THE USA IN ASIA

This next destination was somewhat of an impulse decision. As much as I love traveling within Asia, for its' convenience, food and culture, I thought it was about time I mixed things up a bit. With only 4 days off over Easter, Europe seemed that little bit too far. I wanted somewhere I could fly direct to, with minimal time difference (as I had none spare for jet lag), and somewhere my parents and I hadn't been as this was to be their Christmas present from me. To those that know my parents you'd know there's very few places which they haven't been....so Guam it was!

I researched and read various travel forums, with not much luck. Besides snorkeling, diving, watersports and a worrying article about a snake epidemic being managed by paracetemol-filled rats dropped from helicopters (yikes!) it wasn't looking too promising as a holiday destination. And here's how it turned out...

Expectation ~ Guam is 'a poor man's version of Hawaii'

Reality  ~ Bang on! Huge chain hotels (e.g.. Westin, Hyatt, Nikko) with floral print cane furniture and the hotel staff wearing uniforms that matched

Expectation ~ Guam is rich in history with Spanish, Japanese and US influence 

Reality  ~ Numerous Spanish monuments, WWII memorials and landmarks are dotted around the island in memory of key dates in its' eventful history. I read in the local newspaper that there's still debate as to exactly where the Portugese explorer, Ferdinand Magellan, landed on the island back in 1521. 

Expectation ~ Guam is spoiled with beautiful beaches of white sand, blue water and coral reef

Reality  ~ The beaches did not disappoint delivering white sand, clear turquoise water that dropped off after the coral shelf into a dark ocean blue. Simply stunning. On the west coast at Agana Bay, high tide falls around 11-12, so after lunch the water level drops so much you can almost walk to the coral reef break and only get up to your ankles wet in the process!

Expectation ~ Guam would have a local micronesian-esque culture with tales of tribes, chiefs and mermaids

Reality ~ Apparently there was a mermaid story, and once an ancient Chamorros civilisation (descendants of Malay, Indo and Filipino's), but to be quite frank the dominating 'culture' today is only American. Wendy's, Denny's, Burger King, Taco Bell and Macy's lined the main Marine Corps Drive. Large sections of the island were gated US Navy restricted zones.

(Yee-Haw from the waiters at the Lone Star Steakhouse)

Expectation ~ Guam is popular with the Japanese tourists

Reality  ~ Now that's an understatement! Initally the historical relevance of the island obviously made it a popular destination for the Japanese. This resulted in numerious daily flights from airports all over Japan making it the perfect beach weekend away being well under 4 hrs to get there. Bus loads of Japanese tourists pulled up outside our hotel. They paid US$55 for the day to access kayaking, paddleboats, jetskis and a Japanese buffet lunch. I think ramen is the second most eaten dish on the island, after hamburgers of course.

My tips

Rent-a-car

Thrifty/Hertz etc are all available. Although you can probably drive around the whole island easily in 3 hrs, we took our time stopping off at lookout spots and various churches and headlands for some spectacular views of the coastline. So, it was great to have a car to explore at our own pace. We drove around the South part of the island (best view: Fort Santo Angel ) the first afternoon, and the North part (best view: Two Lovers Lookout) on the second. They drive on the same side of the car and road as in the US, which can take some getting used to, however, with only really one main road driving around the whole island, navigating is relatively straight forward.

The famous Tolofomo Falls is a bit of a theme park. My vision of gushing waterfalls in a lush jungle setting home to tropical birds, came to a crashing halt when I arrived in a carpark and was greeted by cute but muddy pigs and a disenchanted lady at the entrance asking for US$20 to see the falls. After a quick glance at the pamphlet she gave me, and seeing images of cable cars, other rides and a sign pointing to a replica of the cave the Japanese soldier, Sergeant Shoichi Yokoi, hid in for 28 years (the original had caved in), and no sign of birds, we drove on. The drive to these falls was very scenic so definitely worthwhile....20 USD to see a potentially dried-up rockface with a trickle of water, probably not.

There is no denying Guam has stunning beaches and some super snorkeling and diving so a perfect destination if you're a water baby. However, other cultural attractions, activities (other than golf and shopping) and services are somewhat lacking. There's no doubt back in its' heyday Guam must have been quite THE destination. However, I think until more development has been injected into its tourism offering, I'd probably say stick to the Philippines for equally great diving and beaches, as it's got just as many burger joints, but for a quarter of the price!

An experience nevertheless, and some wonderful time spent with my folks, so I left Guam with some fond memories.