News From Guam

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 15 Jul 03 - 08:56 AM

Good luck with the "open mike down in Tumon." One never knows who will be encountered at such an event on the far side of the world. We eagerly await your report.

Guess we'll go down to the Five Islands wharf today for another lobster dinner.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 15 Jul 03 - 08:43 AM

goodonya! enjoy the evening. If the music is as interesting as what you've seen so far, you're in for a treat.

Reading your diary is like being in Guam. Thanks for sharing your experiences. I'm looking forward to meeting you sometime in the future.

sandra

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 15 Jul 03 - 02:38 AM

Yesterday as I wandered into the center of the office to get a 3-ring binder the gang at the lunch table invited me to sit down with them and have some ham hocks and taro leaf. Actually one of them first offered me a wedge of yellow and brown food-like substance and said I should have some keet-chit. At that the whole table errupted in laughter.

I knew then that the gauntlet lay there to be picked up and, not being one to refuse a challenge, I asked the question. Well, the food-like substance was quiche. But the word was Chamorro for sex. Not that they would tell me right away. No, I had to drag it out of them. Finally they came up with a Chamorro dictionary and let me read the definition for myself.

That launched a great discussion on Chamorro words and their meanings. One of the group is studying the language at UOG and had all kinds of questions for the native speakers.

In the meantime I ate the ham hocks and taro leaf. I'm afraid the ham hocks did nothing for me. They were cooked up in beans making a brown mash with the "meat" a roll of lumpy looking stuff. The taro leaf on the other hand was very good, cooked in coconut milk and ginger and some other things. It made a green and white mash that had a very distinct flavor. They commented that some people, when they cannot get taro, use the same recipe for spinach. Of course the meal is served with rice and fine dene sauce.

This morning I went to look at a place to live. It's in the village of Santa Rita up in the hills. It's a duplex and the side I might rent has 4 bedrooms 3 bathrooms, and a balcony that runs all around the second floor. There is a small yard and plenty of parking. It's on a side street off the Cross Island Road. I would never dream of driving those roads if we ever got ice here but that will never happen in my lifetime, or the next two years, whatever comes first...

And, drum roll please, this evening I am going to a Sotta, an open mike down in Tumon. I am taking my guitar along but I don't know if I want to try performing yet. It will depend on the audience. But tonight I begin my musical exploration of the island.

Wish me luck.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 13 Jul 03 - 09:39 PM

The sub is a Japanese WWII two man sub that ran aground off Guam. The crew was never found and no one knows what its mission might have been.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: SINSULL
Date: 13 Jul 03 - 08:31 PM

A miniature submarine?
My father worked on a miniature sub set up in Rockefeller Center during WWII to raise money for War Bonds. He often wonders where it ended up.
Or is this a real sub?
M.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 13 Jul 03 - 07:11 PM

Eww, Charley, no shrunken head is that ugly, or that dumb!

And you don't have to worry, it is not a shrunken head. It is something ELSE you've always desired. And Judy might not mind hanging it on your walls.

Oh, what the hell, I may as well confess. It is a carving of Sirena.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 13 Jul 03 - 06:36 PM

Brett-

Sure looks like you're getting into a nice phase of exploring. Glad you finally got off the base.

I'll be eagerly awaiting your shipment of my gift, the shrunken head I've always wanted. I wonder if it will resemble that of our noble president?

Take your time in house hunting. There's a good one out there somewhere.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 13 Jul 03 - 03:53 AM

Who knows. On a military base no one asks questions. It could be anything from a simple exercise to precautions for loading munitions.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Amos
Date: 12 Jul 03 - 11:42 PM

Good luck, Brett!

What's with all the security deployment? Rebels in the jungles?

A

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 12 Jul 03 - 08:32 PM

Hi Mary,

Even as a living/guest room that apartment is way too small. If I have to fit into that size I may as well buy a sailboat to live on... hmmm, not a bad idea.

My parents have already shipped me the part. They sent it priority mail so I wonder how long that will take to get here. Thanks for the offer.

I was out on my bike by 6:30 this morning. I thought I'd head over towards Gab Gab but security was erecting barriers at the head of the access road so I continued down the hill to the marina. I made a swing in to the parking lot for the museum to take a closer look at the midget submarine they have displayed there. Then I noticed a road that I thought would lead to San Luis Beach so I headed in that direction. The road led me out to a causeway with ocean on one side and swamp on the other. Halfway out I found that security had been there before me and I could go no further.

I stopped to take in my surroundings. I was looking out over most of Apra Harbor. The shore showed evidence of some sort of structure, a dock or quay that had been built of steel and concrete a long time ago. This part of Orote Peninsula was once the landing site for the big ocean crossing passenger seaplanes and I may have been looking at the passenger terminal.

The water was broken but a shoal of tiny silver fish leaping free of the water, obviously escaping some predator. Nearer a large crab scuttled along some weed covered steel hunting for its own breakfast.

