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Samoa Tsunami – Sadie’s Seems to be Still Standing

Posted: October 20th, 2009 | No Comments »

sadiesLast December I posted about Sadie Thompson’s old bordello in Samoa (American Samoa now) at Pago Pago. Sadie was of course the infamous American prostitute who worked in Honolulu before being run out and setting up shop in Samoa. She was immortalized by W Somerset Maugham in his short story Rain and several films (see the previous post for details). Sadie’s old bordello is now a restaurant and hotel in Pago Pago (left), one I have long been looking for an excuse to go and stay in.

So the news of the recent terrible tsunami to hit American Samoa was worrying. However, despite the dreadful devastation it appears Sadie’s has survived. Pictures of upturned trucks and a devastated beach front but with Sadie’s still apparently standing popped up in several Australian newspapers including The Age (click here to see the photos). Seems Sadie’s old place of work has turned out to be as tough the old girl herself!! I do hope all structurally OK and of course that the owners and the local community can all get back to some sort of normality soon – I, for one, will continue to look for an excuse to get over to Pago Pago to visit Sadie’s one day.



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