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Guam, Island Paradise
By Sheila O'Connor
Lush tropical forests, mile upon mile of white sandy beaches, a plethora of dancing butterflies and a coral reef that's abundant in marine life. This is Guam, gateway to Micronesia. And THIS is simply perfection.
The largest of the Mariana islands in Micronesia (and about three times the size of Washington, D.C), this gentle destination is a tropical playground you should not miss.
History
The first real inhabitants were in fact the Chamorros, and they occupied this island almost 6,000 years ago. The island was later discovered in 1521 by Portuguese navigator, Ferdinand Magellan. Guam then became an important resting spot on the Spanish trade route between Mexico and the Philippines. The island was eventually ceded by Spain to the United States in 1898. The U.S. purchased Guam and the Philippines for $20m in the Treaty of Paris.
These days, the presence and culture of the Chamorros is still very much alive on the island. You can see evidence of it not only in the local's dance but in their unique cuisine, fishing methods, songs and clothes. The festival stalls show you some of their artwork, which can range from leaf baskets, mats, bags, and hats to loom-woven materials like banana fiber skirts and belts. Look for the body ornaments like necklaces, earrings, belts and combs made from spondylus shell, all perfect souvenirs. The fact that the language is kept alive is a testament to how important the language and its people are to this island.
You can also see a lot of their way of life at the Gef Pa'go village, a replica of a Chamorro village made from natural materials. Watch as the villagers boil salt out of the sea water, husk and grate coconut from the shell, weave rope from plants and make everyday essentials like rice baskets. Then cross the street to see Inaraj, one of the few Guamanian villages to survive World War II (look for the bullet holes in the buildings). The village is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Go and experience the ancient art of house-building at Latte Stone Park. Here you'll see how stonework was used to mount houses on, while the open underneath kept the buildings airy and cool.
Military History
Guam was invaded by the Japanese just hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on December 8, 1941.
While the world was focused on Hawaii, the Japanese 18th Naval Air United based on Saipan bombed the island of Guam for two days, sending the locals fleeing.
On December 10, around 5,000 Japanese soldiers marched on the government headquarters at the Plaza de Espana. For the next 31 months, the Japanese occupied the island.
It wasn't until July 21, 1944 that the Americans came to liberate the island, arriving at Asan and Agat. For the next 21 days battle raged until the island was recaptured from Japanese military occupation. But the island became the world's largest supply base in World War II.
While the island's military installations remain strategically important to the United States, you probably won't see any military around. These days, the only ones who invade the island are the tourists.
On land, check out the southern part of the island which is lush and mountainous, and which boasts Mt. Lamlam, the tallest mountain in the world (much of it is underwater). The whole mountain is approximately 37,533 feet from base to top.
The terrain is volcanic in origin. Beautiful scenery along with vibrant bougainvillea is what you will find in this tropical paradise.
Diving
But underwater the view is just as good. In fact, the island is surrounded by a beautiful coral reef, bursting with colorful marine life.
Guam well known for its superb diving and shipwrecks. The SMS Cormoran from WWI and the Tokai Maru from WWII lie side by side creating the only place in the world where divers can touch shipwrecks from two world wars at the same time.
Not surprisingly, with all that going on, the coral reef and its inhabitants have been protected from pollution and over-fishing. The water is crystal clear and has 200ft of visibility so you can see into the coral gardens teeming with fish life.
Aquarium
For those who want to stay dry while admiring the sea life, a visit to the aquarium at Underwater World is highly recommended. Walk through a winding plexi-glass tunnel and be in awe of the huge sharks, rays, coral and countless sea-life on view. Time it right and you can see divers in the water doing all sorts of antics.
(Tel:1-671-649-9191)
Situation Today
These days, diving, military bases and tourism are the island's economic mainstays. This island, a mere 30 miles long and four to ten miles wide, is the westernmost territory of the United States. The people became citizens of the United States in 1950. You can learn a lot about the islands' heritage at the T. Stell Newman Visitor Center, and watch an audio-visual presentation that will bring Guam's past alive for you.
Gadao's Cave
Gadao's Cave has pictographs made by ancient Chamorros who lived in caves. It's a bit of a scramble along the rocky edge but visitors can do it easily.
