Created by EditorDave (contact me)
Living on Guam is what now "defines" me. It was such a dramatic difference in my life and outlook... (more...)
Guam -- Tropical Island Living Can Change Your Mindset
 View of Tumon Bay from the Southwestern end of the beach looking towards Two-Lover's Leap and the Northeastern part of the bay.
------
Folks sometimes ask me what it's like to live on Guam... well, it's tough to describe--you really have to experience it yourself to really understand! Once you have lived there, you'll always have a different view of the world! To get some idea of what it's like, check out all of my other Squidoo lenses... because each lens (almost all of them) has some aspect of Guam--or the aspect of having lived there thus resulting in a "different viewpoint"--illustrated on them. Almost all of the photos I have used in my Squidoos have been from my time on Guam.
 It was an adventure to take off from the U.S. mainland and fly almost 7,000 miles to the west to the island of Guam. When my family did this (and I was only 13 at the time), we were flying to the "great unknown".Â
Of course, for my Dad, it was like "retracing his steps"--because he had been here under different circumstances 25 years before. When my dad had been on Guam the first time, he had come by ship--a ship called an "LST--landing ship transport". The ship was full of sailors and Marines and they were in the process of storming the beaches during World War II.
 Dad had travelled all over the Pacific from 1941 through 1945. Names such as Kwajalein, Majuro, Eniwetok, Pohnapei, Truk, Yap, Palau, Guadalcanal, Anguar, Saipan, Tinian, Rota, Iwo JimaChichi Jima, Okinawa, Leyte, Luzon, and of course, Guam, had been hastily mentioned in many of his conversations and stories about his time in the Navy.
 Now, our family was taking the plunge and we were all flying there to live. Mom and Dad were public school teachers--English teachers--and they had just signed up with the Government of Guam Department of Education to teach on Guam for a two-year contract.Â
Guam is a U.S. territory... so after you see some of the major differences, you can almost imagine it like what Hawaii was 20 years earlier. When we arrived on the island, there were no hotels (well, maybe two or three, but they weren't what one would expect to be hotels).
 Many of the hotels started popping up on the popular beaches starting in 1969. The first big one along Tumon Bay was the Fujita--a converted apartment complex. Then came the Guam Hilton. Then trailing closely came the Continental, the Dai-Ichi, the Suehiro, the Tumon Sands Plaza, and the Okura. Overlooking much of the north end of the island was the Cliff Hotel.
Guam was becoming more cosmopolitan. Yet, in the southern mountainous area of the island, the traditional Pacific Islander ways were still respected and followed. The jungles (fondly called "boonies") were so thick that a Japanese Straggler Shoichi Yokoi managed to hide there for 28 years after the war. Click on his name to see his amazing story.
My family was on Guam when Yokoi-san came out of the boonies. It was an adventure for us to be living on an island where real-Robinson-Crusoe events were happening.
Contents at a Glance
- One of Our First Homes on Guam.... Notice the Bananas in the Backyard .. and a Barbeque Fire Going!
- Guam: The Island Life--After Living Overseas, One Will Never Be The Same
- Sunset View of Tumon Bay, West Side of Central Guam
One of Our First Homes on Guam.... Notice the Bananas in the Backyard .. and a Barbeque Fire Going!
Guam: The Island Life--After Living Overseas, One Will Never Be The Same
The island, the culture, the languages, the people. All a fascinating kaleidoscope of experiences and images.
Click here to see some more Glimpses of Guam!
Some of the sights we saw on Guam gave us a lot to think about. Some of our fellow teacher friends and their families lived in a Quonset Hut--this strange-looking building was made of corrugated, galvanized steel and looked like half a culvert laid on its side in the boonies. To prevent typhoons from taking off with the building, cables were strung across the top and bolted to concrete anchors that had been poured into the ground on both sides of the structure. The interior of the Quonset had this soft rounded look that was neat... but you had to be careful standing up if you were near the sides, because you could risk cracking your head on the "low wall/ceiling". With its louvres in the side panels open to allow a tropical breeze to flow through, a Quonset hut viewed at night from the boonie road would put off an inviting glow. (Of course, if it was the season for termites to be flying, this "inviting glow" wasn't something that was really desirable.)
Alas, after my 12 years on the island and a bunch of "super-typhoons", by the time I left the island, most of the Quonset Huts and other non-concrete buildings had "gone with the wind"... and were very rare on the island. I'm sure that even fewer are there now--with each passing typhoon, pieces fly away.
Sunset View of Tumon Bay, West Side of Central Guam
Guam--Views with Music!
Guam Experience -- Ocean Life
Some goodies with a Green Sea Turtle pictured.
