Guam to Chile - Blog Post 2

Blog Post 2 – Guam September 6, 2024 We all managed to get a few hours of much needed sleep before surrendering to wakefulness at 0600 local time. Dawn had not quite arrived, but the temperature was already warm and the air humid. 

After an extensive breakfast buffet, Patrick and Julie took a taxi to the local Kmart to purchase items we had chosen not to pack, like bulk vitamins. We had also somehow forgotten tennis balls for the legs on Miriam’s walker. Everything we needed was at the one store. Taxis are expensive in Guam, all taxis have meters, and the one-mile ride was $15 each way. Arriving back at the hotel, we sat in the shade around one of the pools until the heat and humidity forced us back inside for a much-needed nap as our bodies adjusted to the 17-hour time change between Seattle and Guam. 

The hotel staff have been extremely helpful, even moving us to a Club room close to the elevators to shorten the distance for Miriam to walk. Turns out the King size bedrooms are all at the ends of the wings furthest from the central elevators. Who would have known! In any event, the new room has two doubles and is simply fine. Also, the evening cocktails and appetizers in the Regency Club are well done, and we get to watch the sun setting over Tumon Bay and the spectacular “Two Lovers Point.”

Two Lovers Point from Beach

Rain Squalls coming into the pool

Two Lovers Point has several stories about the name, but they all involve two lovers who tied their hair together and jumped off the cliff when their relationship was forbidden. The stories have changed since first recorded by a French explorer in 1819. The point is one of the most visited attractions in Guam. 

The hotel grounds face west oriented to the water activities, with both the ocean and multiple pool options, with bars and restaurant options outdoors under shaded covers. The shallow waters of Tumon Bay are ideal for swimming, snorkeling, paddleboarding, etc., protected by a barrier reef visible at low tide. Rain squalls were predicted during the day, but as the squalls approached the heat of the island diverted them around Tumon Bay and it was not until after sunset that heavy rain showers arrived at Tumon Bay and the hotel. 

September 7, 2024 

Today we took a short driving tour of some of the highlight attractions in Guam. Guam has been under the control of the United States since 1898, except for the Japanese occupation from December 11, 1941, to August 1944. The U.S. Marines landed on two sites on July 21, 1944, and by August were in control of the island. Although some individual Japanese Army personnel hid out in the dense jungle for many years, not admitting the war was over. The last survivor appeared in January 1972, some 28 years after the fighting stopped. 

Our first stop was Lovers Point, which has good views of Tumon Bay and some rock and beach formations that evoke the two lovers faces. There are rock formations that evoke the faces of the two lovers.

Man’s face outlined on beach

Ladies face outlined on rocks

From Lovers Point we headed south towards Hagatna (Agana) and several historical stops, finishing up at Asan Beach. Asan Beach was the location of one of the two landings in July 1944. We also viewed Lotte Stones, found only on four islands, Guam, Rota, Tinian and Saipan. The stones were made between 1000 AD and 1700 AD. The only remnant of the Spanish occupation in Plaza Espana, also the site of a memorial to the 150 Chamorro's who tried to defend against the Japanese invasion in December 1941.

Lotte Stones

Plaza Espana

Chamorro Memorial behind statue

Proas practicing in the morning

Sunset over Tumon Bay

We had not realized the damage done by the severe typhoon in 2023, which destroyed much of the infrastructure on the island of Guam and severely damaged several hotels. The island was without power and water for more than a month, surviving with the help of FEMA and the US military, explaining why so many buildings appeared damaged. 

Guam and other Pacific Islands are of special significance to our family. Rodney Gill, our father, served in the USN during WWII. During the battles for Guam, the Marianas, Truk (Chuuk), along with several Micronesia Islands like Palau, Yap, Woliae, Ulithi and others, his ship, DD670, the USS Dortch, participated with bombardments supporting the landings and other skirmishes. The USS Dortch supported the Iwo Jima and Okinawa campaigns and was in Tokyo Bay on surrender day. Prior to serving on the USS Dortch, Rodney was also on the battleship USS California at Pearl Harbor and then the heavy cruiser USS Astoria until it was sunk off Guadalcanal in the battle of Savo Island. The USS Astoria was also at the Battle of Midway where Rodney was in small boats rescuing survivors of the USS Yorktown. One of the survivors he pulled aboard turned out to be his brother who was part of the aircrew on the USS Yorktown.