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Paw Paw - Log Day 227: Hospitality and Sharing



Today we decided to explore by dinghy. First stop was the moto to the west of the anchorage that appeared to be surrounded by a beautiful white sandy beach. Unfortunately, after beaching the dinghy we witnessed, once again, the damage caused by the tsunami that devastated parts of Nuiatoputapu, Samoa and American Samoa in September 2009 and which many of the islanders are still trying to recover from.

It was in American Samoa that we first learnt about the tsunami. Besides the polluted water in Pago Pago from the fish cannery, we learnt that the reason anchors snag in the anchorage is due to the amount of debris that was washed into the harbour by the tsunami - cars, houses, personal possessions, vegetation, all of which still remains there today. It also provided an explanation as to why so many homes and buildings around the anchorage stood derelict and looked like they had been bombed.

We saw similar sights all along the southe ast coast of Upolu Island in Samoa, where only the foundation of homes remained and family graves were left unattended. For miles inland one could only see beach sand which had replaced the previous fertile soil.

We hadn't realised Nuiatoputapu had also been affected until the policeman we meet yesterday told us, so, what looked like a white sandy beach on the moto from a distance was actually piles of dead coral washed up by the tsunami.

After visiting the moto, we dinghied back to the main island and walked along the beach bordering the northwest coast. Again the damage was evident - Huge trees lying in the water and the landscape void of the lush vegetation and coconut trees that had previously grown there. It also explained why new homes have been erected right next to the foundation of what was a previous home. Apparently the destroyed homes were brick and mortar, but were replaced by the cheaper, elevated, prefabricated homes in which the majorit y of villagers now live.

Of course, there was the inevitable loss of life and livelihoods, the associated sorrow of which is still very apparent when the villagers spoke to us about the events of that day.

Tonight, however, was time for hospitality and sharing as Cea, Nico and family joined us aboard Paw Paw for a light meal, but not before Elaine demonstrated how to make Irish soda bread which later accompanied the meal.

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