March 8 LAND AHOY!!!!
Guam is an American possession so the currency here is the US Dollar and they use US postage. It is our last USA port, so we will mail the last of the postcards we have to our grandkids.
The native language is Chamorro and hello is Hafa Adai. (Aren’t you glad you know that!)
As we sailed in this morning we could see the Agat invasion beaches from our balcony, where the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade and the 77th Army Division landed. From the port side we could see the Asan invasion beaches where the 3rd Marine Division stormed ashore on July 21,1944. As we entered Apra harbor we sailed by the cliff-lined Orote Peninsula. This was the site of the highly prized Japanese airfield and scene of intense combat as US forces executed a pincer movement from either side to capture the site. The bitter struggle for Guam was over by August 10th and resulted in over 18,000 Japanese killed and almost 8,000 US troops killed and wounded. You may not know, but the Japanese took the island of Guam from the Americans the day after Pearl Harbor was bombed. After the battle, the Apra Harbor was expanded to support Guam’s role as a major staging area for the continued advance toward Japan. Today Apra Harbor is one of the largest US Naval bases outside the continental USA. There also is a Seabee base nearby at Camp Covington.
The last World War II Japanese soldier to surrender was Sergeant Yokoi and he did it here in 1972. He is known as the Robinson Crusoe of Guam.
We passed immigration and were off the ship at 9:15. Once I was on shore, I stopped to think about my father being here 70 years earlier and how different it must have been. Thanks to all the World War II veterans that served our country, if you see one make sure you thank them for their service to our country.
We were greeted by local Chamorro people with music and dance, and we all got beads. See Betty getting Lei’d below.
We boarded the shuttle bus to the town of Tumon, traveling thru the small capital city of Hagatana. We drove by the War in the Pacific Park where the Marine landed to take back the island from the Japanese.
When we got to Tumon, we discovered it was filled with Japanese, mostly young kids, shopping and spending money like it was water. Guam is a very big Japanese vacation location during their winters. There were many very high end stores such as Prada and Coach, etc. We walked thru them just to be in air conditioning. Luckily there were ABC stores just like in Hawaii that were affordable. We also noticed that porn was a big thing here, from magazines to other unmentionables. We were also looking for a bank as we were told it was better to buy Yen here than in Japan. After walking over 2 miles to the bank they didn’t sell yen at that branch, so we gave up and will just buy them on the ship. On the way we spotted a Route 66 Pub so we headed there and they were closed. A young couple took our picture in front of the sign and told us to come back tonight but we will be on our way to Iwo Jima.
After striking out twice we gave up and went to the Hard Rock Café for lunch. The Chamorro Burger was excellent and the beer was great. I had San Migel from the Philippines and then some other beers that will be added to the list. Of course I bought a Tee shirt but only because it was for the Feed the World Foundation. We also purchased a few postcards since we had a few stamps left and mailed them off. Those will be the last we send so please enjoy.
Overall we were disappointed in Guam, just not enough time to explore the island, with no real bus system and very expensive cabs. Not enough time to rent a car as no agency near the port. And of course it was very hot and humid. We saw one sign that said 98 degrees. I had a hard time walking and breathing. A lot of people that explored a lot more than we did were also disappointed.
We got back to the ship after 4pm, because we had to wait for 2 buses before we got on. We let some crew on the first bus because they were late getting back. Most of them just made it on time and thanked us. Hard to believe but some passengers only think of themselves and push their way onto the bus. They would be the first to complain when their server didn’t show up in the dining room to serve them their meals.
We sailed away a little after 5pm, we have 3 days at sea but the second day we will be cruising around Iwo Jima Island. The Island is Japanese owned and is considered sacred to them. As usual on port days we skipped the dining room and ate very little at the buffet before going to the evening show which was The Hilarious Comedy of Tim Walkoe, it was a very good show.
