Just Another Day in Paradise

So far we have been very busy here in Guam. We found our condo; it is on the beach and walking distance to all kinds of shops and restaurants in Tumon Bay. We have been busy making living arrangements and settling in. However, we have found some time to have fun here in Guam.

Sock Monkey reading the paper and relaxing in the hotel room.

This past weekend we celebrated Jay’s birthday! On Friday went to a local BBQ place with our new friends. On Saturday we drove all over the south end of the island with our friend, Mike, this part of the island has some spectacular views.

Hanging out with new friends in Tumon for Jay's Birthday.

View from the south end of Guam

In honor of Jay turning another year older, our friend Mike thought a life threatening hike through the jungles of Guam was in order. Although I am exaggerating, I have been on vigorous hikes before, such as the boiling lake in Dominica, but this was one of the most intense hikes I have ever been on. The island has a club called Hash House Harriers. This group was originated in Maylasia and consisted of expatriates that loved non-competitive running and beer. My understanding of a hash is that someone creates a running path with colored ribbons, a few people (the hares) begin the run early and all others (the hashers) start about fifteen minutes later and everyone then races to the beer at the end of the course. I am sure there is way more to it.

A couple of our friends here participate regularly in hashing and wanted to give us a taste of it. This hike consisted of four hours of mud sliding, trucking through rivers, scaling small cliffs and climbing trees through the jungle. Our hands and legs got scratched up from sword grass and other plants and trees we squeezed through as we carved our own path. Multiple times I was warned of danger such as, wild hogs, which tend to be pretty aggressive. “Make sure to always look for a tree to grab onto just in case”, my friend warned. While I was trucking through the river with water up to my waist I was advised to look out for freshwater eels. These warnings did not make me feel warm and fuzzy.

Hiking in Guam.

By the end I was covered in scrapes, literally hundreds of mosquito bites and my body felt beat up (great work out!). It was all worth it to experience such untouched nature. We saw four waterfalls and tons of wildlife. I felt a great sense of accomplishment for keeping up with the boys! Now I am ready to do my first hash, only this time I will be more prepared!