Around and About

Today Opal Jaquette, Mimi's surrogate mom and houseguest, was our "escort" to various spots on the island. First, we stopped at Hebrews, a coffee shop at Harvest Church near us. (Don't you love the word "He-brews" for the name of a coffee shop?! That is a clever name.) Then we went to the University of Guam to the Micronesia Center in pursuit of several books Ann had seen the last time we were there.
After that we went to one of our favorite island attractions, Jeff's Pirate Cove and had lunch. We had delicious Greek salads. The wind was so strong that the lettuce in Opal's salad began blowing off the plate! We chatted with Jeff a while and then continued our journey to a bookstore and then to Chamorro Village. We walked around there a while. (It is much calmer during the day than when we went last Wednesday night.)
This afternoon Mimi drove us to the beach at Adelupe Point, the site of my elementary school. Our plans to swim were changed to "Let's just stroll along the beach" because the waves were HUGE, and the currents were strong. Mimi said that it is quite unusual to see waves that high. It was pretty exciting!
Tonight for supper, in tribute to one of Guam's favorite foods, we had Spam. Good and salty. Yum! Yum!
It was another fun day.

Monday on Guam

This was such a fun day! Super Bowl Monday is a big event here; many people take off from work,and some schools were closed or had a conference or work day. We were invited to the Super Bowl party at Lupe's sister's house where the entire clan had gathered for the game. Many of the people here have large outdoor kitchens and dining areas for family gatherings, as did this one.
First we were offered brunch and soon thereafter, we ate lunch. Among the dishes were dried beef and gravy, scrambled eggs, fried rice, sausages, hot dogs and hamburgers, tortillas,a yummy dish with sardines and tomatoes, and many more offerings. For dessert there were homemade doughnut and homemade baked custard (flan). Those who enjoy football were caught up in the plays via two large screen televisions on the patio. Some of Lupe's sisters played cards.
We especially enjoyed walking around the yard that had lovely gardenias, hibiscus, orchids,and other tropical plants. A great time was had; it was such fun to be part of the Gumataotao family gathering.
Later today we went to Ypau Beach on the Philippine Sea side of the island. The water was warm, the tide was high, and the currents were strong. It was fun!
What a memorable day this has been!

Sunday On Island

Today we were with Ann's friend from Guam Community College, Eric Chong, and his wife, Josephine. They treated us to a delicious lunch at Chao's (restaurant). The meal was served family style. We had white fish with a sauce, garlic tips, Chinese broccoli and chicken, tofu, salt and pepper shrimp, and rice. It was all delicious! We ran some errands and were given a tour of Barrigada Heights, a very classy, upscale residential area.
It was a fun day!

Reggae Concert

Saturday was a day of lounging, doing laundry, and such...until the evening when we attended a reggae concert. (I am sure we were the only people over 40 years of age!). The featured performer, Gregory Isaacs, was unable to attend, so the co-performer, Yellowman, as well as many local reggae musicians, filled the night with lively sounds. It was a fun experience.

Days Two and Three

We have been too busy or too exhausted to keep our blog up to date, but I'll try to fill in now. Yesterday (Thursday here) the mayor of Piti Village took us up to Mount Tenjo in hopes that we would recognize the housing area where we used to live. Because the area is now grown up with verdant jungle vegetation, we were unable to pinpoint the site. That was disappointing, but we appreciate Mayor Gumataotao's willingness to help us.
Later in the day, we toured the Government House, where the Governor and First Lady live and where various functions are held. Lupe's niece is the First Lady,and her cousin, a hostess. Several classmates joined us there for the tour. We were served a refreshing punch and Korean persimmons. The classmates sang their national hymn, "Stand Ye Guamanaians" in the Chamorro language...a very moving moment.
Later that evening we went to The Top of the Mar, which is a restaurant and where we used to take ballroom dance lessons. We enjoyed a Mongolian Barbeque. You fill your plate with vegetables and meats and sauces, and then the food is cooked outside on a large, flat-topped grill. It was delicious. Again, several classmates were with us, as were Mimi and Tom, our hostess and host.

Today (Friday) we began the day at Lupe's daughter's house for a brunch consisting of papaya and a biscotti-type local bread. Then we went to Gef Pago Park, a living history Chamorro cultural village, in the southern part of the island.
From there we went to Talofofo Falls. We rode a sky lift to the falls and enjoyed beautiful scenery.
Tonight...tonight we are going to an Elk's Club to dance. Lupe calls it the "AARP Club" because the clientele will be in our age group! We'll see...

Day One on Island

Today we had an appointment at the government complex (which is housed in the buildings of my former school on Guam, Adelupe Point Elementary School). My cl;assmate, Lupe, had arranged for us to meet the Governor, Felix Camacho. Several more classmates joined us there, Barcy Diaz Martinez snd Ray Aflague. Lupe Perez, of course was there, as were Joe Mendiola and his wife, Agnes. Our hostess, Mimi Santos, was also in attendance. What a welcoming, hospitable group are the people of Guam! The Governor's photographer was on hand to take our photo and each of us received a copy. After that, we visited a military museum which focuses on Guam in WWII. The museum is a private enterprise in tribute by a Marine to a buddy killed in VietNam...very impressive.
Tonight we went to the lively Chamorro Village. What a happening place! Among the attractions were musicians, dancers, food vendors, as well as many other merchants selling their wares. It is the place to see and be seen!
Another big day is on the agenda tomorrow. We'll see what unfolds then...

The Arrival

After 21 hours in the air, we finally landed on Guam Tuesday night (they are ahead of the East Coast by 27 hours.) In addition to our hosts and hostess, Tom and Mimi Santos, being there to geet us, Lupe had organized a group of Ann's school classmates from Agana Junior High and from mine, Adelupe Pt Elementary School to be there as a welcoming committee. They greeted us with beautiful leis. It was awesome to see and recognize people from 55 years ago! As much as we hated to bring the evening to a close, we felt the need for sleep, so we said farewells for now...but we'll be getting together again.
Our room at The Jungle B&B was just as we had remembered it from our stay there two years ago. The beds felt wonderful, and we settled down for a needed and welcomed night's sleep.
The plan for today is to meet the Governor this afternoon, and to attend the Chamorro Village festivities tonight where there will be island music, island food, and island fun.