We hired a car for 24 hours. They are available from the airport but since we had no way of getting there a man came and picked us up, took us back to the airport to fill out our paperwork, then we were free to go. He would then drive us back to the marina when we dropped the car back.
So far from what we have seen everything is so clean and well maintained. Garbage bins are emptied, the verges are mowed and there is no litter lying about. And yes the place is friendly. People wave as they drive by all the time! There just aren’t that many people.
The first place we visited was the Chenchun Bird Sanctuary. You drive in quite high up and there are beautiful gardens and pathways that wind around looking down into the plateau and ocean below, and sideways along the cliffs.
Birds are everywhere, soaring around. Far down below you can see nests in the tree tops. It is nothing short of spectacular. The only thing lacking were the information signs you normally get to learn a bit about the place and the fauna that is about. However online I read that the limestone forest of which you get a birds eye view has not been disturbed in modern times and is an important roosting area for a variety of seabirds.
Next stop was the As Nieves Latte Stone Quarry. I previously mentioned about Latte stones when we were in Guam. This quarry has the stones still in place and it is unknown why they were abandoned. One theory is that the rock was not hard enough and the stones were cracking. Others theorise it was caused by the arrival of the Spanish and the the subsequent war. We will never know, but one thing we do know is that these things are enormous. I got Dean to pose on one for perspective but the largest pillar is estimated to be 30 tons and the largest capstone 35 tons, and if erected would stand over 7m (24ft) tall. There are similarly sized ones on Tinian.
We made our way towards the Ancient Mochong Latte Village and I think we made a wrong turn and went down some off the main beat roads. This was the view out of my windscreen. The sugarcane hadn’t been harvested in recent times!
But we managed to catch sight of another couple of nice birds as we drove along. A Black Drongo and a Mariana Kingfisher. If you can enlarge the kingfisher you will see it has a bug in its beak.
I loved the Mochong Village. It was located just off the road in the coastal jungle and you could here the birds in the trees and the waves crashing along the nearby beach. I could just close my eyes and imagine the ancient Chamorro going about their business.
The village is considered the best preserved and is one of the largest in the Marianas. There are over 50 latte sets, skeletal remains, grinding stones and pieces of pottery at the site. If it was the UK we would have had to pay a premium to get in, if it was Australia there would be a fence around it so we couldn’t touch. Here we were free to wander around, the only people there ourselves, and all free of charge. It was like being back in Turkey!
Investigations have shown the village was occupied for over 3000 years! The latte stones provided the foundations for residences and other structures. Today they have become an important cultural symbol for the modern Chamorro. Here are two logos where they have been used.
The pathway from the village lead us to the ocean. We were seriously beginning to think we were the only tourists on the island. We are definitely the only visiting yacht!
On our way to the swimming hole we saw another Japanese locomotive. There was no getting inside this one to pretend to drive it. A hive of bees had made there home in the engine. You could hear the hum of them before you even reached the train, and without getting too close I could see the hole they were climbing in and out of.
I was so looking forward to going to the swimming hole. A beautiful hole surrounded by reef, crystal blue water, perfect. Actually let me clarify, I was looking forward to swimming in the swimming hole…….. The drive down showed the big plans someone had for tourism on the island. Huge well built roads, abandoned hotels, even an old golf course.
As we approached the swimming hole itself, the surrounding grounds were immaculate. The grass was mowed, there were covered areas for a picnic or bbq, and toilet facilities. It was gorgeous. Unfortunately the swimming hole was a spa bath, and not a safe one either. Surf was up and waves were surging and smashing in. But it was still a beautiful sight! How gorgeous is that?
If you want to see a video of the swimming hole and the surrounding grounds click on the picture below.
We returned to Songsong for a late lunch, near the marina. Songsong is pretty small but is still the second largest village on the island. There are a few restaurants but this late only the pizza place seemed open so that was it. I am drinking Margarita’s around the Pacific and got a very nice Pineapple Margarita to have with my lunch!
Run to Paradise 