Palagi Beach

     Between the villages of Poloa and Amanave at the far western tip of American Samoa is a deserted stretch of sand known locally as Palagi Beach (on maps it is at or near Loa Cove).  It's near a point of land called by the Samoans Cape Taputapu, which means "forbidden" (tapu being corrupted into English as "taboo").  Maybe it means really really forbidden?

     Anyway, it takes quite a hike to get there.  The usual trail, overland through the jungle and over a ridge, is closed.  We got there a different way, an hour's scramble across rocks, under cliffs and along the seacoast, in the hot tropical sun, around Taputapu.  You must go at low tide, as there are a couple places where you can't pass safely at high tide.  But we were rewarded with one of the most scenic beaches anywhere.

     Here's the group starting off on our hike:

Cyndi, Blake, Lisa, Sarah, Joe - Rick photographing.

     These are some photos along the way; Cyndi again became our official blog photographer.  We'll start with a couple views of Poloa, wiped out by the tsunami in 2009:

Poloa, or what's left of it even now.

Ruined building

Poloa still has a very nice beach

Now some of the trip over to the beach, along the shore:

That's where we are headed.

Over the rocks for a mile or so.

Cliffs on the right, low tide.

There's where we've been.

Up & over lava rocks.

Luania rocks at the tip of Cape Taputapu. Western tip of Tutuila.

      Finally, the beach itself with a small "flowerpot" type island just offshore:

We came around that point on right, to this!

Small "flowerpot" just offshore - Taputapu Island

View to the east.  Another nice beach past those rocks to left.

Rick cooling in the sea.

Jungle comes right u p to the beach.

Here's Joe in the shade.

Lisa and Sarah in the water.

      We hung out here for a couple hours before heading back the way we came.  The tide was higher so some of the passages were a bit dicey.  Yet we all made it OK.  It was a relentlessly hot, rough return hike and we were all happy to be back after a wonderful afternoon.

Still more lava rock ahead? Groan.

The Shell; dollar bill for size; it's heavy too.

Cyndi found a huge Spider Conch shell wedged in some rocks.  After some effort at cleaning it will make a nice centerpiece back at home.

     I don't know why it's called palagi beach.  Palagi, of course, is what we westerners are called by the Samoans.  I must assume that this beach was so far off the beaten track, and virtually all Samoans live in villages right on the sea, that the Samoans needn't bother with coming here.  Perhaps only palagis felt an inclination to spend a few hours in the hot sun just to find a beach.  Whatever the reason, we found it and it was worth the trip.  After all, we are palagis and this is what we palagis do.