Trip Report: Crossing The International Date Line

Samoa is an independent country once known as Western Samoa. It is located west of the International Date Line. American Samoa is a territory owned by the United States and it's east of the International Date Line. On the clock, they are thus 24 hours apart from each other. Visiting Apia, the capital of Samoa, I absolutely had to find a way to visit the American island!

And I did thanks to Samoa Airways.

After take-off, flying over beautiful Samoa. It's only a 25 minute flight!

People ask me if you can see the international date line when you cross it. Of course. It's a dashed line made up of clouds. (The equator is actually a solid line.)

I left Samoa on a Wednesday morning.  A half hour later I landed on a Tuesday morning in American Samoa's capital, Pago Pago. (Pronounced Pango Pango)

It's just as lush and beautiful as Samoa.

It's very mountainous and made up of numerous islands.

 Small Catholic church. All the brands are here.

 There's an official and beautiful National Park.

You'll recall the tsunami that inundated Japan several years ago. Although thousands of miles from Japan, the same tsunami hit Samoa and American Samoa as well.

Local buses are just $1 per ride.

Yes, American Samoa is really part of the United States! And I believe it and Jarvis Island are the only parts of the United States that are south of the equator.

Soon it was time to return to Samoa and return to Wednesday. On approach to Apia, Samoa. It was great to visit a small part of America so far from the rest of the country.