Hafa adai from Guam!

It’s Sunday and we left Chuuk at 250am and we have a, twelve hour layover in Guam, what to do?!

We collected our bags, they wouldn’t check them all the way thru to our next location, rented a car and away we went. Mind you, it was about 5am at this point.

We wanted to find a place to watch the sunrise, love Google! We went to a beach known for great sunrises in Guam. When we got there, it was still quite dark out, so we closed our eyes for a few minutes.

Somewhere between 545 and 6am, we got up and went to sit on the beach with everyone else. There appeared to be a sunrise service about to start as well, we weren’t sure if it was a regular Sunday service or an Easter Sunrise service.

We sat there enjoying the sunrise where ‘America begins its day’, crazy, huh? Eventually, it was grub time!

We wanted to try something new, that goes for when we’re back in Guam, the hotel executive lounge breakfast, not great… We looked on Google maps and Pika’s got great reviews, away we go!

We had a, great breakfast, I got an omelet and PSM for something local with Chomorra sausage and we shared khalua drunken French toast with caramelized bananas, y u m! Oh, they had decaf coffee, so PSM was a very happy camper!

I got to color, we laughed, talked, got silly and had a great time. Then we had to figure out what to do for the day, we had to be back at the airport about 245pm. Not a bad thing, gotta love the United Club!

One of the things we talked about was new water shoes for PSM and fins for both of us. When we had been at the dive shop last week, a woman we talked to told us about Cost-U-Less where we could find fins a lot less expensive, and she was right!

It was like Costco on crack! And the Spam! They have it in fifteen different flavors! The Pacific Islanders do love their spam!

After our purchase we decided we weren’t going to get in the water today, so to the movies we go! We say Ready Player One, really liked it!

There wasn’t much time after that, so we went to the Hilton to relax. PSM sacked out on a chair by the water and I went wading for a bit until it was time to head to the airport.

Not a bad day, huh? There’s more! Talk soon!

Long time no speak!

Forty five minute fight on a puddle jumper to Saipan, our next location! We got off the plane like we did Palau and Chuuk, outside the terminal. I think we talked about the Latte, the symbol of freedom and the pillars the Chammoran people used as supports for their buildings. It’s part of their flag, license plates, everywhere. I loved the welcoming lattes at the airport!

We picked up our rental car and headed to our hotel. It was a long grueling eight mile drive! The island is only about 12 miles long!

Here’s the thing about the hotel… The hotel listing made it look like it was right on the beach with cozy little rooms or bungalows. The image, it turns out, was of the restaurant! The rooms are exactly as they looked on hotels.com, modern, comfortable and an amazing a/c unit, we were going to stay cool!

After checkng in, we went in search of foods, to said restaurant, just as we caught the sunset, our new favorite activity!

The restaurant was open on to the beach, the bar was an lcd panel that looked like a riverbed with swimming fish, very cool! We enjoyed dinner, the breeze, the sound of the surf and the company.

I can’t wait to tell you all about our next adventure… whatever it may be!

Alii from Palau!

What a day! It started out gloomy and turned into ahhh! This was one of those days that of we were home or in one place for a while, we could have seen staying in and watching movies, but we’re really only here for two days, so we don’t want to miss it.

We’re glad the rain didn’t stop is because we didn’t stop! Museums, aquarium, waterfall, monoliths, oh my!

Let’s start with the Prisoner’s Carver. This is where the jail used to be, it’s since moved and now, you can visit the Prisoner’s Carve, it’s a shop not easy to find. All the carvings are what’s known storyboards.
They select a well-seasoned piece of timber, stroke its grain, and start carving ornate “storyboards” depicting ancient Micronesian legends that have been handed down through the generations on Palau, a group of small islands with a population of 15,000.

Isn’t it amazing! The turtle is the one we are bringing home with us. It’s the story of how the technique for natural birth was developed, all because a spider god fell in love with a girl. Sigh…

After the Prisoner’s Carver, we went to the Etpison Museum. This museum displays history, fabulous storyboards, carvings, the celebration of childbirth, craftsmanship, stone money and so much more!

After the museum, we went to the Palau Aquarium. This was great, not your traditional aquarium, but an immersive experience. Each ‘exhibit’ was as close to their natural habitat that you could get without actively being in the exhibit!