On the other side was a marshy grassy area. There was open water near the road. At first I thought it must be tidal but the water is the dark brown of marsh water, not the clear sea water from the other side of the causeway. I could see little fish swimming in the shallows near where I stood and evidence of larger fish breaking the surface farther out.

Now I am going to try to find American Music and Shimbros Music, two of the three stores on the island that sell musical instruments. Wish me luck. I tried calling but got no answer and no answering machine. As with so many other businesses one or both of them may have been wiped out by Typhoon Pongsana.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: SINSULL
Date: 12 Jul 03 - 07:30 PM

Wonder if they allow pets, Brett.

Also wonder if we can get that part for you here and ship it over. It is worth a try. PM the Part Number and I will contact a few dealers.

Keep in mind that the second bedroom can be used as a living room/ guest room with a convertible sofa. That leaves a bedroom/ kitchen/ dining room. Sticker shock and all.

Hope you are keeping a supply of bottled water in your truck. Freeze it before you leave and it will stay cold all day.
SINS in mothering mode.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 12 Jul 03 - 06:57 AM

No, there are no snakes to be seen on Snake Road. That is a local name given to the road because it twists and turns like, well, a snake.

Please bear with me, this is rather long. I have taken to using this as my Guam diary.

This morning I headed out with every intention of going straight up to Anderson and exploring my way back. However, I rarely do what I intend to do when I walk out the door. Once I went out the back gate I went right instead of left and headed south into Agat. Halfway through the village I spotted a sign for Santa Rita so I took a left. (A right at that point would have put me into the ocean.)

The road headed almost immediately uphill. I was glad not to be on my bike. Santa Rita is a pretty little town. The houses nestle on the hillsides surrounded by yards and jungle growth. I spotted an apartment complex with a "For Rent sign and made a mental note to come back. The name of the complex was Gold Mine Apartments. Having been a landlord I did not think the management had slightest idea what they were thinking when they came up with that name.

The road continued uphill past a water treatment plant (for cleaning fresh water as opposed to a sewage treatment plant). It started to rain so I had to pull over for a while. I used the time to study my map which told me I would link up with the Cross Island Road, Route 17. When I got to that intersection I made a right and headed east to the other side of the island. I was in the high ground for sure now. The jungle was gone and the scrub brush dominated the scenery. And what a lovely vista I had. I could see down into green valleys where the scrub gave over to jungle again, there was a wide open blue sky, and the sun was bright. The trades blew constantly and the occasional palms tossed their fronds in the breezes.

I finally hooked up with Route 4 just south of Ylig Bay and headed north at last. Earlier in the week I had seen a poster advertising a show of photographs at the Island Arts Center at the University Of Guam. I decided today was a good day to track that area down and see the photos. Along the way I took an occasional side road to see where it would take me.

This is such a wonderful place. I would get on a 2 lane road and it would degrade till it was a single broken partially paved track leading into the jungle. And at the end of it would be 3 or 4 houses surrounded by junk cars and the detritus of life. Chickens ran everywhere and dogs drooped in the heat. The houses are not very big but most have a wide shaded veranda where it looks ike the families spend most of their time. I have seen living room type furniture there with TVs and charcoal grills and car parts and animal cages and you name it. Generally the veranda includes a picnic table as well. Often there is a car parked in there also.

I finally got to the UOG and found the arts center. It is in a converted concrete block house. The exhibit took up all the room. I couldn't see any evidence of any permanent exhibit except for a couple of glass cases with traditional basketry and carvings. The photos on display were taken from 1915 to 1917 by Mrs. ____ Paul, the wife of a Naval engineer stationed on Guam. They are wonderful studies of island homes, ways, festivals, work, and play.

After I left the campus I headed up to Anderson. I was getting hungry I thought I could score a good meal at one of the restaurants on the base. It took quite a while to get there. Travel on the island just seems to take longer than it would on the mainland. Back home I would figure on running to Brunswik and back to Bath in half an hour. Here that same distance seems to take three quarters of an hour one way! Of course part of the problem is the island speed limit of 35 mph. But there is a lot of traffic as well once you get into the northern part of the island.

Once I got to Anderson I had to find a place to eat. Burger King surfaced almost immediately but I rejected that choice out of hand. Of course, I had never been to AAFB before so I was flying blind. I drove around and found the PX and the commissary (grocery store). There was a vendor selling barbeque outside the PX but when I put in my order she informed me all she had left was hotdogs. Not a good sign.

I visited the PX and thought it was better equipped than the Exchange at the Navy Base. The Commissary was better as well. Infact the whole base looks better than the Navy Base. Air Force bases as a rule always look better than Navy bases. I don't know why. Navy bases always look shabby for some reason.

Anyway, I headed out to find some food and always wound up back at BK so I finally succumbed to fate and bought a Whopper Junior and fries. I guess a $3 lunch is not too bad. It was worth every penny I paid for it by then. Breakfast had been a long time ago.

