Palau is awesome...

Imagine a group of islands that look like they have been untouched by the hand of man, and yet has resorts and services that are top notch. Palau, in the western Pacific Ocean and part of Micronesia, only has a population of 20,000 but offers wonderful adventures.

1.     Early history: The Belau National Museum, the oldest museum in the Micronesian region, is the perfect place to learn about Palau from the authentic full-sized men's meeting hall (bai) to displays connecting the culture of Palau to other Pacific Island nations.

2.     Mysterious past: At the northern end of the island of Babeldaob are ancient monoliths left by the early Palauans. The locals believe the monoliths may have supported a huge bai. Besides the 37 stone monoliths Palau is home to other mysterious stonework.

3.     The war: It is hard to imagine the horror that took place on the serene islands of Palau during World War II. The Peleliu WWII Memorial Museum recalls the Battle of Peleliu, called “The Bloodiest Battle of the Pacific.” Peleliu is a memorial site for both American and Japanese troops. Many of the military installations, such as the airstrip, are still intact.

4.     Riverboating:  A short and informative jungle trail lined with fern trees, wild orchids, gorilla arm trees, and canon ball trees leads to Ngerdorch River and the riverboat.  On the walk learn about the Noni Tree, which can “cure anything.” On the river cruise through a mangrove forest catch site of a Palau Fruit Dove, Bush Warbler, Rusty Capped Kingfisher, and even a crocodile.

5.     The reefs: Learn about the reefs and its denizens at the Palau International Coral Reef Center. Their aquarium features a series of both outdoor pools and marine tanks, which showcase the variety of habitats and marine life found in Palau. It gives an intimate firsthand look into the diverse world of the coral reef.

6.     Jellyfish ballet: Join one of Sam’s Tours to Jellyfish Lake, one of the Underwater Wonders of the World. In a landlocked saltwater lake, snorkel with thousands of delicate pink stingless jellyfish that seem to be performing an underwater ballet. Getting to Jellyfish Lake requires a short but steep hike up then down a rocky path, but it is worth it.

7.     Dive in: Palau is all about diving. The Rock Islands, a collection of beautiful foliage-covered isles are surrounded with waters that are home to a diverse Technicolor paradise of fabulous drop-offs, blue holes, breathtaking reefs, and an amazing variety of fish. Few places in the world can compare to the variety and density of underwater life found in the waters around Palau.

8.     Go fish: Fish ‘n Fins offers fishing trips daily with local fishermen who know the right time and place for fishing. Trolling, casting, bone fishing, bottom fishing and spear fishing trips are available. Catch the great prizes of the ocean such as Blue Marlin, Yellow Fin Tuna, sailfish, barracuda, and wahoo.

9.     Sense of Wonder: The eco tour starts with sipping an energizing tea that prevents heat stroke then slathering the soft white part of a sprouted coconut on exposed body parts as sun and bug protection. Kayak through the amazing mangrove stopping at a mystifying site created by the Taro Goddess. End with a lunch of locally inspired specialties.

10.            Giant money: Carp Island Resort is a sanctuary to frigate birds, white egrets and a variety of additional birds, After kayaking, hike a jungle trail to see Yap stone money, the world largest money. 

December 7 attack on Guam

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on December 7, 1941 became the “Day of Infamy” but other American territories were also attacked that day. They tend to get lost in the annuals of history because Pearl Harbor became a historic event leading America into World War II. Also confusing the issue when it was December 7 in Hawaii it was December 8 in Guam due to the island’s location to the west of the International Dateline,

On the same day the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, they also attacked Guam, Wake Island, and the Commonwealth of the Philippines, which at the time was under control of the United States. The Japanese also, on the same day, invaded the British crown colony of Hong Kong resulting in its occupation, and Thailand where the Japanese continued on down the peninsula to Malaysia.

I always like to “learn the rest of the story” and we did when John and I visited the T. Stell Newman Visitor Center of the War in the Pacific National Park in Guam. Only hours after Pearl Harbor was attacked, the Japanese began aerial bombings on Guam. After two days of strafing, the Japanese came ashore and hours later the naval governor surrendered the American territory. The Japanese invasion of Guam resulted in 21 deaths (fourteen Americans and seven Chamorros). Some 483 prisoners of war that included 368 military personnel and 115 civilians were interned on Guam before being sent to a POW camp in Japan. The island remained under Japanese control for 31 months until July 21, 1944.

The Japanese thought all the Americans had been captured and were upset to learn that six American military personnel managed to escape to a safe place on the island. This became a very serious issue for the Japanese military because it meant that they had not totally secured the island as they had reported to the Japanese head command in Tokyo. After an intensive search, three escapees were found and executed in September 1942 and two others were found and shot in October of that same year. Only U.S. Navy radioman first class George Tweed eluded capture and was finally rescued by a U.S. Navy ship ten days before the July 21, 1944 American landing and liberation on Guam. Tweed’s status, as an U.S. military holdout, was a most serious matter for the Japanese Navy during the entire occupation period of thirty one months. Tweed was never captured due to the efforts of one family who kept his hideout in a cave a secret and took him food and supplies. During the American assault to recapture the island in 1944 Tweed was able to signal the offshore boats giving them the location of gun placements on the island.

On July 21, 1944, now known as Liberation Day, American forces landed on Guam and after almost three weeks of bitter fighting that claimed 1,600 American servicemen and almost the entire 18,000 Japanese Army the island was declared ‘secure’ and Guam was again in American hands. But the last Japanese holdout on Guam did not surrender until 1972. Shoichi Yokoi survived hiding in an underground cave in a remote section of the island of Guam for 28 years.