We start with mangrove trees and see grass.

Then we move on to what lies beneath. This included a nautilis, a spotted garden eel who came out to say hello and a stone fish, so cool!

We end with coral. Simply stunning!

What an amazing experience, if you’re ever in Palau, I recommend it!

Next, we stopped at a park you admire yet another stunning view and stopped at a hotel for lunch, which didn’t happen, we drooled over their lagoon, can you blame us?

After lunch we stopped at a visitor’s center and asked about things to do. One of them we decided sounded interesting. Stone monoliths.

On the way to the monoliths, we passed a sign that said “Waterfall” ooh, let’s do it! Joe long is it to the waterfall? Not long, about 20 minutes walk. Ok, sure.

The steps were tough, lucky there was a rope handle most of the way down, it was mostly dirt. We passed the men working to rebuild the steps, rebar, planks, more dirt. It will be great when they’re done!

After the steps, rocks and water, falling, because that’s the way it rolls, downhill, but that wasn’t the waterfall. Keep going…suspension bridge, loved the sign ” Warning: Don’t jump” thanks!

The waterfall was beautiful. Like so many, it was a wonder! We played in the water, more me than PSM, I was wearing a bathing suit, didn’t stop him from getting wet!

After a bit we headed back and unfortunately, what goes down must go back up, dammit! KR, my trainer, would be very proud, he might have thought about it, always trying to kill me!

At the top, a treat! A fresh coconut! Cut it open put in a straw and ahhh… fresh coconut milk! Yum!

Now… where to next? Stone monoliths! Let’s go! Back in the car, hoping the downloaded maps work! Our network doesn’t work here, only WiFi in the hotel lobby. Paper maps it is!

We found the stone monoliths! Just as we got there, it started sprinkling, not a bad thing, they gave us umbrellas. But how will I grow if the rain doesn’t water me?

So, the story behind the monoliths… they were being built by two demi-gods who were friends who only worked at night in secret and one felt it was going to slow, so he played with the sun and created a rooster out of an egg to trick the workers into thinking it was day. The workers didn’t fall for the trick and left and there the stone pieces sit.

We also made a friend, Taki the cat, kind of lives there, greeted us and of course I had to love on her and then guess what happened… she followed us the entire way and each time we stopped, she required payment, a rub up against my leg! If I walked ahead, I would turn to ask if she was coming and her she came.

After the monoliths, it was time to get back into town, return the rental car, shower and get some food.

We’ve been looking for some local food, as we do everywhere we go and someone told us about the restaurant at the hotel behind ours. Apparently, they offer fruit bat soup. PSM was excited and I was intrigued until they said it was the whole bat, fur and all. He was still excited, me, not so much. So sad to say… no shipments of fruit bats came in. Whew!

So it was taro soup for me and local fish soup for PSM. Quite tasty in fact.

And that folks, is all she wrote for today! Tomorrow, our next adventure begins!

Ungil Tutau from Palau!

Our second and fabulous day in Palau. Today, only one excursion and happy hour. But what an excursion!

Today, it was a little more than half a day snorkel trip! We went to the Milky Way, German Channel, Long Beach, Manta and Karp Island.

We departed on a boat with a driver and two guides, one did all the talking, the other smiled a lot. Our favorite question of the day…”You booked a Japanese tour?” Um, what?

Yeah, so, it turns out this is primarily a Japanese Tour Company. Their site is in Japanese and you can translate to English and we were the only English speakers on the boat, well, except for the Englishman who has lived in Japan for twenty years and had a Japanese wife and child, so he understood Japanese…

Oh yeah, when you translate the site, you can book tours for adults and dwarfs! Love that!

It was all good, our guide spoke English, luckily, and would speak to us one- on- one and then the group or vice versa. She always started with ‘thank you for waiting’ even when we went first. She was very nice, as was the entire staff. I can honestly say, the entire day, we didn’t see any other non- Asians.