Green Turtle Greeting Cards (Pk of 10)
I have enjoyed photography since learning the basics of camera and darkroom photography while attending Inarajan Junior High School on Guam many years ago. Capturing the beauty of a moment in a photo
Greeting Cards (Pk of 10)
Price: 16.99
Green Turtle Postcards (Package of 8)
I have enjoyed photography since learning the basics of camera and darkroom photography while attending Inarajan Junior High School on Guam many years ago. Capturing the beauty of a moment in a photo
Postcards (Package of 8)
Price: 7.99
Green Turtle Calendar Print
I have enjoyed photography since learning the basics of camera and darkroom photography while attending Inarajan Junior High School on Guam many years ago. Capturing the beauty of a moment in a photo
Calendar Print
Price: 5.99
Green Turtle Tote Bag
I have enjoyed photography since learning the basics of camera and darkroom photography while attending Inarajan Junior High School on Guam many years ago. Capturing the beauty of a moment in a photo
Tote Bag
Price: 14.99
Green Turtle Large Mug
I have enjoyed photography since learning the basics of camera and darkroom photography while attending Inarajan Junior High School on Guam many years ago. Capturing the beauty of a moment in a photo
Large Mug
Price: 13.99
Guam Reef Flat--Pacific Side (East Side) During Low Tide--Great for Snorkeling!
Guahan, The Island of Guam of the Marianas Chain in the Western Pacific
The Swordgrass-Covered Southern Mountains of Guam
A Music Video with Scenes from Guam
Hafa adai, Guam!
This video is basically a little slideshow...there's pictures of beaches, attractions, mountains and stuff from Guam. The music is good too! (Sex on the Beach - Vengaboys)
Swimming in a Surge Channel on the Reef Flat--Pacific Side (East Side) Near Inarajan Village
Guam--Where America's Day Begins!
Low tide view of Two Lover's Leap at the northwestern end of Tumon Bay with perhaps Ritidian Point showing in the distance.
Archeological sites on Guam indicate that the island has been inhabited by humans for many years before Magellan stumbled upon the island in 1521 during his (or at least, his fleet's) circumnavigation of the world. Before long, Spain had claimed the island as one of its possesions, and used the island as a re-provisioning station for its Manila Galleons (Did you know that they got really good milage with those ships? At least 10,000 miles per galleon! --just kidding...!).
The Spanish had control for almost 300 years--until the Spanish-American War... when the U.S. gained control of the island (which they used for a coaling-station and reprovisioning station for their ships).
On December 8, 1941--at the same time they were attacking Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, the Japanese attacked and gained control of the island.
It was almost 4 years later that the island was recaptured and "liberated" from the Japanese by the U.S. forces.
Now, the island is a modern and beautiful tropical paradise... and most of the tourists on Guam are from Japan and Australia, with tourists also coming from China, Korea, and the U.S. Mainland.
One of the main attractions of the island are the fantastically bio-diverse coral reefs--SCUBA divers and snorkelers have a treat waiting for them when they enter the warm Western Pacific waters of Guam.
View of Evening Sailboat from the Southern Mountains behind Merizo, Guam
Guam on Amazon?
The Island of the Colorblind
Amazon Price: $11.16 (as of 05/16/2008)
List Price: $13.95
Always Faithful: A Memoir of the Marine Dogs of WWII
Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 05/16/2008)
List Price: $14.95
Franko's Guide Map of Guam USA
Amazon Price: $8.00 (as of 05/16/2008)
List Price: $8.00
Keeper of the Night
Amazon Price: $13.05 (as of 05/16/2008)
List Price: $16.95
Hell Is Upon Us: D-Day in the Pacific--Saipan to Guam, June-August 1944
Amazon Price: $13.22 (as of 05/16/2008)
List Price: $16.95
The Front Porch of One of the Hotels--Looking Toward the North End of Tumon Bay
Hafa Adai! Guam USA! Dangkulu na si yu'us ma'ase! (Thank you so much!)
Guam Links (and there's more than Golf Course Links!)
- Guam Chamber of Commerce
- You can get much of the Business Sense of Guam through this website. The island is always hopping (Island Hopping?) with business activities--I've participated in quite a few!
- Coconut Villa!
- A great place to connect with Guam! George and Stella have assembled a fantastic variety of goodies from Guam and Micronesia to get you in the "Island Mood." Be sure to tell them that I said "Hi" when you drop by their online shop. (or better, if you go there in person, say that Dave Gardner said "Hi!")
- Guam--The Pacific--Online Island Community
- This website seems to be a great place for Guam afficianados and expatriates and residents to chat and enjoy the wonderful personality of the island.
- Guam Visitors Bureau
- Ya want more goodies and information about Guam? This is a great place to find those things!
- Books about Guam from Tracy Books!
- Glenn and Winnie Coleto have a great online (and physical) store from which you can find all sorts of books that have information about Guam--either those from World War II or recently produced travel guides. You can get them here!
- Guam Online!