After that I headed out to find Tarague Beach. This was something I only knew from the map. I headed in the general direction that I thought it had to lie and found a sign the said "Beaches". This was promising. The 2 lane road wound off into the jungle so I followed it.

I'd like to stop here and offer some explanation of the geography of the island. This is a volcanic island (yeah you were right, Charley). The southern hills are extinct volcanoes. However, the northern end of the island is old coral reef thrust up through tectonic action and the receding sea. As such it is relatively flat ground but it is also high ground. The northern end of the island has no mountains but it is all cliffs that drop into the sea.

I kind of knew this but it was a dramatic realization when the road I was following took me through a cut in the gliffs and out upon a road literally cut into the side of the cliffs. Laid out below me was all of Tarague Bay. The cliffs fell to a flat plain that ran out to the sea. Below me was jungle that ended in white sand beaches and blue green ocean. Between the sand of the beaches and the surf line was a wide stretch of shallow water and reef. Trust me, this view was magnificent.

Unfortunately I couldn't watch it because I was quite literally suspended on the side of the cliff with air to my right and a rock wall on my left. And I was a long way up. The tree looked like little toys down there and I knew I'd have a long time as I fell to curse myself for a fool if I managed to drive off the road.

At the bottom the road ran left and right as it paralleled the beach. I went down to Tarague Beach where I found a busy campground and all that white sand, clear water, and white surf. It was amazing. It was also at this point that I realized that I had been on the island for almost a month and I had not yet seen a woman in a swim suit. The skimpiest bathing gear I have seen so far was on children. The women must come out to sunbath somewhere…

I visited Tarague, Sirena, and Pati beaches. The scenery just took my breath. I have seen beaches in Maine, the Carribean, Florida, California and the Mediteranean. I have never seen anything as beautiful as Tarague Bay. It caps them all.

I tore myself away from all this and made my way back up that cliff road. I was tired and my head was aching from the heat. I used my a/c for a while but I eventually turned it off and opened up the truck. I wanted the air on my face and the sun on my arm. At the top I was ready to turn right and head back when I spotted a sign that said simply "Scenic Overlook" and an arrow pointed left. What could I do? I turned left. The road wound up between industrial type buildings and paved areas with helicopters. Overhead a big cargo jet thundered into the air. The I came to a place where the road turned right and a sign pointed left into a field. I turned and drove across the grass to see a stainless steel rail set in a concrete wall. I left the truck and stepped up to the rail.

Oh, I wish I was writer enough to express what I saw there. All that I have described was laid out below me in a long sweep of jungle and sand and reef and water. The colors were all so brilliant and clean. And way off in the distance hulked the island of Rota, the next one in the chain. It's forty miles off but it is very clear in the clean Pacific air.

I tried to take a picture but my little camera wasn't up to the task. It was at that point I realized I really need to buy a good camera.

Oh, and as an illustration of how high and far I was from the beach, I couldn't discern the people I knew where down there. The cars were mere dots. I am talking a very real and very high cliff. My mother suffers from a fear of heights. She has already said the heat and snakes are enough to keep her away from Guam. The scenic overlooks would be the final straw in firming her resolve.

As I drove back to the gate I stopped at a sign that identified a relic B-52 bomber. I could see just inside the jungle a piece of a wing. A trail led in to it so I headed in. There is a sign in there that identifies the tail sectin as a piece of Old 100. Apparently this was one of the last 3 bombers to bomb Viet Nam at the end of that war. After the war the plane was displayed in the base park but age and corrosion led the safety officer to condemn it as unsafe. The plane was then scheduled to be broken up as part of (get this) the Strategic Arms Limitations Treaty (SALT). Let's think about this. SALT was intended to rid the world of some of the weapons of mass destruction. And what did the Reagan administration include in the American numbers? This aged and decrepit display aircraft. Be that as it may be, the Air Force was not forced to destroy Old 100. A typhoon did that. The tail section disappeared for a while until another typhoon stripped off the jungle and revealed its hiding place. So the local Boy Scout Troop created a memorial for it in place.

I stayed only long enough to read the sign and urinate on the last Viet Nam bomber before I headed south. By now I was very tired. It had been a long day.

I detoured down through hotel row, the center of tourist activities. The local tourist department has come under fire for not working hard enough to attract tourists to the island. I can't testify to their effectiveness but the center of tourist activity is definitely one of the quieter areas on the island. There was little traffic and very few people in the streets.

I got back on Marine Drive and pushed on south. Then as I came up on the Chamorro Village I realized I had not yet bought any presents to send home. And that is the best place I have seen yet for tourist trinkets. I stopped in and bought a couple of pretty bandanas for daughter number 3 who will be soon losing her hair (temporarily) to her chemotherapy. I also got her a Chamorro coloring book and a woven strawgrass sea turtle. I bought daughter number 2 a bracelet and a carved porpoise and daughter number 1 got a ___. I can't say it here because she is the one who is monitoring this thread. And I got Charley Noble a ___. Of course, he will have to wait for the package to arrive to find out exactly what it is but he has been such a good friend and he has always wanted a ___ I couldn't resist. I plan to go back to pick up more island trinkets for certain other friends as well.

