional Samoan feast that I decided could not be missed (please check out the link for more details about this event). A few others joined us for the evening, and it was a good time.
Yesterday and today I was lucky enough to be able to see what life is like as a Marine Biologist on the island, and I'll tell you they are living the dream! A biologist friend of Emily's named Alden that works for the Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources agreed to take me on a few of his surveys while she was occupied at the office. Alden is here studying sea turtles, dolphins and whales and he basically has the coolest job ever. He has about 10 sites he monitors for sea turtles and I got to help him survey 4 of these sites in he past 2 days. Surveying basically consists of throwing on some snorkel gear, hopping in the water, and sweeping back and forth looking for turtle sightings. Once we make a sighting he has this cool underwater paper and pen that he uses to record what type of turtle it was, the time he saw it and what the turtle was doing (sleeping, foraging, swimming away, etc.). The reefs were beautiful, so many colors, corals and vibrant fish I felt lucky to have been invited into the world of a biologist.
Our first survey site I spotted the first turtle right below me, he was a green turtle and he was beautiful, he stayed right below me for a good minute and I was able to see him up close and personal...so cool! We went on to spot a few other turtles that were called hawksbill turtles (pictured above) which have a beak like a hawk. Over the four survey sites I spotted some really cool creatures such as a giant clam (like the one pictured below-really was that blue inside!) and a few giant conchs. I've always seen the empty shells of these creatures but never a live one on the ocean floor which was really cool. We spotted 5 or 6 more hawksbill turtles as well and that was exciting, they are so graceful as they glide through the reef it is an amazing sight. One of the sites even took us to the very East side of the island where the road literally ends, and there is a very peaceful and quiet community removed from the main town.
I had an amazing time exploring the reefs and seeing a marine biologist in action. I am so jealous that this job exists and it just makes me realize all the different opportunities there are out there for people who do not want to get stuck behind a desk, it gives me hope. I feel as if this was such a unique opportunity and I am lucky to have been included, thanks Alden. It was a wonderful experience and I have the awesome bootie tan lines around my ankles to prove it... Next time I will remember to put some sunscreen on my calves before I spend an afternoon snorkeling! Ouch!
Yesterday I spent the morning catching up on some much needed rest. Em didn't have anything for me to do in the office so I slept in, with the notion that I would meet her around four to go paddling. I must have been more tired than I realized because I slept for a good portion of the day. I think all the travel, hiking, running around had finally caught up with me...but it felt great to sleeeeep! When I finally awoke I felt the need to be active IMMEDIATELY, or else I would have wasted my day and that is not good. Em had told me I could take a bus into her office (about a 25 minute drive) but I decided I would walk it. I needed the exercise and the walk is mostly right along the water and very pretty. I set out about 2 hours before our meeting time, I calculated that this is about how long it would take me, and I grabbed my ipod and started my journey.
The walk was quite enjoyable, with a highlight being that I discovered the AmeriCorps American Samoa Office and went in for a chat. There was only one young lady working but she told me a bit about their program; they have 30 members on the island with 4 different programs they focus on ranging from literacy and youth to the environment. They have the same hour commitment (1700) but the pay is about half which makes sense considering the much lower cost of living here. Members are also provided with housing, which is huge, plus gas and even a car in some instances. It is always fascinating to me to hear about the logistics of other programs, there are so many variations of AmeriCorps and each oe is so unique. I love discovering AmeriCorps Programs everywhere I go, it makes me feel so connected and there is definitely an instant camaraderie.
I walked a solid 1 hour and 45 minutes, but in fear of being late for paddling I had to jump on a bus to ride out the last 5 minutes or so. These buses are quite an interesting cultural addition here and I was glad to hop on one for a short while for the experience. They are basically converted trucks that families operate and apparently they break down quite a bit. There are tons driving around the island and all you have to do is flag them down and they will pick you up and drive you places for ~$1. They are all painted creatively, with themes such as the Finding Nemo bus and the coral reef bus, even the bus stops are painted (which apparently happened during the big push for beautification right before the festival). They are pretty comical, and people just cram in and ride along listening to blaring beats on the bus's speakers. Definitely not your average public transport but I got to where I needed to go.
Today Em and I rose bright and early ready to take the other half of the Hawaii delegation on the Fagatele hike. We went to Cost-U-Less (A. Samoan version of Costco) and stocked up on water, juice, Gatorade, and snacks ready to brave the day. Unfortunately (or maybe not) we got a call after our run around saying they had cancelled due to lack of transportation (today was a government issued holiday due to the festival) so there we were with a free day! Em decided to take me to this amazing beach thats pretty off the beaten path, we picked up her friend Jeremy and headed out. They call this place Palagi Beach (or white peoples beach) because that is mainly who goes, and this beach was incredible!!! It looked like the pictures you see in the tropical calenders, slanted palm trees, coconuts, coral covering the ground, and crystal clear water. We hiked to the end of the beach, which apparently is the western most point before the International Date Line. 
Pretty Cool. SO beautiful, here are some of the better pics, not to rub it in or anything, they were just too good not to share...
After we explored the beach all day we were famished! We had walked quite a ways and scaled rocks and cliffs, swam in the water, and been drained by the sunshine so it was time to grub. Em and Jeremy took me to the Rose Garden Chinese restaurant where at first we feared they were closed because there was no one in the whole place. It was pretty classic, we walked in and hollered hello, a few minutes later they escorted us in, turned on the lights and music, and informed us they would call the chef. That's American Samoa for you I guess... We proceeded to order as Em put it "half the menu" and made quite a dent. It was super yummy and a great end to a wonderful afternoon.
