Despite watching what we are eating, we did go to one of the restaurants the Immigration guys suggested, Mosa’s Joint. Oh my goodness my lamb burger was amazing. The servings are huge but I ate every bit of that drippy fantastic burger. I am thinking Japan isn’t going to be big on the cocktail scene, the places we will be eating anyway, so without regret I washed it down with another Margarita. Oh my, I am glad we are not staying here for very long!
But leading up to dinner we did get some more exploring in. We drove North. This route takes you past the Anderson Air Force Base which you can barely see in to it is so protected. At one point we felt a vibration and heard this terrible noise and pulled over because we genuinely thought we had a flat tyre. However it was actually firing practice and we were hearing and feeling the explosions!
The only thing to really see at the top of the island is an animal refuge and it was closed on this day, but we did get a great view from a lookout (or overlook as they call them here) over the ocean, feeling glad we weren’t out in those waves!
On the way back we visited the Japanese Peace memorial that is located at the base of Mt Matagi. Funded by the people of Japan, its designed in the shape of palm leaves pressed together in a prayer indicating the wishes of consolation of the souls of the dead and for peace as well.
At the memorial it said on a plaque “We earnestly hope that the construction of this Peace Memorial Park will bring about eternal peace to the souls of the war victims of both Japan and the US, and further strengthen the ties of friendship between the two countries.”
The Chapel on the grounds was closed however peeking through the window there were thousands of cranes strung together.
A short circuit walk took us to a bamboo grove. I have included a picture with Dean in it to give you some perspective of how big it was. To one side were concrete water tanks constructed by the Japanese and what may have been an old water course.
The hill must be riddled with tunnels, with many tiny entrances easily visible. I can’t imagine wriggling in and out of those tiny holes.
And at this site, at daybreak of 11 August 1944, Japanese Commander Obata committed suicide. He had ordered his troops to mount a counter attack against the US, but recognising the inevitable outcome he sent a transmission to His Majesty, the Emperor declaring “I shall be the bulwark of the Pacific Ocean…” before taking his own life “as befitting an honourable officer”.
In front of one of the tunnel entrances we found this letter. I am not sure how authentic it is, but touching nonetheless.
This place, the site where two sides fought a bloody battle for their country, now has an air of tranquillity surrounding it that hopefully reflects the journey towards ongoing cooperation. Something today, more than ever is needed in the region, with its very new threats on the horizon.
We headed back into the town centre to visit the museum before dinner but unfortunately it was closed. But there are some sites to see in the square. In the middle of the road is a monument to the first Pope to visit Guam, and behind you can see the large cathedral that plays music with its bells every hour.
Central to the square is the Plaza de Espana. It was originally built in 1736 but its appearance changed over the years and with successive rule. It was here in 1941 that the US Governor surrendered rule to the Japanese. The Plaza was extensively damaged during the liberation of the island in 1944 but restoration works have been carried out, and it is now a place for civil functions.
This cute structure is known as The Chocolate House. The name reflecting the Spanish custom of serving hot chocolate in the afternoon.
Below is a latte made out of coral that I saw in the park. As you drive around Guam you see these structures all over the place, in all sizes, and apparently in other islands throughout the Marianas. Rather than a type of coffee, latte were used as a building support by the Chamorro, but have since become a symbol of their cultural identity. Even the bus stops are in the shape.
Guam is a popular holiday destination for South Koreans, and as we walked around the Plaza, it was quite entertaining watching their photo shoots. Some were quite disturbing on how orchestrated it all was, getting their children to strike poses. No simple happy holiday snaps! Others funny in their K-Pop attire. There was even a couple in their wedding clothes. I have heard they get married at home, then the bride and groom get photos at different destinations in Western style wedding outfits.
As it was a little early to go to dinner, we went to the local craft beer brewery, Carabao Brewing for pre-dinner drinks so Dean could get his beer fix. It is a lovely little brewery that we have since returned to a few times. While we soaked up the air conditioning, it does have a larger outside area for groups, and sometimes has live music.
As we walked to dinner we strolled over the San Antonio Bridge. Although much was destroyed during the American reoccupation, remarkably this lovely piece of Spanish architecture built in 1800 survived. You may notice that it doesn’t actually span any water. This is because when the Hagatna, the capital was rebuilt after the war, the river was diverted, and a park created in the area.
You can’t get far without some reminder of the war in the Pacific, so we managed to see one more memorial before we got to dinner. Hershel “Woody’ Williams received the Congressional Medal of Honour in 1945 for his “valiant devotion to duty” and “enabled his company to reach its objective”. He came into contact with families when delivering telegrams informing them of the death of their loved one and after the war he felt “…the recognition of the families lost in military service was inadequate’ so formed the Woody Williams Foundation.
So this monument is one of his Gold Star Families Monument. It was dedicated on 21 July 2022. It was really beautiful and had many parts to it but I particularly loved this sculpture, it brought tears to my eyes. A mother receiving notice her son has died, serving his country.
Sadly Woody, a liberator of Guam died before he was able to return to see the monument unveiled, though his Foundation has seen many erected across America and continues on with his vision.
Hershel “Woody Williams 1923-2022
Motto: “The Cause is Greater than I…”
Run to Paradise 