I also bought myself a CD of traditional Chamorro chants. It is very interesting. The chants are in Chamorran of course and combine men's and women's voices as well as hand clapping and some form of rhythm instrument. I need to read the liner notes before I can offer more than that but these are definitely doable from the stage with audience participation.

I headed south but made one more detour. I wanted to stop and get the phone number for the Gold Mine Apartments complex. When I got there I saw they had canopies set up in the back and there were people there. I walked back and asked for the manager. A tiny Chamorro woman in a denim skirt grabbed her keys and led me up to look at the apartment. It was on the second floor and was very clean. It had recently been renovated. She proudly showed me the new refrigerator and range and explained that both bedrooms were air conditioned. There was a balcony on the back of the place with the hookup for a washing machine and a deep sink. The apartment was tine, only four rooms, two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a kitchen/dining/living room. Even as reduced as my possessions are I could not fit into that place. And the rent for this magnificent palace? $650 per month plus electricity.

After that I drove through Santa Rita again and on one of the side streets I noticed a "House For Sale" sign. "What the hell!" I thought and made the turn. I followed the single lane uphill past crumbling ruined houses and places that were surrounded by junk. Anther turn took me down hill and then I saw the place. Perched above the town and staring out at the sunset was a magnificent pink stucco mansion with huge windows and sculpted grounds. It was protected by a concrete wall and iron gates. When I got home I looked it up on the internet. They only want $600,000 for it or they will rent it out for $4000 per month. I wonder if electricity is extra?

So that was my day. I am tired now and will rest.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Jul 03 - 07:42 PM

So what is the story about the snakes? Any of them to be seen on Snake Road?

Thanks for the reports!

SRS

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 11 Jul 03 - 06:26 PM

It's Saturday morning here. I rose early and headed out on the bike to explore the abandoned runway. I had seen the end of it on one of my earlier forays and was gratified to see no signs restricting access. I headed up on to it and rode on the old pavement, skirting tufts of grass and potholes.

At one point I came upon a large mown field that was obviously a shooting range. The targets were out there at a preposterous distance but then I realized that suppository guns regularly shoot at preposterous ranges. Killing humans apparently isn't the same as hunting a deer with only one shot in the chamber.

Farther on I found the actual runway. It is still in decent shape. It dates from WWII so it is not a mile long desert of pavement. Rather is is only as long as it needed to be. The jungle comes right up to the broken edge of the pavement making it a wide lane with green walls. The only sound was the wheels on the pavement and the birds in the greenery.

It occurs to me that when I say "jungle" upi may be getting a different mental picture than what I am actually seeing. Perhaps a better word would be "brush:. This is not a rain forest with towering trees and vines. Rather what I've seen so far is heavy undergrowth with palms sticking up out of it. When you go up the Snake Road you drive through a stand of bamboo. Otherwise I have seen nothing that looks like a set from the old Tarzan TV show.

Ah well, the day is getting on and I want to explore the nothern part of the island. You on the east coast are preparing for bed on Firday night. When you wake there will be more here.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 10 Jul 03 - 10:32 PM

Charley, it's myxolydian of course!

Guest, I'm hoping modern autos last longer considering the amount of plastic in their bodies. However, that may just be a vain hope. I expect I'll be carrying salt water into the cab as well as plenty of sand.

What a morning! I finally got the truck registered. Everyone told me horror stories of the slow service at DMV. However I breezed in and out of there. I didn't get slowed down until I got to the pass and ID office at the main gate. I was in line for an hour only to be told they had no decals and that I would have to get a 90 day pass. And to get that I needed to join an even longer line. Fortunately they accepted that I already had a decal and ony needed to get that registered in their system. Now I can leave the base whenever I want.

The house hunt begins!

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Jul 03 - 08:23 PM

Your vehicle has taken the first step on the road to becoming a 'Guam Bomb'. Your mention of an 'inspection' made me chuckle. Given enough time, all cars on the island end up as Flintstonemobiles, with no working systems and floorboards rusted through so you have to apply the brakes like Fred Flintstone. But that's fine, as long as it gets you to the beach. Good luck.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 10 Jul 03 - 08:21 AM

With regard to:

"Birds were singing and I almost ran down a toad."

On Guam what mode do the birds and toads sing in respectively? We eagerly await enlightenment.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 10 Jul 03 - 05:11 AM

Wheel trouble already. When I picked up the pickup I found that the a/c wasn't working. I had some trouble with it before I left so I figured I would get it serviced and recharged and I would be golden.

Once I had it inspected I stopped in to see about an appointment for the work. The woman behind the counter said I would have to bring it back on July 23. But then the a/c mechanic said he could do it then and there. So I left the truck and went to work.

