Guam diaries: Things to do, learning about Chamorros and getting to know Shoichi Yokoi
When you're visiting a new place, one important thing to do is to read up on your destination's most popular phrases or greetings. Case in point - I recently visited Guam and everywhere I went, I would hear people say something like half a day, half a day. My thought bubble was - why are they saying it's half-day??? 💭
So ok, I heard them right - they were really saying "half a day" but there is no connection to it being half-day at all. 😂 Rather, they were saying "Hafa Adai", pronounced as "half a day" which means "hello" in Chamorro, the native language of Guam. 😂 😂
Who are the Chamorros? Chamorros are the earliest settlers of Guam who came to the island about 4,000 years ago. Then in the 16th century just a few days before the Philippines was discovered by Spain, Guam was discovered by the same Portuguese explorer working for Spain, Ferdinand Magellan. And similar to the Philippines, Guam was under the Spanish rule (only for 2 centuries though vs the Philippines' more than 3 centuries), followed by the American occupation, then the Japanese rule, then liberation. But unlike the Philippines, Guam remained under American jurisdiction.
Today, Chamorros still make up the majority of Guam's population - about 40% of the 160k residents. You know which is the second biggest group in Guam at 30%? Filipinos! And because Filipinos are everywhere in Guam, it feels like you've never left the Philippines until you realize that everything there is so efficient and organized. 😉
So what's there to see and do in Guam?
1. Shopping. There are several malls to choose from - Guam Premier Outlets (GPO), Micronesia Mall, DFS Galleria, JP Superstore and there's even a Kmart open 24/7. But just to manage your expectations especially if you've been to mainland US, the outlet store there is not that big and the brands are very limited. You can check GPO's directory here.
To get around (to and from your hotel and the malls), you can buy a 1-day, 2-day or 5-day ticket on the Red Guahan Shuttle (a 2-day ticket is USD15). You can check the fare, pick up points and schedules of the Red Shuttle here. It's super convenient and the shuttle drivers are very friendly and helpful.
2. Chamorro Village. Every Wednesday night, Guam residents and visitors gather to enjoy local and international cuisine, local produce, and arts and crafts at the Chamorro Village.
Everyone's lining up in this barbecue stall which sells sticks for USD1 each.
Make sure to bring cash when you go to the Chamorro Village night market as most food stalls accept cash payments only.
Stalls selling arts and crafts.
Other than souvenirs, there are also stalls selling clothes, accessories, toys, table linens, bags, etc.
A chill vibe is all around the Chamorro Village night market and I think it's because of the live performances. I got there around 630pm and there was a band called VETones composed of retired veterans playing rock 'n roll music. People of all ages including kids just danced!💃 💃 I heard that there's also a traditional fire dance performance by Chamorros later in the evening but I wasn't able to wait for it anymore since I had to catch up on sleep.
How to get to the Chamorro Village: There are shuttle buses that leave from the DFS and GPO for USD7 roundtrip. You can also hire a taxi for about USD50 for roundtrip. But if you're traveling solo like me, better to take the shuttle bus. It's way cheaper and super convenient.
3. City Sightseeing Tour. When I asked a friend who used to live in Guam on how much time I should allocate for sightseeing, she wasn't kidding when she said that one would be able to explore Guam in 3 hours! 😆
I joined a sightseeing tour and we were able to visit the key points of interest in Guam in 2 hours and 45 mins to be exact -
First stop was the Paseo de Susana Park.
Paseo de Susana Park - yes, that's a small replica of the Statue of Liberty.
Second stop was the Pacific War Museum.
Pacific War Museum
At the Pacific War Museum, you'll find war vehicles, weapons and ammunitions, memorabilia and other war equipment. Check these out -
Japanese kids playing inside a real war tank! 😎
A remnant of an Imperial Japanese dive bomber. This could carry a maximum
bomb load of 815 lbs. 😱
The only Japanese 3-wheeler in Guam which survived the war.
Imagine what kind of messages were transmitted here.
A single miscommunication could make or break one's victory.
An antique typewriter which recorded the concerns of military personnel.
We only spent about 20 minutes at the Pacific War Museum so there's really no time to read through the exhibit.
BTW, the museum has a very interesting layout. At the entrance, you can choose between the Japanese exhibit (take the right door) and American exhibit (take the left door). I opted to enter the Japanese exhibit. My key takeaway was about the life of Japanese soldier Shoichi Yokoi.