We started our trip through the Pacific to the Rock Islands. The Rock Islands of Palau, also called Chelbacheb, are a small collection of limestone or coral uprises, ancient relics of coral reefs that violently surfaced to form Islands in Palau’s Southern Lagoon, between Koror and Peleliu, and are now an incorporated part of Koror State. There are between 250 and 300 islands in the group according to different sources, with an aggregate area of 47 square kilometres (18 sq mi) and a height up to 207 metres (679 ft). They are a World Heritage Site since 2012. PSM was excited, we try to find UNESCO sites on our travels.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Islands

It was amazing, felt like we saw all of them, even though I know we didn’t. They come in all shapes and sizes, some looked like small round islands, mushrooms almost, others oblong, sea cucumbers, whales, all different. At one point, it reminded me of Pandora, the floating mountains of Avatar, but in the water, ha ha.

It was absolutely spectacular! Can’t take pictures of them all, felt like you wanted to!

Our first stop was in the Milky Way, this was a lagoon set into the Rock Islands that is so milky blue because of the sediment. It’s this white silky mud that people apply to help the skin, apparently it’s wonderful for the skin, moisturizes, softens and can make you look younger. Reminds me of the mud and sulfer baths in Israel!

We swam, cannon balled of the boat while our guides jumped in and dived down to fill up a bucket with the white mud from the bottom. Then… we all slapped it on our faces and bodies and when it was dry…jeronimo! Jump in and wash it off! Do we look younger?

After a bit, it was on to the next place, cannot remember for the life of me what it was called, but we swam in a shallow reef, I got worried a few times that I might disturb something, but it was all good! Fish, big ones, little ones, really little ones and clams, giant clams! These are the ones I mentioned, wow

Now, favorite exclamation of the day…I happened to put on my snorkel mask first, “Darth Vader!” That was classic and something everyone understood! Geek power!

It was amazing and beautiful and wondrous and so much more. I have to apologize, my phone wasn’t great under water, fingers crossed Go-Pro did better!

Another amazing trip through the Rock Islands to the German made channel, the water was so blue and clear! And then to a reef with a major drop off, so many beautiful things to see including brightly colored fish wanting to shine and others looking to hide. Coral in so many wonderful colors, shapes and sizes.

After that fabulous snorkel, we went back through the channel to Long Beach, this only happens once a month when the tide goes out enough that you can stand, sit, walk, run on the ‘beach’ in the middle of the ocean!

So, we walked, jumped, sat in the middle of the ocean! How fabulous is that?! Our other guide took lots of pictures for everyone!

Back on our boat to our last stop, Karp Island. This is where they cooked or I should say bar-b-qued lunch. I was lucky, they had a vegan box lunch for me, I still got a bowl of miso soup, a piece of corn and tapioca, this is like a stalk and soft and actually made me think of the pudding!

We had time to sit, swim, float, hang out in a hammock while we waited for lunch and after. We chatted with some of the other folks on our boat and on the other boat. The guide from the other boat took a bunch of us, from both boats, on a tour thorough the jungle on the island.

Karp Island is also a resort that you can stay at on one of their cabins, we agreed, we would so do that! Who knows what our future holds!

After about two hours, it was back on the boat, drop everyone but us and another couple at a hotel on the water and us back to Impac, the dive shop where we started and then a drive back to the hotel.

We took showers and headed back out in a taxi to a resort about 20 minutes away for sunset and wow, was it beautiful!

Back to the hotel in search of food. Someone mentioned where we could get some clams but we got to the market just as they were closed so to the Pho we go! Pho You Pho Me was the restaurant we chose. A tasty order of broccoli with garlic for me and crab and lumpia for PSM, both quite good, according to him!

Back to the room, finish packing, set the alarm and lay down for a nap, our flight is at 145am! That’s how they do things on these islands apparently, our flight on Sunday is 250am.

What a day and what an island! We both wish we had more time here in Palau, maybe we’ll come back, love the idea of staying on Karp Island!

Are you ready to go with us on our next adventure?!

Ok, so, apparently I don’t want to sleep in vacation! 2:45am seems like a good time to get up…oh brother.

Well, after a fashion, about 5:30am, I had had enough. Let’s just say, I’m not so spoiled by hotels to not stay in lesser hotels, but I still have standards. I had to go outside to warm up! The a/c, even when turned off, didn’t turn off. The shower dripped and as we found out when we were going to take showers, no hot water. It was only for the night and it was on the water.

