2002 October Picture Archive

21Sept2002 Trip to Aunuu for a Wet lands Tour. Locals loading up for the ferry ride from Aunuu Island to Tutuila Island. Aunuu is about a mile South of the Eastern end of Tutuila. Note the Umu Pig in the Ferry. The cabin of the Ferry is loaded with Fine Mats (traditional gifts). The locals, pig and fine mats were all headed to a function on Tutuila (the main and largest island of American Samoa).

13Oct2002. We had to get a picture of us with Charlie before we left the island. The canneries were closed due to the gas shortage, which meant the fish meal plant was not running and the air was breathable near the canneries, so we took the opportunity to grab a picture. No, I don't usually wear the hat that way. And don't ask me what is up with that expression.

19Oct2002

CandyMan (of Tisa's Beach Bar and Grill) took us on a hike up above Alega into the Rainforest. There is an area where this giant vine grows. It covers a huge area. We think the large part of the vine (behind us) was originally around a tree and the tree is long gone. You can easily see many smaller parts of the vine in the right side of the picture.

29Oct2002

Spent a long weekend on Ofu Island, about 60 miles east of Pago Pago. This is the reef that is part of the National Park. The craggy peaks are still part of Ofu Island and just right of that is Olosega Island (pronounced Olosenga). Eleven of us went. The island features great snorkeling, scuba, fishing, some hiking and not much else except relaxing. This was also the weekend the Palolo were to run, but the run was very poor. Palolo are the mobile gamete sections of reef worms. See Peter Craig's Natural History Guide to American Samoa at http://www.nps.gov/npsa/book/index.htm; Look under Palolo swarming.