Shoichi Yokoi
Who is Shoichi Yokoi? He was a Japanese sergeant during World War II. When American forces captured Guam in 1944, Yokoi went into hiding together with 9 other Japanese soldiers. Seven out of the 10 moved away later on coz they thought if they stayed together as a big group, they may be easily discovered. No one knew what happened to the 7 after they left but with them going away, Yokoi plus 2 other soldiers were left in hiding in Guam.
Yokoi and the 2 other men lived separately but they would visit each other every now and then. Until around 1964 when Yokoi visited the 2, he discovered them dead. Yokoi believed they died from starvation (though some accounts say it was due to flood). Yokoi buried the 2 bodies of his comrades.
For the next 8 years, Yokoi lived alone hiding in a cave. Below is Yokoi's self-dug cave (I just found this photo online; please note this isn't part of the city tour.).
Yokoi's self-dug cave - it's about 3 ft high and 9 ft long (Source)
The cave had 2 openings - a hideable small entrance and the other opening for air supply. Yokoi hid all day here and only left at night to catch fish, frogs, snakes, or rats, and pick fruits and vegetables. He had 2 prized possessions for survival - (1) a self-made eel trap and (2) a self-made loom which he used to make clothes from fibers of the hibiscus bark.
Then one day in 1972, Yokoi was discovered by 2 locals. His instinct was to to fight the 2 locals but he was too weak to fight for the lack of proper nutrition. For fear of being disgraced if captured alive, he begged the 2 locals to just kill him. Instead, the locals took him home, fed him and brought him to the authorities. He returned to Japan 2 weeks after.
1944 to 1972 - that's a total of 28 years in hiding! 😱 And 8 years out of the 28 years were spent living alone inside a 9ft x 3ft underground cave and without any other human in sight or to interact with. 😱 (Important life lesson - When you find yourself complaining that you have a small place, or that you don't have anything to wear, or that you don't have anything to eat, or that you feel alone, think about Yokoi.)
Here's another interesting piece of information about Yokoi's story - apparently in 1952, after only 8 years in hiding, Yokoi already learned that the war was over but why did he choose to hide for another 20 years? In his own words, he said "We Japanese soldiers were told to prefer death to the disgrace of getting captured alive." But despite of what he thought that he was a disgrace and embarrassment to his country, Japan hailed him a hero.
Yokoi became a popular tv personality and advocate of austere living in Japan. He also went back to visit Guam several times with his wife. Sadly, in 1997, at age 82, he passed away due to heart attack.
That's the story of Yokoi. Now going back to the city tour... Sorry, it's anti-climactic... 😂
Third stop was Fort Apugan.
Fort Apugan
Fort Apugan is the only surviving Spanish fort in Hagåtña but to manage your expectations, the canons above are all what you'll see here and some beautiful view -
Fourth stop was the Latte Stone Park.
These are ancient Latte Stones but were just relocated to the park.
The pillars above are called latte stones and on which ancient Chamorro houses were constructed dating as far back as 500 A.D. Here's how the latte stones provided support to a Chamorro house.
An old military hideout can be spotted within the park grounds
The Latte Stone Park is also known as Senator Angel Leon Guerrero Santos Latte Stone Memorial Park in memory of Senator Angel Leon Guerrero Santos who was known for his advocacy in the protection of Chamorro culture, language and heritage.
Sen. Angel Leon Guerrero Santos' statue at the Latte Stone Park
My souvenir shot at the park. This is how introverts take selfies. 😂
Right across the Latte Stone Park was the fifth stop - Plaza de Espana.
Plaza de Espana
Again to manage your expectations, there are very limited things to see here. Here are 2 structures which our tour guide pointed to us.
The azotea. These are the original steps of the structure according to our guide.
The Chocolate House
During the Spanish time, the Spanish served hot chocolate in the afternoon for merienda to guests of the Governor-General. Then during the American time, chocolate was replaced by the serving of afternoon tea.
A sundial by the entrance of the Plaza Espana
Other points of interest within walking distance from Plaza Espana are -
Agana Cathedral. 75% of Guam residents are Catholics.
Guam Museum. Based on what I read, the self-made eel trap of Yokoi is on exhibit here.
Rotating St JP2 statue
In 1981, Pope John Paul II celebrated mass at this very site. What's so special about this bronze statue of St JP2 is its base is motorized. It used to rotate on its base at the rate of one revolution every 12 hours. But a few years back, there were some mechanical problems and today, the statue no longer rotates.