When I picked it up later that day the mechinc explained that the a/c relay wasn't working. Their parts computer was down and he couldn't get another relay but he gave me the part number so I could get one myself. He told me he had taken a relay from another system to get the a/c working.

My suspicions were aroused. I asked what systems were no longer working but he said that everything was fine. I didn't pursue it. I paid the bill and left.

On the way back to the room it started to rain. I turned on the wipers and then found out what wasn't working. He had taked the relay from the windshield wipers!

Let's think about this for a minute. It is the beginning of the rainy season. If a car needs anything its good wipers. And what did he disable so I could ride in cool comfort?

Ah, the adventure continues...

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Lana
Date: 08 Jul 03 - 06:27 AM

Yay for wheels!! :-D I thought your truck wasn't going to be there until August, I guess it made it a bit early. :-)
Enjoy your new improved freedom.
love
kelli

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 08 Jul 03 - 03:09 AM

What a banner day! I got mail! The first mail I've seen since arriving on the island. And it wasn't just bills. I got letters and pictures from my kids and Winterbright sent along something hilarious as well.

And then Christmas got even brighter. I GOT WHEELS!

This afternoon the Vehicle Processing Center notified me that my truck had arrived. So my mentor and I headed right over there, through a torrential downpour, to pick it up. I am so happy!

Of course, I have to get it inspected and registered before I can go anywhere but I hope to get that done tomorrow.

Huh, it's raining again...

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: SINSULL
Date: 07 Jul 03 - 09:14 PM

Positive buoyancy...I like the sound of that. Much nicer than what Jennie Craig and my doctor have to say.
Thanks, Brett.
Mary

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 07 Jul 03 - 05:41 PM

So, warmed up some this summer, has it Charlie? Well, you go jump in there and let me know if you make it out. As for me, I'll take this tropical water.

Last evening I realized a bit late that I needed some milk for my breakfast so I hopped on the bike and headed for the mini mart. The sun was just going down behind me and lit the mountains with a soft glowing pink light. The air had cooled down into the 70's and had a nice tropical feel to it. Birds were singing and I almost ran down a toad. My run back to the room was in near darkness. It was a sweet ride.

Back on June 30 Sed asked about the use of bicycles here and bicycle transports. The locals stay out of the heat as much as possible. And the roads are not set up to allow biking. There are no shoulders on the roads and the drivers don't leave much room for the cyclists. THe only plce that is good for biking is here on the base. Pickup trucks are common and it is not unusual to see several people, including kids, riding in the back.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 07 Jul 03 - 12:45 PM

SIXTY -TWO? Wow! that is WARM...!!!!! Cape Cod Bay almost NEVER gets up into the 60's.

tho granted - my days of swimming all day in 55 degree water are LONG gone....

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 07 Jul 03 - 12:41 PM

I stuck my toe in the surf at Reid State Park on the coast of Maine this weekend; it's warmed up to 62 degrees F.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Jul 03 - 09:33 AM

Ooooo--describe that water some more! Sounds wonderful. Thanks for telling us about these experiences. (That road you describe, with the 90 degree turn, sounds like one we used to travel going to a beach near my home on Puget Sound. Only if you missed the turn, you had sapplings and a railroad track before beach and water.)

I think we're all struggling with the "positive boyancy" issue these days. :)

SRS

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 07 Jul 03 - 09:23 AM

Great pieces, Brett, keep 'em coming!

RtS

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 06 Jul 03 - 07:35 PM

Yesterday, while most of you were asleep, I went snorkeling in the waters off Gab Gab Beach. I biked over, a relatively easy bike ride but long. The road to Gab Gab runs along the high ground and offers some beautiful views of Apra Harbor. Apra is a working harbor so you have big ships moving in and out and moored along docks.

When you get to Gab Gab you have to come down off the high ground and you do it all of a sudden on a winding road with a 90 degree turn at the bottom. If you fail to make that turn you are into the sand and then the water.

My first stop was all the way at the far end of the road where they have picnic pavilions and tables set up. I just sat and enjoyed the view and the breeze for a while. Then I put on my reef walking boots and waded into the water. The water was as clear as glass and warmer than the air! I got way out from shore and never got in deeper than my knees. The bottom was sandy but studded with groups of rocks. This was definitely not snorkeling territory. There was nothing of real interest.

I waded ashore and moved to the other end of the beach. There is a swimming hole set up there, built to look like a swimming pool with three sides. The fourth side is the open ocean. There were stairs leading down into the water. Entry was easy and the view was terrific. I swam out over a mostly sand bottom in about ten or twelve feet of water. There were fish all around. I saw a little pink parrot fish and a small fish with vertical black stripes and a green head. At one point I swam through a cloud of tiny fish.