- This website provides a very nice introduction to Guam, with lots of beautiful pictures that show the variety of scenes one can find on this wonderful island!
- University of Guam
- I attended the University of Guam for both my B.A. in Biology and also for Graduate School in Biology and Education. Since I'm now working alongside folks who have degrees from MIT, Stanford, Harvard, and the UC system, I believe that the education I received at UOG was "world-class"... and allows me to compete on the same level as those with degrees from other universities!
- University of Guam Marine Laboratory
- This research and education facility of the University of Guam is one of the foremost labs in the world for studying coral reef ecology and biology. I studied here for many years while getting my biology degree and while working on my M.S. in biology. It's an amazing place.
- Guam Underwater World!
- Walk through the reef on the Other Side--Underwater, that is! A cool way to see the critters of the reef without getting wet.
- Guam Fisheye Underwater Park
- Here's another way to see the underwater life of Guam! This option goes deeper--and then also provides a Polynesian Dinner Show as well. You can probably get a lot of good finedene, pancit, lumpia, adobo, and kelaguin at the dinner show (yum!).
- Dave's Photographic Images on Goodies from CafePress!
- Some of the images provided here are from Guam (and some from Hawaii and elsewhere)... If you like goodies, this is a good place to get 'em!
- Photo Links from Guam
- These photos show a variety of scenes from Guam--both underwater and above water.
- Any Typhoons Near Guam? You Can Watch Here to Make Sure!
- If you don't have access to the KUAM Guam Television, you can still get updates on storms approaching Guam here! This Web site has maps, windspeeds, and satellite images.... you can see these things coming in and moving out.
Swimming on Reef Flat, NCS Beach, Guam
News From Guam!
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byGuam From Space -- You Do Know That Guam Has Its Own NASA Tracking Station, Right?
Uh.... Guam is North of Australia, South of Japan, East of the Philippines, and Way, Way West of Hawaii... so you might have to use the little hand that pops up and drag the map to find the "red balloon"!
University of Guam? Yup. I Attended UOG and am Proud of It!
The University of Guam gave me a World-Class Education!
University of Guam Women's T-Shirt
Women's T-Shirt
Price: 15.99
University of Guam Mug
Mug
Price: 12.99
University of Guam Journal
Journal
Price: 8.99
University of Guam Long Sleeve Dark T-Shirt
Long Sleeve Dark T-Shirt
Price: 25.99
University of Guam Organic Cotton Tee
Organic Cotton Tee
Price: 18.99
Parting Shots of Paradise--Guam, Where America's Day Begins!
This Guam Squidoo Lens Has Been Submitted to "The Isle of Squid"
Please drop by and leave a review....(suggestions are great, too!)
Guam -- Do you have a Guam experience? Share it here!
| EditorDave
Hey there, B52Mechanic! Yup. I remember eating at Kenny's Restaurant on the back road to Andersen AFB from Barrigada many times--the food there was the *best*! And... I used to have a "Guam-Bomb" myself... it was a 1965 Datsun 1200 station wagon... mostly rust... you had to keep your zories (flip-flops) over the rust holes in the floor boards to keep from getting a shower when you drove over rain-filled potholes! Fond memories--thanks for your comment! Posted April 12, 2008 |
I spent a year on Guam living in Dededo and Andersen AFB while working for Boeing(1970/1971).
My first day on the Island I was driven by some other Boeing guys to a restaurant called Kens Steakhouse,I believe, on the other side of the island. On the way the 1958 Ford sedan broke down.
The frame had rusted completely through just behind the front wheels.This was to be my first of many experiences with cars we lovingly called Guam Bombs. What a time!
Posted March 29, 2008
| RickBasset
Awesome video and awesome island! Nice job! Posted March 25, 2008 |
|
LaraineRose
Beautiful! Maybe our next vacation destination. We had a "staycation" this year. Drop in for a "cuppa." Your lens is bound to go to the top! 5 stars for you and a lensroll. I think I even want to be your fan. Thanks for publishing this. I didn't know what we were missing! Posted January 24, 2008 |
| NAIZA
Guam is a lovely place! Like an island paradise especially the beaches, its one of a kind like those we have here in PI. Nice to know your Dad's experiences and travels. When I was a kid, I love hearing those old folks stories about the war and travels. Awesome lens! Posted October 19, 2007 |
| Prospero
Done and Dusted! Thanks. Great lens. Great place. 5*. Posted October 02, 2007 |
| EditorDave
Hey there, Classic! I don't know if it would rejuvenate you to look like the youngsters in the video, but you'd certainly feel younger when frolicking on the beaches and boonie-stomping and enjoying the great restaurants! Posted September 05, 2007 |
|
Classic
Now you almost convince me to take a vacation to Guam. The only point of hesitation is this: Does the trip come with rejuvenation to the looks of the youngsters in the video? Posted August 28, 2007 |