Today Guam has an American military base on the island. Interestingly, Guam is a popular tropical tourist destination for the Japanese.

Saipan and Tinian: American Paradises

Saipan is only a 40-minute flight from Guam and it, too, is American and extremely popular with Japanese and Korean tourists. We stayed at the Saipan Hyatt for two weeks and hated to leave. The hotel has a beautiful beach well-protected by a reef, a wonderful free-form pool surrounded by a tropical garden, and excellent dining options. It is walking distance to the American Memorial Park with a WW II War in the Pacific Museum, the weeklystreet fair, and duty-free shopping.

John and I not only enjoyed our days in the sun but we also visited three schools – Brilliant Star Montessori School, Whispering Palms private school, and Camacho Elementary School where we did a power point presentation on schools around the world. We enjoy visiting schools and meeting with the students. But the most fun was participating in an outreach program organized by the Hyatt. They brought in 28 high school seniors for a program on promoting tourism. Since Saipan is an American commonwealth they obviously speak English and follow the American curriculum.

Just a short walk from the Hyatt is the American Memorial Park and museum where we learned more about Saipan’s position during the War in the Pacific. The battle was intense and losses were great for such a small island. Unlike, Guam, which was American before WW II, Saipan and nearby Tinian were Japanese terrorities. At the north end of the island are Banzai and Suicide Cliffs where over 20,000 civilians killed themselves rather than be captured by the American troops who had been demonized by the Japanese military. Attempts by American soldiers to assure them they would not be mistreated basically went unheeded. The same awful situation occurred on nearby Tinian Island.

One day we flew to Tinian which is only a few miles from Saipan – a 15-minute flight including taxi time. We rented a car and drove to North Field where the Enola Gay and Bock’s Car B-29 bombers took off to drop the atomic bombs on Japan. We didn’t seen any other people or vehicles. Tinian is smaller than Saipan and a very quiet place. North Field has overgrown with only small glass coverings over where the atomic bombs were housed plus some memorials dedicated to groups who served on the island. In 1945 it was the world’s busiest airport. I was surprised that such a landmark event in history has not been taken care of; in fact, there is talk about doing away with the entire site.

Also on the island are the amazing latte stones called Taga House. They that are some of the largest in the Pacific. The 20-foot high stones are said to be the pillars which supported the home of the chief. Once again we have encountered massive stone structures that made us wonder how people could have mined, transported and erected such huge stones without our modern methods. There are usually three replies to our inquired: the people were giants or they had supernatural powers or they don’t have any idea.

The Saipan weekly street fair is just steps from the Hyatt. It was an opportunity to sample local food and to see traditional Chamorro dance performances.

Today Saipan is a wonderfully serene island surrounded by a tropical ocean. Airfare is expensive from Central New York but we used our frequent flyer miles to create an add-on trip from Tokyo.

Return to Guam: America's Pacific Island

We visited Guam, an American territory in the Western Pacific, for the second time and meet up with Cindy Hanson, a friend we made during our previous trip. Cindy wears many hats but is always trying to promote Guam and tourism. On Saturday mornings she has a two-hour radio show and asked us to be her guests. During the broadcast we mentioned we had not seen any latte stones which are huge stones used as building supports by the Chamorros, the native people of the Marianas. Franklin Arturo called into the show and invited us to his country place in the northern part of the island to see the many latte stones on his property. It was an incredible experience. His stones are some of the largest on the Island.

Even more amazing was the story of George Tweed, the Robinson Crusoe of the USN. Tweed was the radioman who escaped capture by the Japanese during WW II by hiding on Guam for nearly three years. He was the only American to survive the Japanese occupation of Guam. The Japanese searched for him every day the entire time he was in hiding until his rescue on July 10, 1944. During most of that time the Arturos brought him supplies and kept the fact that they were hiding him a tight secret. When the Marines landed in Guam, Tweed signaled the American destroyers with flags he had made and a pocket mirror. He warned the military about the Japanese gun placements and asked to be rescued. Within five minutes of receiving his message rescue was on the way. While in hiding Tweed computed what he thought the government owed him in back pay. It amounted to about $6000, a tidy sum in those days. Tweed asked Arturo what he would do with all that money. He said he’d buy a four-door Chevy. Tweed returned to Guam in 1945, bringing a Chevrolet sedan to Mr. Arturo as a gift from the president of General Motors. Franklin Arturo shared his Tweed scrapbook with us. He invited us to share his barbecue lunch. Truly an amazing day.

With Cindy and her son Ezequle we visited the War in the Pacific Museum and the site of the concentration camp where the Japanese kept the Chamorros. We stopped for lunch at Jeff’s Pirate Cove and learned another amazing story. The restaurant is located where the last WW II Japanese soldier on Guam, Shoichi Yokoi, surrendered in 1972. He had lived in a cave in a remote part of the island for 28 years. He said he knew the war was over because he heard American music but remained hiding because he was afraid the Americans would kill him. The story along with news articles are posted on the wall of the restaurant.

Not only did we enjoy exploring Guam again but spent time relaxing around the pool. The Guam Hyatt has one of the nicest pools we have encountered. It has several levels with areas connect by waterfalls. After spending two months in Asia where we love the food we were craving for a hamburger. Each day when we were at the pool we lunched on an incredibly wonderful hamburger. So very good! We also visited the amazing tunnel aquarium next to the hotel. Duty free Guam is a heaven for shoppers with everything from K-Mart to Gucci.