But it wasn't all good. It has been decades since I spent any time in the water and I can't remember when I was last in salt water. I seem to have gained some, uh, er, "positive buoyancy" since then. I couldn't stay on the bottom without a lot of effort. And I couldn't get my ears to clear so I had some pain from the pressure. And my mask kept filling up with water leaking in around my moustache.

But I had a good time and will go back as often as I can. The struggle back to some form of fitness is a long and difficult road.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 05 Jul 03 - 07:04 PM

That should be all. I filed the change of address. They should quit delivering there.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 05 Jul 03 - 06:51 PM

Hey, Brett! We're shipping out another barrel of your mail.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 05 Jul 03 - 06:04 PM

Well, this weekend wasn't much to write about. It rained most of the day on the 4th but the weather cleared off enough for the fireworks display. The fired them off over Polaris Point and we watched them from across the bay. My friend Jon and his family took me down there to see them. It was the most elaborate display I've ever seen but that isn't saying much. I've never seen the fireworks displays in the big cities.

Yesterday I rode the bus to the GPO and walked down to the Lone Star Steak House where I had the first real sit down meal I've had since I left Maine. Then I bought a pair of Teva sandals, went to see a movie, and headed home.

This morning I woke to rain again. I guess they were serious when they said we were in the rainy season.

I haven't been able to get back to the Chamorro village. I want to pick up some bits and pieces to send home but without transportation that is getting to be a bit of a problem. I may rent a car next weekend.

Thanks for the holiday greetings. Laurel, I'll keep an eye out for that book. It would be interesting to see what he has to say. Alba, your weather sounds hotte than here, and I can get out of it with all the air conditioned buildings. Stilly, I too am amazed I went through with this. When you consider that adventures are long periods of boredom interspersed with moments of excitement and interest then this does qualify.

I hope to get to Gab Gab Beach today with a side trip to the base marina to check on boat rental.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Jul 03 - 12:13 AM

Brett,

It's hot and humid here in Texas also--so you're in good company. Have a good July 4th--it's one you'll remember, that's for sure! I'm really impressed that you went ahead and made this big move. What an adventure!

SRS

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Alba
Date: 03 Jul 03 - 08:21 PM

Happy 4th of July Brett. Hot and Humid forecast for Maine...90's tommorrow!
Whatever the Day brings...Have a great Holiday.
Thinking of you.
A

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: open mike
Date: 03 Jul 03 - 08:07 PM

If you see any members of the Funes family...say hi from Laurel in CA!
I am just now reading an interesting book--you might also find it of interest. It is The Isand of the Colorblind, and contains almost 100
pages about Guam. Author: Oliver Sachs, a psychologist/Psychiatrist
/neurologist who has written several other books: Awakenings
(from which the movie was made, Man who mistook his wife for a hat, Anthropologist from Mars, Seeing Voices, and others.
Is there a library there? If so they should have a copy!
If they don't--they should get one!
I have seen one of those crabs--
unfortunately it was made into a clock..
a very large clock!
I also saw a miracle cat who stumbled out of a carge
container which had just arrived in CA from Guam...
it had survived somehow inside with no food or water
for how ever long it took the boat to get the cargo
here...it was a long time...some weeks i think...
the original incredible journey!!
apparantly there is an unusual incidence of color
blindness on Guam, and also a syndrome called Lytico-bodig
which presents as a ALS (Lou Gehrig's type paralysis)
or another form shows up with tremors and dementia.
I have not gotten to the Guam chapter of the book yet,
but Dr. Sachs is a huge fan of Cycads, a primitive species
of tree, which are found in abundance on the island.
Thanks for keeping us posted on your experiences there.
Laurel

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 03 Jul 03 - 06:54 PM

Well, it's the Fourth Of July Holiday. For those of you on the east coast of the USA it is still Thursday evening but here in Guam I woke up to rain. However the squall has moved on and it is hot and humid out there. The weekend lies before me and I don't know right now exactly what I'm going to do.

More later. Have a great holiday, everyone.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: open mike
Date: 30 Jun 03 - 08:51 PM

i think that6 would be Jack Russell Terriers.
My daughter's boy friend is Chimorro and the
food his family eats has a lot of coconut milk
in it! one of the best things he makes is egg-
plant in coconut milk. yummy. and lots of fish!!
Good luck to your daughter's friend.
glad you can offer might time counselling services!
what is your work there? a two year committment i
take it? I can ask Nick about his relatives there.
i believe one uncle or cousin teaches scuba diving.
enjoy your stay! thanks for the travel diaries!
Laurel

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: SINSULL
Date: 30 Jun 03 - 08:47 PM

Have you done any work yet? You are over there on my tax dollar, right?
Mary, working on being a female curmudgeon.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 30 Jun 03 - 08:29 PM

Guest makes a good point about "news from home." When I was in Ethiopia in the Peace Corps in the 1960's, we'd hear about things happening back home: cities burning in race riots, Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy being assassinated. Word of mouth still reached us but we felt really out of touch, on another planet so to speak. Some times that was a good feeling. When it's a family crisis, it's not so good.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Jun 03 - 07:37 PM

Too bad about the hotels. Nice ones. Should have good deals on rooms and happy hours, then.