I quietly snuck out of the room and went to sit by the pool and then by the ocean, the pool is right there on the ocean, but I wasn’t sitting on the sand. The waves were lapping at the shore, so peaceful, it makes you think it’s what sound machines record to help you sleep.

I sat there and watched the sunrise, slow, steady, awakening the world. The people working in the restaurant were arriving, eventually patrons started arriving for breakfast. People walking, ruining, stand-up-paddleboarding, even one man collected seaweed, this was the silky grass kind, I asked what for and he said it was great bait for fishing, go figure!

I walked a bit, sat in the giant chair a bit, walked, sat in the sand and finally, it was time to see if PSM was ready to great the day. And he was!

We got ourselves together and went to The Kracked Egg for breakfast and worked on our next destinations, making sure we have placed to stay when we get there, stuff like that!

Then it was off to see more of Guam! So much history, much of it military and so rich and sobering and important.

We started at Asan Beach, War in the Pacific National Historic Park. The wide field, as you look at it, time realize it’s a killing field, what it must have looked like. You can stand next to a bomb and realize the awesomeness of it all.

There were tributes to fallen heroes, prisoners of war and the opportunity to see that no matter what, we survive as a people and can find peace.

We continued walking and on the way to view an abandoned pill box, this amazing tribute to each branch of the military.

We hiked up a hill thru the brush, much warmer up there with no ocean breeze!! Then down the steps to the pillbox.

For those of you who don’t know, “Pillboxes are concrete dug-in guard posts, normally equipped with loopholes through which to fire weapons. The originally jocular name arose from their perceived similarity to the cylindrical and hexagonal boxes in which medical pills were once sold. They are in effect a trench firing step hardened to protect against small-arms fire and grenades and raised to improve the field of fire.”

The next step was the T. Stell Newman Visitor Center. It was a museum of World War II, Guam’s involvement, Japan, the US, war stories, propaganda, news, support, men, women, children, horrors, heartbreak and hope and survival.

I was awed, saddened, inspired and exhausted from the experience. And most humbled. No more words.

After, we drove for a bit and then stopped for lunch at a local place on the water, can’t beat the view!

Next, it was a search for snorkeling fins, instead of paying to rent them each time. Got some great advice from a woman in the dive shop, she’s from where we’re going next and she gave us some great advice and suggestions on where to go and what to do!

Now, it’s off to the airport! Hang out in the United Club, thank you PSM! and wait for our flight… we’re going to Palau!

Palau is an archipelago of over 500 islands, part of the Micronesia region in the western Pacific Ocean.

I don’t know if you remember me telling you that we only had our flights to and from Guam booked, in JJ and PSM style. So, the other morning, we go on the phone with United and they booked us to a few islands! Palau is first and we cannot wait to explore!

We are staying at the Palau Hotel, center of town and that’s all we know. Oh, except we have to see the giant clams in milk, I’ll take pics!

The hotel is nice, well recommended. It comes with breakfast, bathroom in the room, what more do you need? We got here and got upgraded…a triple! That means threr single beds!

I love all the little touches in the room and over the hotel.

Then it was time for food! One of the only places open, Tori Tori Japanese. Friendly staff and good food!

Tempura for me, a whole fried local red snapper for PSM, some edemame and a “real” Japanese eggroll, ha ha!

What an adventure today! Can’t wait to see and share what tomorrow brings!

Again, can’t believe I’m waking up in Guam! It’s been on my list for years, nope, no reason, just curious and here at are!

I would like to say I slept in, I really would! But who cares, I’ll sleep when… don’t know, don’t care!

Breakfast, pack up, then snorkeling! We packed up because we’re actually staying another day so we needed to find another hotel. No big deal, not much luggage, shorts, tshirts and bathing suits don’t take up that much room. Although, more than we expected. We each have a backpack and a carry on, the one we didn’t expect is the roller bag, it’s filled with our snorkelling equipment! Our new masks, waterproof bags, flippers, they needed their own bag, go figure!

After breakfast get over to Fish Eye Marine Park, for snorkeling. http://www.fisheyeguam.com/about1_en.html. PSM was here last year and snorkeled, he saw fish and sea turtles, one actually hit him!

