Two Lovers Point

Recently we checked out a famous tourist spot here on Guam called Two Lovers Point. This is a classic Romeo and Juliet story. According to the legend, a Chamorro Chief arranged for his daughter to marry a Spanish Captain but she loved a young Chamorro warrior. When the father found out he became angry and sent soldiers after them. The two lovers were chased up a cliff above Tumon Bay where, without any other option, leaped to their deaths together.

This landmark is seen by many from the air as they enter Guam. It is a tradition to leave luggage tags here.
The view from this cliff is amazing.
And steep!

Spanish Steps

This past Saturday we spent time hiking the Spanish Steps and snorkeling in the cove below. The Spanish built these steps for access to a drinking water well. Located on the Navy base, this hike is down a very steep cliff, luckily there are ropes for support along the way. We ran into a group of coconut crabs grubbing out on the way there.
After a short hike we were rewarded with a secluded rocky beach that looked out to this cove.
We geared up and spent the next hour or so snorkeling.
I loved snorkeling here because of the shallow waters, breathtaking coral and dozens of colorful fish. Thanks to Riena for taking these pictures!
We saw a lot of clams here too.
And we found a purple starfish.

Groceries

Grocery shopping here is a bit challenging. Guam does not offer as much of a selection of products as I am used to. However, they have an excellent selection of fish to choose from....yummy!

Guam in the clear

March 11, 2011 was a frightening day for us here in Guam. First came news of a massive earth quack that hit Japan, we had just received the keys to our new apartment and were packing up our belongings at the hotel. A security guard mentioned it to Jay as he was walking out.

About a half hour later our cell phones became busy and we were unable to get a hold of anyone. As we were walking out of our new apartment complex we saw signs posted on the doors, "Guam is Under a Tsunami Warning Please Seek Higher Elevation". My heart sank into my stomach.

We returned to the hotel to find distressed Japanese tourists in the lobby anxiously watching the news. I proceeded to ask every employee I came in contact with if we would be safe there. All assured me we would be safe. One very sweet employee even replied"Yes miss, don't worry. You are safe here. We will take care of you if anything happens." We then decided to spend the rest of the night in our room, on the 18th floor, high above sea level.

We then watched the news, texted with friends, and waited....


The first warning at 7pm came and went but luckily no tsunami.

The next morning I woke up feeling relieved. However the sadness and reality of the devastation in Japan set in. This horrible tragedy has brought much sorrow and tears to so many people and will now leave lasting effects on the environment and the economy.

Guam is now being threatened by nuclear radiation. We are in the clear for now and we will receive several days notice if any radiation comes near us. Everyone is trying to stay positive!

In the words of Marianne Williamson, "Visualize Light surrounding the Japanese nuclear reactor, using whatever imagery comes to you. Spread the word."

Only in Guam

This is what I saw on the side of road while running errands the other day, a Boonie dog riding a bison.

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!

Saying Goodbye

This was the hardest part. Leaving our family and friends was painful. In St. Petersburg we had a huge group of friends we loved to spend time with. As soon as the Guam move was finalized we tried to take full advantage of our time left in the States.

My best friend, former roommate, and travel buddy, Dre, came to visit me from Detroit for a weekend in St. Pete. We had an awesome time bike riding, kayaking, and catching up!

I was lucky enough to spend some quality time with the Gast family.

I had a blast with these two cuties, Griffin and Lucy! They are growing up so fast I cannot believe it! I went and had lunch with Griffin at school. It was so much fun to see him interact with all his classmates. He even made the first basket at his basketball game, I was one proud Auntie!! Lucy is very talkative and sweet. We had fun doing arts and crafts together (which she LOVES). My sister, Christi, I want to thank for showing me how to sew a button, as I have never been very crafty. We spent the days meditating and doing yoga, her positivity really helped calm my nerves about Guam!They were fostering a 2-week old liter of puppies while I was there, it was so much fun.
Two weeks before we left our friends took us sailing for the day in St. Pete. It was the perfect Florida day. Jay had a blast with the kids as always.
We boogied down at Brooke's (Jay's niece) 13th DJ Birthday Party. I even did the Electric Slide!
We had an amazing send off party the weekend before we left. Nearly 40 people showed up, it was such a treat to have all our good friends in one spot to say goodbye.




Our friend, Kirsty, made us this spectacular cake in the shape of Guam. It was the perfect send off. Thanks to all the love and support from our family and friends, we found the courage to move to a little island in the South Pacific that is 9,000 miles from home. And on a final note, looks like we found a condo!!