Any Travels

Guam is the largest and most southern island in the Mariana Islands archipelago in the western north Pacific Ocean, covering 212 square miles with a population of some 150,000 people. The most developed island in Micronesia, it serves as a transportation and communications hub and is regarded as the gateway to Micronesia. There is traffic congestion, fast food restaurants, large shopping centres, a university, lavish resort hotels and a large U.S. Military Base.

In contrast, southern Guam is made up of hills ranging in altitude up to 1,300 feet (Mt. Lamlam) and has sleepy villages, good sandy beaches and an abundance of butterflies and rainbows. The central and northern part of the island consists mainly of a limestone plateau with steep cliffs dropping down to a narrow coastal shelf.

The earliest inhabitants were the Chamorros who traced their origin to Indonesia and Malaysia. The islands fell to the Japanese shortly after the Pearl Harbour attack and was occupied by Japan until 1944. It was retaken by America and was made a United States territory.

A wide variety of vines, shrubs and trees decorate the island giving it a lush tropical appearance and there are also many types of flowers. Today, small scale agriculture provides families and local markets in the capital Agana (now recently renamed back to its original Chamorro Hagatna), with pineapples, bananas, papayas, mangoes, limes, avocados and melons, also cucumbers, green beans, squash, peppers and eggplants.

Although Guam's lifestyle is increasingly Americanized, which means most modern conveniences can be found, the old Chamorro and Spanish traditions are retained and that translates into a very relaxed, gentle atmosphere.

Places of Interest:

Hagatna (Agana)
Hagatna (formerly Agana) has been the centre of Guam ever since the Spanish first set about remodelling the island on behalf of God. The town is small enough to explore on foot in an afternoon and there are plenty of parks and historic buildings, among them is Casa Gobierno, the Governor's Palace.

Don't miss the revolving statue of Pope John Paul II on the site where the man himself held mass in 1981; it puts the miniature Statue of Liberty to shame. In the southeast of the park, a statue of Chief Quipuha is condemned to survey the congested traffic of the main thoroughfare, Marine Drive.

Inarajan
A sleepy village with a smattering of Spanish-era influence and some of the island's richest Chamorro flavours, Inarajan is perched on Guam's scenic southeast coast. Along the waterfront is the Chamorro Cultural Village, a bamboo and thatch complex where traditional Chamorro crafts are demonstrated.

Salugula, a natural saltwater pool, has diving platforms and arched bridges. There are nearby ruins of a concrete Baptist church and a bronze sculpture of a Chamorro battle. In the cliffs across the bay from Inarajan is Gadao's Cave, which has ancient pictographs said to be drawn by Gadao himself.

Culture

The Chamoru culture is visually manifested in dances, sea navigation, unique cuisines, games {batu, chonka, estuleks and bayogu}, songs and fashion influenced by the transmigration of peoples from other lands. Prior to being an American Territory in 1898, Guam was colonized by Spain from 1521 which, in order to preserve the lucrative Spanish galleon trade routes, almost exterminated the original inhabitants of Guam. The culture endured nonetheless through the survival of the Chamoru language.

Specialized weavings include plaited work (coconut and pandanus leaf baskets, mats, bags, food containments and hats), loom-woven material (hibiscus and banana fibber skirts, belts and burial shrouds), body ornamentation (bead and shell necklaces, bracelets, earrings, belts and combs made from tor toise shells).

Guam is promoted among travellers for its modern conveniences. It is sold as a point of familiarity or exploration for those seeking contact with American popular culture. Peoples from other Island nations have recently migrated to Guam as a result of the break up of the U.S. Trusteeship of Micronesia and bring with them cultures from their homelands.

Guam is culturally diverse, with Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Korean, and other Asian communities of significant size in addition to its indigenous and mainland U.S. populations. As a centre of transportation and communication for the island region it also has sizable numbers of islanders from various parts of Micronesia, such as Palau, Yap, Truk, Pohnpei, Kosrae, and the Marshall Islands. The extended family is the main social unit for most groups on Guam, although many of the younger members travel and live in the United States. Folk arts and handicrafts of Guam have enjoyed a revival in recent years with the advent of various public and private groups that have promoted music, dance, and other traditional cultural arts for the benefit of both the local community and tourists.

U.S. national holidays are celebrated on the island, as are several significant local dates such as Discovery Day, March 6, which commemorates the arrival of Ferdinand Magellan in 1521. The museum and library on Guam have active programs for the community, and the university is also a promoter of regional arts and culture. There are daily and semi weekly newspapers and quarterly and monthly magazines published on Guam, and several radio and television stations broadcast local and international news and features daily.