Dolphin Watching
One great day trip is to go snorkeling and dolphin watching. You'll see beautiful marine life only inches from your hand and you'll find yourself trying to reach out and touch them. Scuba Roo runs trips that allow you to dive or snorkel, and getting a ride on their banana boat as it is pulled along behind the main vessel before the snorkeling part of the trip begins, is fun for all ages. (www.gtds.com)
Sunset Cruise
You can even enjoy a traditional Guamanian meal and beautiful sunset on a Sea Turtle Sunset Dinner Cruise. Check it out. www.adventureguam.com/english/option/sunset/sunset.html
Experience the island of Guam for yourself. It's a treasure you won't wan to miss.
www.visitguam.org
The Virgin Islands - America's Paradise
By Sheila O'Connor
You can almost hear the music from "Jaws" playing. Dum, dum...dum, dum ...dum dum DUM... The skate is craftily surveying the surroundings in the huge tank--looking, seeking and finally…spotting a sardine suspended upside down in the water. It makes a beeline for it and whoosh - it springs right out of the water and grabs the fish urgently with its open mouth! Water splashes everywhere and shrieks reverberate around the area as a child almost falls backward. Everyone stops what they're doing and looks up. Its shrieks of delight. A little boy smiles, quite enchanted that he's finally fed a live skate.
This is Coral World on St. Thomas, in the U.S. Virgin Islands. And squeals of delight are an everyday occurrence. Kids of all ages find something to fascinate them, whether it's feeding or searching out the marine life for themselves in an underwater encounter. You can do the latter with power snorkeling, sea trekking or even trying out snuba.
Coral World is a multifaceted recreational environment with aquarium, marine zoo and sea trekking. It's one of the main attractions for cruise ships.
Check out the 80,000-gallon tank that's also one of the largest natural reefs in the world. Coral that lives here needs natural light so the reef is open to the sky. Seahorses can be seen, with plenty of other kinds of marine life.
Don't be surprised to see sharks on view. Many of the ones here have been rescued and will be released back into the wild. Turtles can also be seen here. The hatchlings are kept for up to 45 days and then released in a special location to give them the best chance of survival.
These islands are "America's Paradise." St. Croix, St. Thomas and St. John.
St. Croix
You can see the St. George Botanical Gard-ens and the Whim Plant-ation Museum.
St. George Village Botanical Garden.
From 100 to 900 AD this property was an Arawak Indian Village. With sugar production, the land became a sugar plantation in 1733. At the dawn of the 20th century, the property was a cattle range until 1972 when it became known as the St. George Village Botanical Garden. The gardens featured a herbarium - the only one in the Eastern Caribbean. These days, the whole island of St. Croix is a cultural heritage site. The plants from the garden are used for dye and tanning, for weaving, for making thatch and for producing medicine
Whim Plantation Museum
Watch history come alive when sugar was "king", as you walk around the original early 18th century plantation buildings on the 12 acres of Whim Museum. The furniture you see in the building goes back to the 17- and 1800s. The walls are 30 inches thick. See the 1635 Wainscot English chair that has been beautifully preserved. The pieces in the dining room are all from the 1800s except the chandelier, which goes back to 1700.
The house had outside shutters in case of hurricanes and the moat was used to cool the house, rather than to hold water.
Whim is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the UNESCO's Slave Route Sites of Remembrance.
St. Thomas
From St. Croix, take the half hour float plane trip to the vibrant island of St. Thomas. This busy island is a real Mecca for shopping fans. Rum, of course, is the main export here and you won't have to pay tax when you take it out of the country.
St. Peter Great House Botanical Garden
This botanical garden offers over 500 varieties of plant as well as a magnificent view of both Peterborg and Magens Bay. Check out the observation deck that delivers breathtaking views.
St. John
This is the place to go if you just want to get away from it all and spend time in solitude and pristine beauty. Many people say that St. John is the REAL gem of the USVI. Just a 20-minute ferry ride from St. Thomas, St. Johns is a 20-mile island of which two-thirds is a national park. There are also around 40 secluded, white-sand beaches, and plenty of trails and petroglyphs for hikers to explore.
Don't miss out on the US Virgin Islands - those three (officially four with the recent addition of Water Island) beautiful islands make for one terrific destination. You just might find yourself echoing the words of that little boy after his skate experience, "Awesome! Just awesome!"