This summer I took a chemistry course at the University of Guam. I felt a little out of place as one of only two haoles in the class, but everyone was so nice and I made some good friends! The school was much smaller than William & Mary, but the views were much more spectacular.
The Matisyahu concert was a while ago, but I wanted to share. It was amazing!
Next stop was Inarajan Pools, natural tide pools where people love to swim and hang out. Everyone enjoyed jumping off the “high dive” and into the deepest pool below. It was a beautiful afternoon!
The Wood Chix came to Guam!! We were SO excited to show them around the island. Here we all are at Ft. Soledad, where Magellan first landed on Guam in 1521. Mr. John the carabao man let us ride Bessie; poor Lizzie was (involuntarily) the first to try. He also showed us how to chop open coconuts to drink the juice and grate the inside to eat the meat. They were so generous and we left with bellies full of yummy tropical fruits.
Happy (belated) Liberation Day!! We are so thankful to all who endured the Japanese occupation of Guam and those who fought and sacrificed for our freedom.
The Navy put on a great 4th of July celebration: carnival rides, cotton candy, games, and even a concert. The best part was that it was all free!
Ms. Emily, our tour guide, took us into the forest where the ancient camp was located. Before entering the area, she asked the ancestors to grant us safe passage and promised that we would be respectful of their home. What a beautiful tradition.
But if you are disrespectful, the taotaomo’na, spirits of the ancients, will pinch you and you can suffer from strange symptoms for months. The only way to be healed is to visit a traditional healer, or suruhanu. The kids and Ms. Emily had several first hand experiences with the taotaomo’na to share.
My job with the National Park Service has been absolutely amazing! One of my jobs was helping out with the Reef Rangers summer camp. Basically I got to take local kids hiking, snorkeling, and teach them about coral reefs and sustainability… coolest job ever, no?!? We went on a field trip to the Guam National Wildlife refuge at Ritidian, home to some of the last fruit bats on Guam and an incredible limestone forest. We explored caves that were part of a fishing campsite for ancient Chamorros; the handprint we saw is currently being analyzed to learn its age.
We got first priority to board a Space-A military flight from San Francisco to Hawaii and then to Guam because of Dad’s rank (aww-yeahhh). Basically you get to tag along on a military plane that has extra room. The flight we were on was carrying wounded soldiers home to Hawaii; we all felt honored to be in their presence. We got to sit on SUPER comfy red mesh seats (ha), although I moved to the floor, and then to the nice seats that Dad got to sit in, once we hit our cruising altitude. It was actually a really fun experience!
Ok so I realize that I have been completely irresponsible concerning this blog… and I’m sorry! I absolutely love all of you and haven’t been neglecting my photo-taking duties. But we have been super busy this summer (in an awesome way) so it’s hard to find a chance to really sit down and transfer, edit, and upload all those photos. So here they all are in a giant photo dump. Enjoy!
-Caroline
