Peyt's Island: Exploring

Monday, July 9, 2012

Sharing Paradise

Last week we were blessed with one final visitor to share this island adventure with. After much prodding over Christmas break, we convinced our friend Annie to come out from Houston. Annie went to high school with both of us and, after running a zillion marathons and biking between major US cities, is one of the most active Muggles we know. We had a hunch that she would love Guam as much as we do, and we didn't want the opportunity to pass without getting to show her our slice of paradise. What do you know, she actually took us up on the idea and flew out over 4th of July week. We had an absolute blast showing her around! Here's the Annie on Guam photo shoot that ensued throughout the week:

Peeking in the bunkers at the WWII landing site in Agat

Defending herself against mad cow disease

Enjoying the gorgeous views

Not afraid to get her hands dirty, Annie experienced what I mean when I say that we earn our showers around here!

She discovered the underwater world we so love

Got to hike to Spanish Steps (which has been closed during several of our last visitors' trips!)

I loved Annie's observation about the beaches... that what makes them so amazing (in addition to how beautiful they are), is that we are the only ones there!! The above picture was taken at picturesque Tarague Beach.

Finally Nick was able to join us for the Fourth of July festivities... we snorkeled the massive coral heads behind the Apra Harbor breakwater.

And we kayaked out to Anae Island, one of my favorite spots only accessible by boat.

Everyone make fun of Annie's Grandpa socks! (oh, and I called Stacey and Clinton to see if you could be on the next episode...)

Checking out the sights around Anae Island (or "Annie Island" as I called it for the day!)

A memorable July 4th for so many reasons!

....The main one being that we sank our kayak! Check out that lovely hole! Our hunch is we must have scraped a weak spot on the bottom with some of the sharp coral in the shallow area around the island. Nick swam the sunken kayak back to the island and Tim & Annie towed me back so we could figure out Plan B. With only one kayak (now) and four people, the guys insisted Annie and I take the kayak while they swam the mile back to the mainland. Luckily the guys in our crew are very good swimmers!

The next day we opted for some less action-packed adventures. I took Annie to our church so she could see the gorgeous mural my sister painted. Having seen pictures on the blog, she said it was even more impressive to see in person :)

We went shopping, went to lunch, and then went cave exploring in Pagat Caves.

Friday made for an absolutely perfect beach day at Gun Beach.

Followed by the tough girls hike to the top of Mt. LamLam, arguably the world's highest mountain.

Big smiles at the top

And gorgeous sunset views

A few last activities... we played tennis, hit golf balls, and took Annie to see the plane wreck near the old runway behind our house.

And in the early hours of Annie's last day, we went paddle boarding at Gab Gab. We saw lots of turtles and two black tip reef sharks, in addition to a beautiful sunrise before taking our friend to the airport to start her long journey home.

Of course I LOVED showing the best and most beautiful parts of Guam to our friend and sharing this awesome experience with her. But even more than that, my favorite part of her visit was getting to catch up... to really catch up. Amid our beach sitting and muddy hiking (and kayak sinking!), we found ourselves deep in conversations about real things that matter to us... about friends and family, joy and sadness, heartache and triumph. We have both been through a host of new life experiences these past two years, experiences that our quick dinners and coffee dates on my stopovers in Houston haven't completely covered. But with a whole week to ourselves and few distractions of everyday life, we had the beautiful gift of each others' time and presence to make up for years apart. Guam simply provided the gorgeous scenery for my friend and I to get properly caught up.

Once again our house has that eerie and familiar quiet that has each time accompanied the day after taking special visitors to the airport. The stack of beach towels have been washed and put away. The guest room is ready again for whoever (if anyone) comes next. Annie's visit is over, and yet our shared experience here will be tucked in the folds of our memories for years to come.

Thanks for coming out, Annie! As much as I'm going to miss it here, spending time with a good friend from back home is making me excited about heading that way here shortly. See you in ten weeks (gasp!).

PS... Good luck with the jet lag!

Saturday, June 30, 2012

A Trip to Saipan Island

I find it hard to believe, but of all the 200+ posts I have done on Peyt's Island in the almost two years since I started it, the most popular post is the one I wrote about our trip to Saipan in October 2010. On a weekly basis, the stats indicate that most people make it to Peyt's Island by Googling "Saipan," "Saipan island," "Saipan pictures," or something like that. So it dawned on me that there must be enough people out there looking for info that perhaps a more informative write-up is in order.

For anyone reading this from Guam who has heard that Saipan is "just like Guam," I highly suggest you go and find out for yourself. While, sure, there are many similarities since these islands are a mere 100 miles apart, I promise you there are enough differences where you will feel like you escaped.