Unfortunately, this time, no turtles, apparently they were giving the divers a hard time, so they were relocated. Oh well, we’ve seen them at home, all good. What we did see were lots and lots and lots, did I mention lots of fish! No idea what they were, except the crocodile fish, they mentioned them and to keep distance, they have some serious teeth!

One of the things they did was give us squid to feed the other fish. So, first, I apologized to the squid, it was already dead, but I still apologized. You have to keep your hand above water or it will get bitten! Good advice!

You break off little pieces and throw and they come swimming! You thought I was going to start they start running! Ha ha! It was so cool!!

After snorkeling it was sight seeing the rest of the day. We got in the car and drive. You can drive the entire island in about half a day, we proved that!

The first stop was The Latte of Freedom, no, nothing to do with a cup of coffee, cheeky monkey! http://www.guampedia.com/latte-of-freedom/

The Latte of Freedom was built by donations of pennies from Guam’s children. It symbolizes Guam as a free nation. It was a vision of Governor Bordallo, just as the Statue of Liberty welcomes people to America, he wanted a symbol of welcome in the Pacific.

It is in the shape of the monolithic structures of the ancient people of Chammoro. Fabulous and what an amazing view of the city, the ocean and the reef!

Next, a drive up the coast and along the way, stomachs started speaking and what did we see…Jeff’s Pirate’s Cove and it turned out, with a cafe!

Lunch time on the water, what a view! We actually had to move, it was too windy and funny enough, the wind was a bit toasty. It was windy everywhere, but better one table back and to the left!

Hummus with pita chips, Greek salad with falafel and a parrot fish salad. Luckily, it did not talk back!

After lunch, back in the car, happy to let PSM drive as he’d seen all this and wanted me to be able to just look out the window. Sigh…

On to Talofofo Falls. The cable car was not in service do it was in the back of a pick up truck going way fast down the hill for us! You knew he was coming because he honked the horn most of the way as a warning, it was different!

There were two falls, upper and lower, both charming and beautiful on their own way. To get there, you cross a suspension bridge, no, I did not shake it with PSM on it! I waited until he was across!

Admired the lower falls, then hiked a very short bit to the upper falls. Saw religious tributes and met a very fat duck, a rooster and some crustaceans.

Then back up in the truck/ cable car and back on the road! We stopped at a park with a statue of Our Lady of Camarin, she stands watch over the people of Guam.

The Merizo Bell Tower was used to call people to worship. It was built after the time of Spanish colonial tansitional period, it’s still referred to as the Spanish Bell Tower.

Next was a stop at the remains of Fort Soledad. Historical, but also an amazing view! You were able to see the remnants of the fort itself, the walls of some of the rooms and defunct cannons that, unfortunately, some people feel is a good place to dispose of their trash.

We drove down the hill we were overlooking to drive through London Bridge. What? I know you’re thinking it, just like everyone else! Apparently, the mayor wanted to raise tourism, so naturally, what do you build? London Bridge!

But… this led to the spot where Magellan landed! Immortalized by the lighthouse liking structure. If you look up and to the left, that’s where we just were!

This was across from the San Dionisis Church Ruins. Spectacular!

Next was a Vietnam Memorial. Breathtaking! It reminded us of the Waimea Canyon on Kuaiu, can you see it?

Our last stop was Tollai Talaifak, Talaifuk Bridge. It’s an old Spanish bridge that has stood the test of time. There’s not much left, but you could take it across the stream if you wanted to.

Back on the road, happy hour was calling! We checked into our next hotel, had a drink and put our feet up for a moment and enjoyed their happy hour and the start of Sunday, then grabbed the keys and went back to The Beach Bar, just in time for their sunset! And a drink!

Just as we got there, people were lined up with their cameras at the ready! Can you blame them?!

Last adventure of the ready… in search of food! Someone I work with, he recommended Meskla Dos, his sister and b-i-l own it. A veggie burger!! I’m set!

I had the veggie burger and PSM had a shrimp burger. We shared onion rings and sweet potato fries and a Rogue IPA for PSM.

After that, it was a walkabout, needed to walk off dinner! Talk and then head to the hotel, we have more to explore tomorrow and…off to our next destination!

See you tomorrow!