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We recently pulled in to the US territory of Guam for a four day port call. I had never been to Guam, and anything I’ve ever heard of it from other Sailors, was about the lack of anything to do. I went out expecting to be bored out of my mind, but instead had one of the greatest port calls to date. Guam is the largest of the small islands that make up Micronesia, and to make a long story short is a tropical paradise. The whole time I was there, the sun was shining and it was at least 90 degrees. I rented a car and spent the first day just driving around, going to the malls and whatnot. The radio was playing and at least every third song was Bob Marley or some other island/reggae music. I love Bob Marley.

The second day was spent at the beach. I went parasailing, kayaking, and even jet-skiing. My skin was pure red from the sun, but it was worth it just to be able to lounge around on white sand. Me and some friends got a hotel for the night and decided to go out and party. It wasn’t the greatest night, but at least we weren’t sleeping on the ship. We ate at a real Denny’s, with actual American food, and did a lot of shopping. I took advantage of Guam’s love for Bob Marley and bought some Marley shirts to fit in. The whole time we were walking around people were talking to us. They were Chamorro, the native citizens of Guam, and were about the friendliest people I’ve ever met. The girls tend to have a lot of junk in the trunk too, and I just so happen to like that.

The last day was a Sunday and just real chill. We went to see a few movies and did some more shopping. In the afternoon, we went to Two Lover’s Point in Tumon Bay. Two Lover’s Point is this really high cliff that extends far out over the ocean. There’s a legend tells of a beautiful Chamorro girl whose father had arranged for her to marry a Spanish captain, as Spain ruled Guam at the time. Not happy with her father’s decision, the young girl went for a walk near the point. While clearing her head, she met a young Chamorro warrior who had also been walking along the point trying to sort things out. The two Chamorro fell in love and became inseparable. Once the father found out about the two lovers, he demanded his daughter stay away from the boy and marry the captain at once. Later in the night, the daughter ran away to meet her lover at the point. The father soon discovered she was gone and alerted the captain. Spanish troops were told the girl had been kidnapped by the boy, and they were sent to rescue her. The troops surrounded the two lovers at the point, but held back in fear that they might fall from the cliff. The two knew they would never be together if they were taken back to their homes. Up on the high cliff, they tied two big strands of their long hair together, and while holding each other in their arms, jumped to the rocky ocean below. It’s kind of morbid, but still a beautiful story of tragic love. The above interpretation is in my own words, so feel free to read the official legend at the TLP website.

A lot of Japanese people were in Guam too. I like to think of Guam as Diet America in that sense. It’s like the Japanese really want to go to America, but settle for a territory. Don’t tell them I told you, but they’re actually the ones coming out on top. The American mainland will never compare to an island paradise like Guam. The only thing I really regret about Guam, is that I didn’t get to experience it with someone I loved. It’s definitely a lover’s paradise, and I was flying solo. There were a few times where I thought about my ex and got a little bummed, but all in all, it was a wonderful “vacation.” I loved it so much that I might try to get orders there. That’d be cool.