Guam 09-28-2012

After a few days of the special experiences in Guam and Saipan, I am going home today.

Compare Guam and Saipan, Guam offers more tourist attractions than Saipan.  Guam is more modern, and yet not modern enough to have road name signs or GPS.  By the way, no free internet in Guam airport!

Guam is like Hawaii in the way that majority of the tourists are Japanese.  In Saipan, the majority of the tourists in Saipan are Chinese.

Flying from Guam to Tokyo is about 3.5 hours, and 10 hours from Tokyo to Seattle. 

Seattle!  I am going back!

Saipan 09-27-2012

In the morning, my friend and I went to check the homeless dog that we found yesterday.  The dog was gone.  We found that the dog ate all the food we left him yesterday.  We were happy that the dog ate the food and got strength to walk away.  We left more water for him before we were heading to the airport.

On the way to airport, we passed hospital, museum, and many houses. There is one thing in common, no sign!  There are no sign for the hospital or museum.  The are no street number or street name in front of the houses.   But locals will know that house is uncle John's house.

Asking a direction in Saipan will be even more interesting experience.  My friend, Laura, told me that she often asked locals directions. The local person would provide the direction like - turn right on the 3rd house after uncle John's house, then drive 1 minute turn left, then turn left on uncle Tim's house, ...   Uhm, who are uncle John and uncle Tim?

I was so relieved after I returned the rental car in the airport.  No more uncle John or uncle Tim!

Goodbye Saipan!  I will ... be back.

 

 

Saipan 09-26-2012

Talking Saipan economy with my friend, Laura, during our breakfast, I learned that there were many Chinese garment factories in Saipan prior to the meeting of World Trade Organization (WTO) in early 2000.

During the WTO meeting, it was decided to eliminate some trade taxes.  Because of the trade tax eliminations, many garment factories in Saipan were closed. 

The factories closed and the factories' workers left, many the related businesses such as apartments, restaurants, and supermarkets, were also closed.

Due to the lost of revenue, Saipan government had no money to maintain the roads, the tourist sites, or the safety of the beaches.  Japanese tourists stopped coming to Saipan.  Then, many related to Japanese tourists' businesses were closed including the 1,000 beds hotel, Hotel Nikko Saipan, and a 250 stores mall.

That is why I saw many abandoned houses and businesses.

In our free time today, Laura took me to see her beloved bird and tiger.

The bird is called Fred.  The bird lives in the bird cage of Hyatt Hotel's pool area. She called the bird's name, and bird came and let Laura to pet him.

Laura also took me to see a tiger she helped to raise 10 years ago.  The tiger now is living in Saipan Zoo.  I never saw a tiger that close!  Laura was petting the tiger like petting one of her own dogs. 

On the way from the zoo back to our hotel, we saw a very sick dog.  Laura stopped and checked the dog.  She found out that the dog was not injured, but was starving and too weak to walk.  So, we rushed to a supermarket to purchase a can of dog food and went back to feed the dog with the food and water.  Laura told me that she will come back to check the dog tomorrow. She is a real animal lover person.

During our dinner time, Laura told me many interesting cultures in Saipan that most outsiders will not understand. 

Saipan is a small area.  People are related to each others.  Everyone is considered a member of the "family".  There is no secret in the "family".  "Family" members can "borrow" each other's stuff without a returning date.  Oh, by the way, the person who authorized the "borrowing" was not the owner of the stuff.     Uhmm, that is a very interesting culture.

Saipan is not a luxury tourist's place, but is a very interesting place.

Saipan 09-25-2012

It was only 50 minutes flight from Guam to Saipan.

Saipan is a part of Commonwealth Northern Marians Islands (CNMI). CNMI has a total of 15 islands.  Saipan is the biggest island in CNMI.

Saipan is a US territory.  However, all passengers from Guam to Saipan must go through immigration processes.

On the way from airport to hotel, I saw many abandoned houses, buildings, businesses, dogs, etc. Similar to Guam, street names and signs are optional.  Map and GPS are useless in Saipan since the street names are only shown on the map and not on the road.  Driving in Saipan is very challenging.

My friend took me to see the whole island and explained to me that Saipan had a very good future about 15 years ago.  At that time, Saipan had many tour sites, hotels, restaurants, a big  250 stores mall, etc.  But because the economy, tours stop coming, restaurants and hotels were closes one by one.  Local government had no money to maintain the tour sites and roads.

A friend took me to the northern part of the island - Suicide Cliff where Japanese soldiers jumped off the cliff in order not to be captured.

Around there has Korean Memorial and Oinawa Memorial. The places are maintained, but no visitors.

On the way to Suicide Cliff, we passed by the abandoned Japanese hotel,  Hotel Nikko Saipan which had 1,000 beds.  Near by the hotel, we also saw the abandoned 250 stores mall.  It is sad to see all those abandoned houses and businesses.

Saipan was a good tour place, but not now.

 

 

 

Guam 09-24-2012

After 24 hours departed from home, I final arrived Guam at midnight.

Guam is a US territory.  However, flying to Guam is like to flying any foreign countries, I had to go through the immigration process to have my passport and luggage checked.

After got the rental car, I was ready to drive to the hotel by using my wonderful high tech guide - GPS.  Uhmm, after a few minutes later, I found out that GPS does not work in Guam.  Thus, I have to get my direction by using the traditional method - ask the locals.

Before I got out the rental car parking lot, I asked the direction to my hotel.  The person provided a very "clear" direction without giving any road name.  The direction was: turn left when you exist the parking lot, turn left on the first street light, go straight and count the third traffic light, turn right, then ...  It is a miracle that I was able to find the hotel with this clear direction in the middle of the night.

In Guam, the street names are shown on maps, but not on streets.  There is no street name on most of the major crossroads.  Gas stations, department stores, McDonald's, etc are often used as reference points for directions.

Oh! By the way, GPS is useless in Guam also.  The best way to get the direction in Guam is using the traditional method - ask the locals.  The locals love to give directions - go straight, pass Kmart turn right, go straight about 2 minutes, you will see a gas station, turn right ...   Good luck!

Guam is like Hawaii, the majority of the tourists are Japanese.  Around the tourist areas, the majority of the store signs are Japanese.

US has military bases in Guam.Guam offers many beautiful beaches and water activities. 

Guam is a interesting place.

 

 

 

  

Ballard Locks - Fish Ladder 07-04-2012

I woke up in a sunshiny morning!  Wonderful! 

My friend and I decided to go to Ballard Lock to see boats, fish, dogs, birds, and of course people.

We enjoyed watching the Ballard Lock (aka Lake Washington Ship Canal) locks in operation as they assist boats passing between Lake Union and the Puget Sound. We also enjoyed the fish ladder, used by salmon to travel upstream to the waters of Lake Washington and beyond. 

From Ballard Lock, we walked to Discovery Park.  Discovery Park is located on Magnolia Bluff overlooking Puget Sound. The Park offers spectacular view of both the Cascade and the Olympic Mountain ranges.

Before we left Ballard, we visited Edith Macefield Ballard house. Edith had refused to leave her tiny home in a filthy, industrial Ballard neighborhood, saying "no" to a nearly million-dollar buyout offer from a developer.

Edith did not want money.  All she wanted was to die at home, in the same house, on the same couch, where her mother had died. She got what she wanted.  She passed away in 2008.  I am so impressed her iron will.

Clear sky, blue water, with about 70 degree temperature weather, it was a very nice relaxing day!