The dogs...snake hunters. Jack Russell Terriers, most likely. Bred as tree climbers to go after squirrels and such. I bet they ARE good with those snakes.

I need to pull up a map of Guam and refresh my memory. There were a couple of great little beaches down south...off the path. One wasn't much good for snorkeling, but the layout and sound...coral cliffs and a surf sound like inside a conch shell. One of the more amazing acoustic experiences I've ever run across.

Let's see...there was a 'shell club' down south that met once a week. Nice folks. Learn a lot about marine life there. Should still be going on and easy enough to find.

And I remember a local event...maybe connected with Discovery Day...where they had a big deal tree-climbing contest. That was a hoot. Contestants from all over Micronesia. Climb coconut trees on a slant of about 45%. Race to the top. Lots of rivalry between Guam and Palau, etc.

Oh, and coconut crabs. I never saw one, but I saw the holes at the bases of coconut trees. Some of the locals said they were as big as cars, but there are some small cars there. The crabs come out at night and crack coconuts in their claws. Or was I being set up for a snipe hunt? Never had the guts to go out at night and thrash around looking for crabs that could eat me, but I wish I had made the attempt...must be an amazing sight.

Coolest thing I did on Guam was hitch a ride on a sea turtle. Snorkeling in the bottom of a bomb crater when one approached overhead, and I hurried up and caught on to it...just barely, they swim fast. Then there were the dark blue starfish. Some friends and I got GREAT pictures with them...just holding them up and smiling with the mountains and sea in the background.

The bomb craters...shelves of white coral going out a couple hundred yards from land...coral a couple feet beneath the water. Then the big drop off to turquoise water...sharp division line. But on the white shelf, turquoise circles where the American shells fell as the US took the island back from the Japanese. We found an old Jap gun emplacement at the edge of the water...little cave area with the big metal gun-ring still in the floor. And ammo still in the coral as you snorkel. Rifle cartridges dropped by troops coming ashore.

The sense of isolation really catches up with you when you get bad news from home. That's why tours on Guam are short for military and non-military. Lots of teachers go there from the states for the experience, but once you touch down on Hawaii and then travel on west several more hours, you KNOW you're way out west. And all that water you flew over. Gives you a real sense of remoteness.

The computer should help now, though. Voice chat might be a good thing to look into. Best wishes.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: sed
Date: 30 Jun 03 - 07:21 PM

How many of the locals ride bicycles? Are modified bicycles used to haul cargo as well?

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 29 Jun 03 - 07:57 PM

The big hotels on hotel row have suffered quite a bit lately from typhoon and loss of tourism. Hotel row is a ghost town these days with stray couples wandering hand in hand but nothing like what I am used to seeing back home in the touristy areas. There are no crowds.

As a result Guam is suffering terribly. There is a lot of typhoon damage that isn't getting cleaned up and that contributes to a general atmosphere of decay. The local government is going through a series of forced cost cutting measure. People are hurting.

Thanks, Mark, for your words of encouragement. We have our hopes up and are rallying to the cause. She is one of the Wanderers, six of us who played D&D in a family game that ran on for at least 8 years, from when she and my daughter were only 11. She is my older daughter's best friend and an incredibly talented artist. At the games she used to pick up tiny scraps of paper, candy wrappers, etc., and fold them into tiny origami figures. Her character sheets are always covered in intricate doodles of characters and weapons. She's quite a kid and I expect this fight will add something to her art.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Leadfingers
Date: 29 Jun 03 - 01:55 PM

Good luck with the tour mate . I did fourteen years in the R.A.F.and
managed to get out to Singapore and Hong Kong So I can appreciate a lot of what you are experiencing.We had the same sort of clowns who never went off base too but it is well worth getting out and seeing how the locals live.Food and life style differs so much round the world.Keep the Saga going mate and have a good time.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Jun 03 - 01:24 PM

Maybe they used bogus octopus in your kaleguen. Got to use the real thing, you know. No Spam. We have an annual Spam-o-Rama locally, by the way. Like the Pillsbury bake-off...new recipes using Spam. Spam-berry pie, Spam-scicles...things like that.

The color thing in the mall...the colors ARE brighter there. It's either an atmospheric or optical-anatomical thing. I'd still be there if I were a painter. Gaugin saw the optical phenomenon. And the lay-out of the mall...you're in the Orient. Well, sort of. Like the last line in the movie, when Jack Nicholson is having trouble adding things up...'It's Chinatown'.

