Thursday hiking group

Sorry it has been a while since it's last post! I haven't done anything too adventurous lately! I did do a day of hiking/exploration last Thursday.

There's a weekly hiking group that leaves from base and tries out a different trail every Thursday, so last Thursday I decided to tag along. A few friends of mine do it regularly and recommended it, and it seemed like a great way to explore new areas without getting lost. It was a bit rainy that day, so I was a bit nervous about how that would affect the hike, but it didn't get cancelled so we left and hoped for the best.

The drove out to the trail we were supposed to hike down, and there was a sign up that said "No Trespassing." Our hiking guide informed us that this was a new sign, so we better turn around. So it was off to our back-up trail! Taguan Point was an easy hike that purportedly offered great views, so we drove a few minutes, pulled off a side road and found a parking spot. One of the sad things about Guam is that most of their public areas and hiking trails are not well taken care of. It seems like the local residents do not appreciate the value of hiking and recreation, and thus use these areas as their personal trash pits. It is not uncommon for someone giving driving directions to tell you to turn left or park next to the big pile of trash. In this case we pulled into a spot off the side of the road marked by a medium sized pile of trash, and took off on the trail.

Apparently the area used to be a public park and was now overgrown and dilapidated. Some relics of better days still remained, which we noticed as we walked through a small overgrown parking lot and started down the many flights of stairs that thankfully still had usable handrails. It was about a 20 minute walk down stairs and rock paths in the woods before we reached a clearing. The jungle opened up into a really unique rocky cliffside overlooking the ocean. The cliffside seemed like it might have been old coral reef that gradually got exposed to the elements as the coastline receded. It was sharp and jagged, but we were able to walk along it and make our way to where it graduated downwards toward the ocean. That is where we stood to take in the gourgeous view of the coastline, and take some pictures to document our conquest.

After that came the weekend, which we spent relaxing, having a few friends over for dinner and board games Saturday night, and running errands on Sunday. Sunday we drove an hour up to Andersen Air Force base because we wanted to check out what we heard were supposed to be 15 foot waves on the North Side of the island. It was a little calmer than that, but still unusually active seas for Guam, so it was nice to sit by Tarague beach and watch the waves for a while. 

This weekend should be a fun one as well, so I'll be sure to post on any adventures that may occur next week...

Beach Days

Didn't do much adventuring this week... although I did have a few very busy days! Volunteering, yoga, workouts, social events, etc.... and then the weekend!

Friday I got together with a group of ladies and went to a house off base where a friend of mine from Bunco, Glenda, lives. It's Southeast of here, and the view in that area is just gorgeous. Her house was on top of a hill where you could look past green hills to the remarkable view of the ocean. We hung out by the pool for a few hours enjoying drinks and appetizers before heading back to base before the kids got out of school.

Pool at Glenda's

View from the pool!

Later that evening I got ready to go out to dinner to celebrate my friend Bernie's birthday. As I put on my sundress and looked in the mirror I realized that I had pulled my now-trademark move of unevenly applying sunscreen! I had random splotches of sunburn across my shoulders, arms and chest. It was glaringly obvious and elicited more than a few comments over the next two days. It was quite funny, and looking at myself I couldn't help being reminded of the road trip Azure and I took years ago to Myrtle beach. We rode in her convertible with the top down for the majority of the 16 hour trip. I didn't apply sunscreen on my chest and was stuck with a burn in the shape of a V-neck T shirt. LOVELY! Azure, of course found it hilarious, and will be pleased to know I've continued in the mode of tanning that brought her so much joy over the years when occasionally recalling that experience. And no, I don't have any pictures... sorry! 

So anyway, that night we went to the Hyatt buffet, which was a seafood buffet, but there was a delicious selection of bread and cheese that is rare to find on Guam, so I was happy filling up on that and vegetables. And then the desserts! An incredibly varied array of dessert selections awaited our perusal. I ate a delicious mini creme brulle, a piece of creamy blueberry cheescake, and a tiny brownie bite topped with real whipped cream. And I barely made a dent in the buffet.

As we were eating dessert we heard some music in the background that got louder and louder until the people playing the instruments appeared in the restaurant. It was a Mardi Gras parade!! There was a brass band, followed by two dozen people in costumes jovially parading by giving us strings of beads. Really fun to watch and the perfect topper to Bernie's birthday dinner!

The next morning Devin and I packed coolers, chairs, towels, toys and floats and hopped into the car for a day at the beach. My friend Kristi was going to Rotidian Beach with some friends of hers and invited us to join. I had never been to this particular beach before so didn't know what to expect. It was a longer drive than I thought it would be. Considering the fact that we have 3 beaches on base within biking distance I wasn't in the habit of driving an hour to reach the ocean. However, I had heard it was a really nice beach and it was a good opportunity to meet some new people so we kept on driving.

