Today started out as a cloudy, overcast day as we approached Guam. Sunrise was at 6:34a (I have it down to the minute because they print it in the Princess Patter each day), but there wasn’t much to photograph either before or after sunset. However, as we got closer to Guam, I got this pic with the tug coming out to escort us into the harbor:
I am guessing that it will likely clear up later today, although Weather.com does say that it will be overcast and a 50% chance of rain. Glad we have a rental car. As we enter the port, we get an escort from the U.S. Coast Guard boat, complete with a machine gun on the bow. I took this pic of it with an old, rusting Navy ship in the background as a reminder that this is a U.S. Territory:
We are off shortly, more pics to follow.
We just got back from our day ashore in Guam. We were pleasantly surprised by what we saw. Guam was more exotic and beautiful than we expected. We picked up a rental car and started driving around the island.
There was a lot of WWII history on the island, given the role in WWII (Japanese invaded the day after Pearl Harbor, US troops took it back in 1944). I think this statue was based on liberation from the Japanese. I usually have people stand like the statue, BTW.
View from the Latte Freedom Monument near the governor’s palace looking south.
View from the Latte Freedom Monument near the governor’s palace looking south.
Latte Freedom Monument. Not sure if the Japanese tourists understood that it represented freedom from the Japanese.
Looking down on a latte stone near the governor’s palace.
Latte stone and Latte Freedom Monument.
There is a small scale version of the Statue of Liberty in Hagatna that was built by the Boy Scouts. You can see some parasailers in the background.
Krissie and Lorraine doing their best Statue of Liberty pose.
Latte stone park. These latte stones were used in the Chamorro society for the center of building structures.
Cool tree growing nearby.
Pope John Paul II is the only pope to have visited Guam.
Chocolate House from the former Spanish ruling days.
I love this photo of Lorraine because it also has Chuck looking down the barrel of the cannon.
Krissie and I split a coconut.
Krissie with the local coconut man.
One of the beaches where the American Marines landed at Asan Beach.
Plaque commemorating the landing at Asan Beach.
Curious site at Gaan Point in Agat where Marines landed. There is an American flag, a Guamanian flag, but also a Japanese flag?
One of the caves at Gaan Point.
This view shows Agat Bay and the Apra Harbor Naval Station, which was the point that was the objective of the landing in Guam.
View overlooking Selia Bay.
Cetti Bay overlook.
Magellan monument—Magellan landed here in the early 1500s on his voyage around the world.
Local cardboard ship, Chuck and I are doing our best navigator pose, either saying “Head this way” or possibly “Land ho!”
Not sure what this bridge is, but it looked like it was built out of legos.
Bear Rock.
Krissie giving Bear Rock a kiss.
Inarajan Natural Pool. Notice the diving board on the left.
Looking back on Inarajan Bay.
We ate lunch at Jeff’s Pirates Cove in Talofofo, on Ipan Beach.
This was a sign out in front of Jeff’s.
This is Jeff, owner of the establishment and sometimes pirate.
Our view at lunch. We had great mahi mahi sandwiches and the best burgers in Guam. Note that almost all of the other tourists (about 80%) that we see during the day are from Japan.
Love this sign in Jeff’s bathroom. Plus they had just dumped ice in the pee pee here trough. Don’t eat the yellow ice.
Apparently they sell 10 different types of Spam in Guam, where they eat more spam than any other food.
The world’s largest Kmart is in Guam. We stopped here toward the end of the day to resupply and stock up on essentials.
Krissie and Lorraine went to shop at Ross Dress for Less…
…while I went and got a haircut at Hair Town.
I have no idea why it was there or what it represents, but it made a good photo op.
Once back onboard the ship, we had a great dinner with a full moon outside shining in during dinner.
The evening entertainment was comedian Tim Walkoe:
He’s from Chicago and performs in Vegas and Atlantic City. Very funny guy, had his routine down with lots of short quips that kept it moving along. He will be performing again on Monday.
Overall, a great day in Guam. We now have three sea days on our way to Tokyo, although Saturday will be scenic cruising by Iwo Jima, so we will be getting close enough to Iwo Jima to see some of the areas where the Marines landed in WWII.
I hope your ship doesn't get too close to Iwo Jima though...
ReplyDeleteJulie
Well now I know. There's tons of SPAM in GUAM! How unhealthy is that... I like the 'Stranded on Guam' photo... (with the spam-shaped head hole)! Ha.
ReplyDeleteLoved Krissie kissing bear rock. That turned out very well! The tree you called "unique" looks like a dead tree with vines growing on it that killed it. But, maybe the tree is dormant in the winter and no leaves yet. There were several same type of trees in other photos, so I was just wondering ...
ReplyDeleteAnd, I have never figured out how to get a moon picture, guess my camera can not take it. When I set my camera on some night time mode, it takes a VERY long shutter speed, which makes for other neat pictures, but unless you have a tripod, not good.
Patti