Dear Friends and Family,

We begin the New Year with a trip to Micronesia.  Guam, one of our US Territories, is our first stop.  Susan’s Dad, Ernie, was stationed here at the end of WWII for two years. He was responsible for airplane mechanics and being the person in charge, he was able to fly throughout the islands in the area, to make sure the planes were in good repair. The Navy still has a very large base on the island. So this is a special trip for us for many reasons. After a very long two flights from SFO to Honolulu then to Guam we arrive the next day in the evening. We  will stay in Tumon Bay on the west side of the island. Susan is diving with Micronesia Divers Association (MDA) She did several dives but the special dive was to the WW1 German ship named Cormoran and the Japanese WW11 ship called the Tokai Maru.  Both ships lie very close to each other which is amazing. The Japanese ship is only 6 inches away from the German ship at one point.  When the US torpedo sunk the Tokai Maru, she could have sunk right on top of the old German ship but miraculously, that did not happen. Susan completed her Wreck Divers certification on both the ships.  She had to place a penetration line in the Tokai Maru ( which is like a thick fishing reel) for 130 feet inside the wreck at 95 feet below the surface and retrieve the line in only 15 minutes. Quite a challenge.  Diving on Guam was fantastic from the wrecks to the coral and fish. At the end of WW II the US army just dumped all the unwanted equipment into the sea and there are still many items to be seen as Mike, my dive partner is holding up  a huge bullet.  Better him than me as he was in armament in the airfare before he retired to just dive.

There are memorials and sites to visit on Guam as well.  The island was taken back from the Japanese who had it since WW I. The invasion was difficult as there is a mountain on Guam which is 1,300 feet high, but actually it is the tallest mountain in the world because the mountain begins at the bottom of the Mariana Trench.  The Japanese were entrenched in the mountains and made it difficult for the Marines.  But Guam fell.  The Japanese were not nice to the local Chamorros as they used them as labor.  They rounded them all up before the US invasion and held them in camps.  One Japanese soldier hid in caves on the interior of the island for 28 years.  He was found by hunters and was told the war was long over. The hiding Japanese soldier had 4 caves he would hide in and one was very close to this waterfall. On our drive around the island we found the only German Restaurant on Guam and probably in Micronesia.  Jim just had to stop. 

Since we stayed in Tumon Bay the north west part of the island we had lots of lovely sunsets.  After a week in Guam we flew to Saipan. More to follow so until out next post, remember to be good to yourselves.

Cheers, Susan and Jim