Our Guam Home

Due to numerous requests, I am posting some pictures of our new place. It's small but has a fantastic view of Tumon Bay.

Snorkel Fun

We have really been enjoying our new snorkel gear. Here are some pictures of us snorkeling at Gab Gab beach on Big Navy and Tumon Bay (in front of our condo). Thanks to Michelle for the pictures!!

Gab Gab is very deep and we saw divers down below. I am really excited and geared up to get scuba certified.

In Tumon Bay there are hundreds of fish.

These guys even hung out with Michelle and I for a while. I think they liked our energy.

It feels so good to overcome my fear of the water. In Guam the barracuda are small and sharks are scarce. I have learned to relax and enjoy the scenery and company. The underwater world is a true gem of Guam.

Talofofo Falls

Talofofo Falls Resort Park felt like an abandoned amusement park. Complete with bumper cars and a haunted house. Boar and boonie dogs walk around the park freely. There is an old monorail that consists of a flat bed with folding chairs. You take your own life in your hands riding on it! We opted out of that ride. The main attraction is the waterfalls. We took a cable car down to see them.

Once at the bottom, we hiked around the various falls.
Talofofo Falls is also the site of Sergeant Soichi Yokoi´s cave. Yokoi was a Japanese soldier who hid in the jungles of Guam for 28 years. During World War II the Japanese seized Guam from the U.S. American forces liberated the island in the 1944 Battle of Guam, Yokoi went into hiding with two other Japanese soldiers. He remained in hiding until 1972 when Chamorro hunters discovered him.

The two other soldiers died of either starvation or food positioning while in hiding in 1964. This is a shrine to those soldiers.
Although they call it a "cave", it is more like a hole. This is where Yokoi lived by himself for 28 years.
The park was interesting but really needs a makeover. I was thinking about offering to re-write some of the signs. The falls are beautiful and at one time people spent the day swimming in the waters. To our disappointment they no longer allow this.

Hiking Sella and Cetti Bay

My yoga instructor invited me on this hike last week. Cetti Bay was once the site of an ancient Chamorro settlement dating to A.D. 1000. It is also said to be the place that Ferdinand Magellan landed and had the first European contact with the native Chamorro people in 1521.
The hike is about two hours total. This is a hilly hike through the jungle and is not too difficult. However, we went during mid-day so it was very hot! When we reached the bay there was a old Spanish style bridge that laid over the Sella river, beautiful.
Although there was no cliff scaling or river trucking, it was still a fantastic hike. At the end we were greeted by a swarm of Guamanian killer mosquitoes so we booked it out of there!

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!