Check out some of the big Japanese hotels in Agana. They have penthouse bars overlooking the bay...sip a spam and soda and watch the sunset. Wander around the hotels...some of the Japanese tourists there have never seen an Occidental in their lives except when they got to the airport in Agana. It is REALLY strange to have an elevator door open and have someone gasp and bow at the same time. I think 'mushi-mushi' is Japanese for hello, and I used to bow back and say 'mushi-mushi, y'all'. Guam is like the ultimate multi-cultural theme park.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 29 Jun 03 - 02:51 AM

Oh, and Brett, it might make you feel a bit better to know that the cure rate for the common forms of childhood leukemia is pushing 80% these days.

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 29 Jun 03 - 02:47 AM

I am a contract specialist for the Navy. In other words I buy stuff with the tax money you pay into the Government. And before someone brings up the $400 toilet seat I would like to point out there is only one organization responsible for that and it is the one who passed the laws I have to conform to. If you want details on how the system works PM me and we'll start a (long) correspondence.

And yes, there are Spinner Dolphins here. I am working on figuring out when the boat trips go out from the base dive shop so I can start snorkeling. This weekend I was going to go down to Gab Gab Beach for my first snorkeling trip but it is closed. Last Wednesday someone drowned there and the safety officer has closed the beach till further notice.

Mary asked earlier how my knee is holding up. I'm sorry I seemed to ignore your question. It is doing better. I don't know if it is the healing, the exercise, the glucosamine, or a miracle but it is better. It still bothers me bit not as much as earlier this month.

I just got back from a trip to the Navy Exchange. That may not sound like much but it was on the bicycle and is the longest trip I have tried to date. I went to the furniture store, the Exchange, the Commissary, and the Dive Shop. I took my backpack and came back with it full to bursting and my legs aching. I was sure I was going to be sunburned but I seem to have escaped that so far. I am getting browner though.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: CarolC
Date: 28 Jun 03 - 11:40 PM

Great thread, Brett. Thanks for posting it. So sorry to hear about your daughter's friend.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Ebbie
Date: 28 Jun 03 - 09:57 PM

And Alaska is #2 in the consumption of Spam. For the same reason, plus being canned, it didn't spoil enroute.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Nancy King
Date: 28 Jun 03 - 09:57 PM

Wow! I'm learning a lot! Thanks for the travelogue, Brett! It's true I haven't given a whole lot of thought to the nature of things on Guam before, but I'd always pictured it (in black and white...) as bare and rocky and full of Japs and GIs. All those movies, y'know. Thanks for setting me straight!

Hope all goes well for you --

Nancy

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 28 Jun 03 - 08:45 PM

Brett, what exactly is it you're doing there? I know you told us on a previous thread but I've forgotten. (Or is it one of those jobs you're not allowed to talk about?)

By the way, Guest, Hawaii has the highest per capita consumption of Spam of any of the 50 states. (A local favorite is the Spam musubi.) For the same reason....tons of the stuff shipped over during WWII.

Snorkeling in the rain is fun...the only bad part is that there's often no sun, so you can't see as much. I went swimming with spinner dolphins last weekend on the leeward coast of Oahu--can you find those in Guam?

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 28 Jun 03 - 05:18 PM

Last night I got some bad news from home. My daughter's best friend, the kid I always considered daughter number 3, has been diagnosed with leukemia. She has begun a 6 month battle back to health. I was up half the night crying.

I thought there wasn't much I could do from the other side of the world but this morning I sent her an email reminding her that I am awake while everyone on her side of the world is asleep. If she wakes in the night and needs to talk to someone I am here. That makes me feel better at least. I hope she takes me up on it.

The guitar I brought with me is doing fine but it hasn't been out of the air conditioned room for any length of time yet. The real question will be after a typhoon during that stretch when I have no power and no a/c. My other instruments are in a wooden crate on the slow boat to Guam.

I got out to see a movie yesterday. During the orientation on Thursday we were briefed on a bus system run my the Navy. Not only does it get people around on the base but it runs up to other bases and goes to several areas in town. I went up to the Guam Premium Outlet (the GPO as it's known locally) to see The Hulk. I had dinner in the food court where I finaly ate kim chee and then I wandered up through the mall. There were jewelry shops and clothing shops and all the usual mall treats but it looked somehow different. It took a while to figure it out but it doesn't have the same stamp to it that malls on the mainland have. I have been in malls from California to Maine and they all seem cut from the same set of cookie cutters. This one is very different in style and the stores that make it up. It seems to shine more than the others I've been in, as though sparkling reflected light was important. And the stores were not the usual mall fare. Here the stores had more brilliant colors and were brighter than I am used to seeing.

Guest, there is a book of Guamanian recipes available in the local bookstores. Maybe I should get one of those. I like your idea for using Chomorro food for pot luck dinners in the future but it won't be kelaguen. [Grin]

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: SINSULL
Date: 28 Jun 03 - 12:09 PM

How is your Knee, Brett? You mentioned re-injuring it. Wonder if the natives would like to try some Maine treats...maple sugar candy, blueberry anything, lobster, Shepherd's Pie.

How are your instruments handling the humidity? How are you handling the humidity?