The last road before we got to the beach was a long one, and it was gradually deteriorating until we were driving on a jarringly uneven surface covered with potholes. Considering we just got the car out of the garage the last thing I wanted was a flat tire!! It was quite a stressful journey, but we finally arrived at a Wildlife Conservation Center which marked the entrance to the beach!

We drove through a narrow road surrounded by jungle (still trying to dodge potholes) until we came to the small off road area where my friends cars were parked. It was an adventure finding space to park, but we eventually were able to get out of the car and relax. It was a very nice beach, I could see why my friends liked it so much. It had a very wide sandy shore, and went on as far as you could see on either direction. And there was some wave activity, which was a nice deviation from the flat-lines on most Guam shores.

The boys had already started up the grill so the ladies were able to relax in the hot sun and eat and chat and swim, while the kids busied themselves by digging a large hole in the sand. It was a nice day, but I was ready to get out of the sun by 3PM when we left!

The ladies who were at the beach. All very nice! 

My friend Kristi and I. I didn't think I was in that shot! 

Those were the most exciting things we did this weekend. We were supposed to do another beach day but ended up having to cancel. It didn't bother me much though... the best thing about being in Guam is that any day can be a day at the beach!

Belated First Post

Hi everyone! My dear mother has been telling me that I should start a blog for years, and frankly I feel I have been remiss in waiting so long. I keep wanting to detail the trips I have taken, if only for my future memory, and haven't for whatever reason. So... no better time to start than the present!

On Sunday it was my 2 year anniversary of dating Matthew. Last year we really went all out for our one year anniversary/ Valentine's day, but we decided to keep it low-key this year. We planned a boat trip with a group of really fun friends here on Guam. Our friend Bernie organized it. Matt, Devin and I were on a boat Bernie, her husband Mike and their 12 year old daughter Izzi. There were also 2 other boats going out that contained our friends Nicole and Brad, Charlie (and Chris in absentia), Joe and Jen, Erin and Jake and all their kids.

This was Erin, Jake, Joe and Jen's boat 

It was gorgeous outside when we left! The sun was burning brightly, illuminating the crystal clear azure water and the verdant shoreline we were passing. Speeding out of the harbor, passing beach and trees, mountains and rocky islands, really made me appreciate the beauty of Guam. It is a gorgeous tropical island... a fact that you sometimes take for granted when living the "daily grind." A boat ride is the perfect way to truly appreciate Guam's natural beauty.

It was a rough ride out to sea. Bernie and I stayed comfy on the cushioned seats while the kids were maintaining a squat position to stop their behinds from slamming into the hard surface of the front of the boat! The ocean spray in our faces cooled us down while we tried to fend off sea-sickness long enough to reach our destination.

The first place we stopped was a pretty cove with huge amounts of diverse, unspoiled coral leaf. Most of us got off the boat and snorkeled, checking out the reef and sea-life. Some of the more adventurous of us found a hole in the reef and swam through it to emerge out a crack in the other side. Matt was one of the people to do this and he came out of it with a bloody hand, and a cut on his stomach! The reef is very sharp and if you so much as brush against it, it will cut you. He was fine, but it was a good warning for the kids! Snorkeling here was a lot of fun, but after a half hour or so I was ready to dry off so I climbed back up on the boat for lunch. After a brief respite we rallied the troops to head off toward our second destination.

The view from inside the bridge

The second place we stopped was "The Spanish Bridge." A popular hiking destination I had heard of but never been to. It was built during the period of Guam's occupation by the Spanish. Ever since then, whatever roads connecting to it had deteriorated and the jungle had grown up around it. We pulled into the cove and anchored our boat, then got out to swim/walk up to the bridge. Some of us stayed around the bridge, while others went off to explore the jungle. I stayed around the bridge... it was surrounded by  slippery mud and giant mosquitos, and I was already pretty worn out from the days adventures.

Standing underneath the bridge

After checking out the bridge we took some of the kids out on one of the boats to try kneeboarding. It was Devin's first time trying it, and I was worried he'd have a hard time, but he picked it up right away! He held on for a really long time and was having a blast. After he finally let go of the rope we picked him up and he wanted to go again right away. Unfortunately, we had to head back so the kids just got one turn a-piece, but they all had a great run!

Devin Boardin' It! 

We took the tumultuous ride back to shore, holding on for dear life as the boat flew up and down over the choppy sea. We made it back to dry land safe and sound. It was a great day out on the ocean. We are so grateful to have wonderful friends to go on fun adventures with!

Here is a funny pic of Devin, Izzi, and 2 of the kids on top of the bridge!

Until next time...