Guam

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Guam my Isle of Golden Dreams, dreams of you and me, Here we are on Guam, without a hope of snow Guam Paradise! Welcome to my island. These are some of Ol’Islander’s collection of “Glimpses of Guam!” Agana, the capitol, renamed to the native name - Hagatna, is in the foreground and is located on the western shores facing the Philippine Sea. Fort Apugan (also known as Ft Santa Agueda), above Hagatna, a Spaniard’s view today is far different from when the fort was built. Agana Bay (I don’t know if it has been renamed Hagatna Bay) lies out before you with Pacific Terrace (also known as the Oca area), Alupat Island and Tamuning across the bay. Tamuning from Ft. Apugan, with Alupat Island on the left. Pacific Terrace from Ft. Apugan. Along Agana Bay, east of Hagatna is a park for enjoying the view of the bay. To the southwest of Hagatna, the next village is Asan and along the reef lies a coral cropping called Camel Rock, it looks like a two humped camel when viewed from the Hagatna side. Beyond Asan is the village of Piti where Cabras Island is connected to Guam and where the main electrical power generating plant and the commercial port are located. Stretching out from Cabras Island is Glass Breakers, built to protect Apra Harbor from the northern exposure. At the very tip of Apra Harbor is Orote Point. Wreckage of a World War II USN plane can be found nearby on the peninsula. A few years ago, a driving tour of pre-war and WWII sites was available on the Orote peninsula and Apra Harbor.; On Naval Station is displayed a WWII Japanese submarine. Gap Gap Beach sits just off the main shipping channel to Apra Harbor. From Gap Gap Beach view you can watch the tour submarine take folks below the surface of the main channel. Going up the eastern side of the island, it is less populated with fewer tourist attractions but has some of the most beautiful cliffs and bays of the island. Across the northern tip of the island is Andersen AFB, neat Pati Point, with its gleaming Tarague Beach. Tarague Beach, viewed from the eastern end with the northern most point - Ritidian Point, in the far distance. Tarague Beach area lies on the white sandy area near the next closest point. The sand is purest white. The reef is within walking distance but very treacherous and jagged with coral all along the beach and reef areas. The area between the two points is privately owned with similar beaches to Tarague. Tarague Beach, eastern end towards Pati Point. Haputo Bay - limited access from the naval communications station, is located at the end of over 700 steps down the side of a cliff. The coconut grove and beach area is pristine and is a protected area. Whatever you take down the steps must be brought back up the steps. At the southern end of Haputo Bay is a “mushroom” carved coral head caused by years of pounding of the surf. It is one of the most perfectly shaped mushroom coral head. On the western shores lies Tumon Bay. This is Waikiki Beach - Guam style. Most of the commercial hotels are located on the beach or within walking distance to the beach. Hotel row on Tumon Bay is ever growing. In the early years, the beach was pristine with coconut groves and quiet sandy areas. Today, it is the center of the tourist business. On the northern end of Tumon Bay is Two Lovers Point. An island legend has it that a native girl and her native boyfriend tied their hairs together and jumped to their death from the point, after she was courted by a Spanish officer. She rejected the Spanish officer. Her father, wanting to appease the Spaniard, told her she could not see the native boy and had to marry the Spaniard. Beyond Two Lover’s Point lies a beach near a power plant, Haputo Bay and then Ritidian Point in the distance. The only significant mountain on the northern end of Guam is Mt. Santa Rosa where the USAF has a radar station. Nestled below the mountain is a family owned pineapple plantation. In the middle of Guam there exists a string of mountains. The view from one which has the island television transmission towers is panoramic and includes both east and west shores of Guam. Looking east you see the Japanese Resort and the village of Yona just beyond it and the Pacific Ocean. This area is on a plateau above the shoreline of the Pacific Ocean. The western view is of the Philippine Sea, Agana Bay, Tumon Bay, Two Lover’s Point and Ritidian Point to the north. A Latte Park, located on the north end of Tumon Bay, near the Nikko Hotel - the northern most hotel, is dedicated to ancient Chamorros of Guam. These coral pillars and dish heads were the pillars of ancient Chamorro homes. On Rota, an island north of Guam, they have found ancient digging sites where the pillars and dish heads were carved out of coral ledges. No sites have been found on Guam but with the similarity of the design, one can conclude that sites will eventually be found on Guam, if they don’t first dig out all the coral for use in island construction. A country estate. It was once said that the wealth of an island family is directly proportional to the number of vehicles, wheeled or on blocks, are around ones house. Critters of the island - here a mature hermit crab is temporarily living in an abandoned African snail’s shell. Recycle goes on in the animal kingdom. The hermit crab will shed this shell for a larger one as it gets older. This hermit crab looks similar to a baby robber crab, better known on Guam as the coconut crab. The original island web master. Many of these spiders exist in the jungles of Guam. They are quite colorful but can mess up your day if you accidentally get hung up in the web. I have not known of anyone being bitten by this spider but it can get your attention. The water buffalo was once domesticated and used for transportation and as a farm implement. With modern equipment replacing it, the wild buffalo herd now wanders the USN ammunition area near Santa Rita Village. At the end of the day, Guam is beautiful. The sunsets can be spectacular! Truly, Guam is a Paradise. The afternoon sun is lowering itself over Apra Harbor. This view is from the same mountain with the television transmission antenna.