The sixth and last destination of the city tour was Two Lovers Point.
Two Lovers Point
What an intriguing name, right? The story of the Two Lovers' Point is based on a Chamorro legend and it goes something like this -
There was once a beautiful girl whose parents were a Spanish aristocrat and a daughter of a Chamorro chief. The dad was forcing her to marry a Spanish captain. Distraught by the news, one night, the daughter ran away to a secluded shore and there she met a Chamorro warrior from a modest family and they fell in love. When the girl's father learned about the Chamorro warrior, he demanded that she marry the Spanish captain at once. The girl and the Chamorro warrior fled to the secluded shore. The father and the Spanish soldiers pursued the 2 lovers up the cliff until the lovers were trapped at the edge of the cliff. They kissed one final time and then leaped over the deep cliff.
What a tragic ending! 😢
The statue that symbolizes the couple's final kiss before leaping
View from the edge of the Two Lover's cliff
View directly under the cliff. Scary! 😰
Here's a short videoclip I took from the cliff.
Love locks at the Two Lovers' cliff left by visitors
Some other points of interest which our tour guide pointed to us while in transit -
Chief Kepuha - the first Chamorro chief to convert to Catholicism.
Latte of Freedom - the tower resembles a Chamorro's latte stone.
The hall can be used for social functions and cultural events.
The city tour starts and ends at the DFS Galleria. While in the area, you can also explore nearby malls such as the JP Superstore. The Red Shuttle bus also covers this route so if you want to to go to other places or go back to your hotel, it's very convenient. Just make sure to safely keep your ticket as you need to present it to the bus driver every time you board.
4. Food Trip. The Chamorro Village is one place where you can enjoy Chamorro food. Another place I discovered which serves Chamorro food is Terry's Local Comfort Food.
Terry's Local Comfort Food serves Chamorro dishes
One lunchtime, I ordered the Pika Chamoru Plate which had beef, chicken and shrimp kelaguen. Kelaguen makes use of lemon juice, onions, local hot peppers, salt and sometimes grated coconut. It sounds very similar to our very own kilawin (minus the grated coconut, and using vinegar in addition to lemon juice).
Beef, shrimp and chicken kelaguen with red rice (about USD13 + taxes)
Red rice is very popular with Chamorro dishes. You know what they use to make the rice red? Atsuete (Achote)! It's a practice which the Chamorros got from the Spanish.
The view from inside Terry's.
One dinner time, again at Terry's, I ordered Mannok Suni (Grilled Chicken with Chamoru Spinach). I don't know what the ingredients are (I think it was cooked in coconut milk), but it's super yum! I actually finished this one big plate with rice! 😋😂
Mannok Suni (about USD13 + taxes)
For dessert, I tried Terry's banana doughnuts (it's not published in the menu and I only found out about it from another customer). Terry's only bakes these doughnuts when someone orders.
Freshly-baked banana doughnuts
But hey, I also had regular food ....
Strawberry and blueberry waffle for breakfast at iHop
For 2 nights, I had takeaways from CPK so I can catch up on TBBT. 😂
I also had Taco Bell, Charleys burger and ok, ramen. 😂😂😂
There are also resorts which offer Polynesian dinner + show but I opted to skip them since I've already done it in Hawaii and watched a similar show during my recent Auckland trip. I wouldn't mind repeating a similar experience if tickets were affordable but when ticket prices are like USD100, logic takes over. 😂
5. Beach. If you love the beach, Guam is a great destination. The water is crystal clear and the sand is powdery white. 😎 😍
View of the beach from my hotel room
My hotel is just 3 minutes walking distance to Matapang Beach Park. Check these out -
Look at that beautiful rainbow 😊
Here's a shortclip of the beach. 😎
You can also enjoy various water activities like snorkeling, diving, surfing, dolphin watching, etc. I wanted to join a snorkeling tour but unfortunately, I had a bad cold plus the beach water was cold too due to occasional rain shower throughout the day. But it's ok - I was just happy being by the beach and walking barefoot on the sand.
Here are some photos I took when I came back during sunset -
Beautiful pink sky
Here's my last introvert selfie in Guam. 😂😂😂
This was after hours of malling and my feet were super tired. But after walking barefoot on sand, my feet felt re-energized. I realized that walking barefoot on sand makes the best foot massage. 😂. See, some of the best things in life are free. 😆
