Island paradise
Written: Sep 20 '99
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Wonderful people, off the beaten path
Cons: Very small island
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| camworld's Full Review: American Samoa |
There's an old joke that I learned as a kid while living on the Samoan islands and it goes like this:
Two mainland pilots are landing a 747 at the island's airport (notorious for it's short runway). As the plane makes a very abrupt landing, throwing it's passengers forward against their seatbelts, the pilot looks out the window and says to his co-pilot, "Boy is that short runway." The co-pilot looks left and then right and say's "Yeah, it sure is wide, too."
OK, so it's a joke that's only funny to nine-year olds (when I learned it).
American Samoa was a great place to spend part of my formative childhood years. As an American kid living in the South Pacific, I had the unique opportunity to experience how a non-Western culture behaved and operated.
Samoans are very friendly people. During rainy days (often) the men often gathered in a muddy field to play a version of American football called Samoan football. The rules are pretty much the same, except throw in a torrential downpour, plenty of very large Samoan men, and 4-10 inches of mud and water. Fun for the whole family.
If you get to American Samoa, be sure to visit two-dollar beach, with it's wide sandy areas. If you're lucky you'll befriend a local and have them take you to the other side of the island (less tourists) to Sliding Rock Beach, so named for the lava rock cliffs about 6-10 feet above the water that have been worn smooth by years of waves. If your timing is right, you can slide 20-40 feet right off the cliff into the ocean. Loads of fun. Beware of the jellyfish, though. They can be dangerous and require a trip to the hospital.
American Samoa is off the beaten path. If you've been to Hawai'i but found it commercialized and expensive, definitely consider making the extra flight to American Samoa (and British-owned Western Samoa). It's worth it.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
camworld
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Member: Cameron Barrett
Location: New York, NY
Reviews written: 16
Trusted by: 143 members
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