6) Apia, Upoli, Samoa Pt 1

August 2008: South Pacific

Apia, Upoli, Samoa Part 1 (S 13.50 W 171.55) 

                I am currently sitting here on the final day of our stay in Apia and doing a little backtracking.  The day of departure from Pago Pago was a little interesting.  We took an early morning bus ride to the medical center/clinic to pick up some anti-malaria pills needed for our trek into Vanuatu and experienced another aspect of American Samoa.  The buses have blaring music ranging from hip-hop to island tunes.  I even recognized Hotel California by the Eagles with an island flavor and it was really good.  Uh oh, I’ve been here too long.  The bus ride and the chickens roaming around outside the entrances to the 1-story hospital should be expected.  We had a nice little chat with the doc who has only been here 3 weeks and got some great information and guidance.  A couple years ago I got some malaria pills from Kaiser for a trek to Panama and the warning literature impressed me enough to not take them.  Apparently, the U.S. is the only country prescribing that particular drug which has severe side effects like going crazy.  Europe has banned it and nobody else promotes it.  We got a prescription for Doxycycline Hyclate and was instructed to take them 2-days before we arrive and continue for 1-month after we leave.  There is no shot available to prevent malaria and these pills will prevent the parasite from replicating and surviving in the blood.  These cute little teal-green pills are the only thing standing between us and the little bugs.  I mentioned to the doc that if he sees on CNN 3 guys floating around in the Pacific having apparently lost their minds then he might have to answer some questions.  

 
                   There were many aspects of American Samoa that were appealing but our particular experience was deeply affected by where we dropped the hook.  Being downwind of the tuna factory has left a lasting impression as far as our memory and there is even stink in the anchor locker on the rode to confirm.  Unfortunately, the only place to anchor in Pago Pago is downwind of the factory.  The festival kept us there and Charlie the Tuna scared us away.  

   

                All was not lost, though.  We provisioned, saw some great scenery and picked up some diesel relatively cheap.  Diesel, so, this port is not cruiser friendly if you are looking to take on fuel.  First, you make an appointment to take on fuel but that place is not where you get the fuel; it’s where you pay.  Then on the day of your appointment the time gets changed.  We were told to get to the fuel dock during high tide and that was some of the best advice we could have gotten.  The fuel dock caters to the cargo vessels and fishing fleet and the bumpers are huge and high off the water.  We had enough time to take on fuel before we got below the bumpers but still rushed off.  The first hose and handle they brought us was similar in size to gas stations and they figured it was good for the small boats.  I was holding the dangerous end inside of a funnel filter which was in the fuel inlet on the boat when the pressure was turned on.  This poor little handle had seen better days.  It seems the black flexible hose where it attached to the handle had deteriorated enough that a nice stream of fuel came spraying out.  It sprayed me and the boat before I could get it turned enough to direct it overboard.  Yes, I fueled the bay.  I had enough on me and at that time was just trying to reduce the damage to the boat.  This little mishap earned us the opportunity to use the big boy fill handle.  This one was a touch bigger and heavier and could do some real damage.  

   

                Just when it was time to go to the fuel dock this boat came in.  We needed to be on the other side of it and up to the same area.  My clothes have since been rinsed in soapy water, hung in the sun, given up on and placed in zip-locs and will finally go to a laundry service tomorrow.  Bye-bye Pago Pago.