Getting to Saipan is an easy nonstop flight from Guam, Tokyo, Seoul, and major cities in China. In fact, from Guam it is only a 35-minute flight, which feels like a blink compared to the 8 and 14-hour hauls heading stateside! And in fact, you can even fly in and out at normal times, no 4a.m. alarm needed. (Some of the parents remarked that it was weird being at Guam's airport while the sun was up and even felt like we were doing something wrong... so true!).

If you can, sit on the left side of the plane (coming from Guam) so you can see the island of Tinian on your way to Saipan. This is where the atomic bombs took off in the Enola Gay to bomb Hiroshima in WWII. On our way in I also captured the island's lovely golf course, sprinkled with beautiful red flame trees like the rest of the island is this time of year (June).

From the airport, pick up a rental car. USAA members will want to go through their website to get the member discount at Hertz. At $40/day, I found it was the least expensive rate on island. The rental office is on-site and a quick five minutes of paperwork will have you on your way.

Our rental car parade... already you can see how much tidier the roads and jungles are than Guam (less trash and not so overgrown... and surprisingly great roads!).

View from Aquarius Tower

Both times I have gone to Saipan, I have stayed in the Aquarius Towers. This simple but fantastic property is only 10 minutes from the airport, is extremely reasonably priced (call for military rates!), has a beautiful beach with views of Tinian on site, and a wonderfully helpful staff. They have a courtesy shuttle to and from the airport in case you choose not to rent a car. Best of all, this place has two bedroom/two bathroom and three-bedroom/two bathroom condos, so it's perfect for hosting a larger group or for a family with kids. It has a large living room area and a kitchen (bigger than the one in our house!) stocked with basic supplies. We chose to stay here so our group could save money on meals by eating in (there is a grocery store right next door). The ocean behind it has soft white sand, shady trees, and vacation blue/green water!

Once you are settled there are a number of places to start. In order to tour the island properly, I recommend you start by visiting the American Memorial Park Visitors Center in Garapan. It's really easy to find (check out your map from the rental car company), and they will show you a 20-minute video (upon request) for more background on the war. Take a few minutes to walk through the exhibit for more photos and information. The Visitors Center is open M-Sat., 10-6, and Sunday until 5p.

Once you have a better idea of all that crazy history, head north up the coast. Stop and check out the Last Command Post, off the main road on the right. There are bunkers and tanks to explore and photograph.

Drive up the hill and head to the east side of the island for a gorgeous view of Bird Rock, one of Saipan's signature viewpoints.

Continue up the steep hill until you reach the top of the Suicide Cliffs. This was yet another view that looked different to me. Guam's jungles are scattered with clumps of palm tree forests, but Saipan has a completely different look to it. The significance of this place in history combined with the serenity of the nature surrounding it make it a very memorable stop in the Pacific.

Amazing how much of the small island has no trace of human impact.

We lucked out going while the flame trees were in bloom.

All of us Guammies were captivated by the sweet songs of the birds who once inhabited Guam but are now extinct thanks to the brown tree snake. It was so sweet waking up to the sound of birds chirping in the morning!

The next stop is down the cliff (uhh, via the road) and a quick right turn to the Bonzaii Cliffs. This is a great place to watch the sunset and listen to the waves crashing onto the cliffs.

Saipan has some fantastic sunsets

This one is from Memorial Park in Garapan.

Breathtaking! Is this vacation or what?

As far as activities go, there's the awesome Wave Jungle Waterpark at World Saipan Resort. They have an unpublished local rate that includes people from Guam! Just bring some sort of local ID. It knocks the entrance down from $80 (adult) to $30... and add only $10 to include a fabulous all-you-can-eat lunch at Buffet World!

There's fun shopping too... hit up the "I Love Saipan" souvenir shop on the main road in Garapan. Go next door for fancier shopping and to take your picture with the giant Saipanda. My favorite find was hot pepper sauce made from peppers that grow on Tinian.

Snorkel out to the tank at Tank Beach, just up the coast from the Aquarius Tower

Go diving in the Grotto, Saipan's most famous dive site, a fascinating cave that opens into the ocean.

Giant fans in the Grotto

Check out some beautiful untouched beaches

There are lots of great places to dive and snorkel. I found the diving here to be crisper, with better visibility and way more sea life (bigger and more plentiful!) than Guam. We went with Harry Blalock at Axe Murderer Dive Tours and were not disappointed. He picked us up, provided all our gear and tanks, and toured us through the Grotto and other spectacular dive sites. (He also took these fabulous underwater photos with his fancy underwater camera!).

All this and there are also some fantastic places to eat on this island! Check out Godfather's for fresh seafood and a great local music scene. There's a Thursday night market in Garapan that's worth the stop for fresh produce (try the mini bananas!) and locally made souvenirs. And the rest, you will have to discover for yourself. I certainly encourage anyone who needs a break from everyday life to head there for a three-day weekend. It's worth the trip and definitely feels like an island getaway adventure... even if you happen to be island hopping.