Michael's Photoblog: Pola Island Trail/ Vatia/Afono Bay

This morning we set off (fairly) early to explore the north side of the island and the national park. You'll know when you're in the national park when you start seeing garbage cans available to the public. For anyone in the neighborhood and interested, we followed Road 1 to Aua then drove up over Afono Pass and then followed the road around to Vitia. Great drive, but very steep roads -- I keep thinking these roads would be impossible in the snow, although the idea of snow and cold are fading from my memory. Intellectually I know snow exists, but emotionally it just doesn't seem possible that anything could be cold. The photo to the left is of Pola island. We took a short (like fifty yard) hike to a spot where you can see Pola island from the mainland. I understand there is another trail (just opened this week), around the other side and that from there you can snorkel out to Pola island. Would be a good adventure for another day -- without kids.

Here is the coast after the fifty foot hike. Nice beach but rocky with really big waves. Not for swimming in, but great scenery. The rocks are a little hard to walk on too. It would be easy to twist an ankle if you aren't careful.

This is looking the other direction toward Pola Island. Cool arch in the rocks. I also love the color of the water here, especially in the spots where it is lighter.

Why is it that on every hike, even ones that are only fifty yards long, little boys feel like they have to find and carry sticks. Is it programmed in their DNA? Some sort of hunter-gatherer instinct left over from the last ice age?

Here are those big waves I was talking about. I think waves are really cool. I understand how they happen, but they still seem magical to me. I could sit and look at them all afternoon.

Hannah and her Nana looking out at the water.

Two lovely ladies negotiating the wobbly rocks along the beach.

I think Benjamin's favorite activity in American Samoa is climbing trees. If you can't find him, check the trees. He is in heaven.

Coming back over the pass, this is the view down into the bay on the other side. This is also the trail head for our second hike of the day, the lower Sauma ridge trail.

We saw some local wildlife along our hike. Other than bats and sea creatures, there aren't really that many wild things in American Samoa -- thankfully no snakes.

This is the end of the lower Sauma ridge trail. Nice views of the ocean. It was a steep decent however.

Mary hitching a ride on the way back up.

After the hike and a picnic we went to Afono Bay to cool off. We didn't bring swim suits, so the kids just stripped down and the adults (except for me) went in with their clothes on. You can see Daniel was happy to be in the ocean.

Mary went in the water a few times too, but mostly she hung out with me and Emma near the shore.

As her reward for staying with me on the beach, I took lots of cute photos of Mary. Love this one for some reason.

I told you they went in with their clothes on.

Coming in after a long day fighting the waves. This was actually a pretty nice beach. No sand, which was a drawback, but fairly shallow and some small waves for the kids to play in, body surf, etc.