Out with the tide

A DELIGHTFUL respite from the daily grind of life in this beautiful island would not require one to spend thousands of dollars for an exotic vacation far away. You can have a vacation right where you are, with freedom to choose between short breaks of an hour or two or a whole day— it’s all up to you but you keep your eyes and senses open to discover places that people from other places would give a lot for.
A short drive to the far right end of the Smiling Cove Marina one afternoon some days back gave me another spot to write about and share to people who are thinking that there’s nothing interesting in this island anymore.
The tide was out when I and my roommate ventured into the dried out sea bed. I had been to this area several times before, but it was my first time to be there when there was barely any water on the sea at all. I grabbed the chance to explore the other side of the island. With my flimsy sandals, I picked my way slowly among the sharp rocks and corals, pausing every now and then to snap pictures of anything that catches my attention.
Seaweeds which look like small dark patches when the water is high bent to the seafloor as low as they could, soaking up whatever water was left.

The extreme humidity forgotten, I got lost in time as I looked up and gazed at one of the most beautiful sights Saipan has to offer during these times. Against a spectacular backdrop of blue skies and seas, blossoming flame trees dotting the hills completed the picture, making it look like this part of Saipan was in flames, a photographer’s delight.
There was no other sign of life from where I was standing, save for a few crabs scurrying to their holes and some fish stranded in little pools of water and among      the thick seaweeds whose splashes I tried in vain to capture with my camera.
Birds swooping to catch a fish or two from the water added to the beauty of the afternoon. Soon, the tide started coming back, so fast indeed that before I knew it, the spot where I was standing minutes earlier was already covered in water. Returning to the shore to sit on a fallen log, I saw the seaweeds standing up and springing back to life, once again looking like patches of small dark islands as always. Life has returned to normal for the sea creatures, breaking the brief respite they enjoyed when the tide was out.
This island still has so much to offer if you look at it with a new perspective. After all, the best things in life are still free.

Tranquility at an abandoned park

ROTA — Delightfully situated on a prime spot along the coastal road just before you enter Songsong is one paradise that you should not miss when you’re here —  Pinatang Park.

It is a huge boulevard with an entrance made of cement but designed to look like natural logs and intricate woodwork.

The gate leads straight to a long arch bridge connecting to a smaller island, a small park complete with a pool and spiraling water slides, picnic tables and benches and other amenities that makes up what perfect picnics areas should be.

I stopped by Pinatang Park one cloudy afternoon a couple of months back, drawn to the sense of peacefully quiet but scenic park overlooking the ocean and bordered by islets that serve as natural fences against the giant waves.

I had the whole place to myself and I couldn’t help but conclude that if there is one spot on the beautiful island of Rota that can make you sigh with deep regret, it is this place. Something is missing in this beautiful park —people and sounds of laughter and everything that parks are supposed to be.

The long boulevard stretched endlessly, each slab of cement, posts with missing lights, crumbling or missing balustrades, rusty benches with pieces of steel sticking out, and everything else telling its own sad story.

At the far end of the park, a beautiful cottage/bar or what’s left of it, with round cement stools around it tells its own sad story of glory days gone by, a testimony that this beautiful park has been exposed to fend off for itself against the harsh elements of nature.

A Rota resident said the park requires too much money to maintain and the municipality has no funds for it, hence its present state.

Only the profusion of colorful flowers and the chirping birds refuse to acknowledge the fact that the park is left with no one to maintain it, and that visitors can come and go as they please, at their own risk.

I got scared to cross the bridge and explore the other side of  Pinatang Park. I regretted that decision and wouldn’t miss going there if I get another chance to come back to Rota.

Soon, a school bus dropped off some students on the roadside and the silence was broken. One little boy ventured down the stairs to hide from his companions and I couldn’t resist taking a photo of him.

It’s funny but despite the dilapidation and sense of abandonment surrounding the park, I find it appealing and would have stayed longer if not for the huge, fat raindrops that started to pelt on the deserted park. I ran for the car hugging my gear, and with heart still heavy with regret, drove away to Songsong for a late lunch.

Tranquility at an abandoned park | around-the-island.

Cooling off at the Park

LOOKING for a place to cool off and escape from the humid confines of the house drove me and my roommate to this lagoon a few meters beyond the Bell Tower at American Memorial Park on Saturday afternoon.
There’s nothing really spectacular about this place. I’ve been there countless times and taken hundreds of photos in the past three years, except that when we arrived there, I looked at the place with new eyes. The tide was out, and the lagoon was almost dried out.
My roommate immediately headed for a cement bench under the trees while I headed toward the dried out portion of the lagoon and ventured as near to the water as I can, enjoying the tranquility and peace. Watching small crabs scurrying to their holes and trying in vain to capture them on lens was an impossible feat which kept me occupied for the next half hour.
A solitary fisherman was throwing his line in the water a few meters from where I was kneeling in the sand, casting surreptitious glances at me each time I took a stolen shot at him while waiting for fish to eat his bait.
The tide was slowly coming in, and the sun was getting low in the horizon. Reflected in the calm waters was a spectacular profusion of colors—the skies turning into a reddish-orange haze, the blossoming flame trees, and the gently swaying yachts moored at the dock was a photographer’s dream.
Forgetting the fisherman, my fingers got busy with the shutter as I tried to capture the spectacular view before me. Some minutes and a splash later, I turned and caught the fisherman haul in a squirming, medium-size fish from his pole, in time to capture it all in the lens.
Soon, it was getting dark and water had trickled back filling almost half of the lagoon. Loud music and laughter started to pour out from one of the yachts signaling the start of a party at the Smiling Cove, shattering the tranquility I was enjoying earlier.
I packed my gear and found my roommate on his knees absorbed in a school of small fish trapped in a pool of water under the bridge.
If you have stayed here for several decades or most of your life, you may have taken what nature offers for granted and say that “it has always been and will always be there” but try to get out sometime and you will get some pleasant surprises.

A refreshing stop at a famous swimming hole

 

ROTA — Come on in, the water’s cool. This unspoken and unwritten invitation is too hard to resist if you are at the Swimming Hole, one of the most popular and must-not miss destinations on this island.

Standing on a huge rock with my camera, I would have given anything for a dip instead of just a short stop at this place which I had already seen in hundreds of spectacular photographs and glowing remarks from different blogs and websites of visitors who had been there.

Surrounded by natural rock formations that fenced off the area from the huge wild waves rolling noisily to the shore a few yards away, the Swimming Hole is a pocket of crystal-clear body of blue water that promises worlds of refreshing satisfaction when you step into the warm waters.

The Swimming Hole was deserted when we arrived there. Under the sweltering heat of the 12 o’clock sun, the temptation to take a dip was too irresistible, even for a non-swimmer like me. Early in the morning or late in the afternoon, when the heat of the sun is not so harsh, you can float lazily around, let stress flow out of your body and enjoy a relaxing time.

Unfortunately, when you step on Rota for the first time and want to see as many places and attractions as you can in one day, you can’t stay long in one area. I had to content myself with dipping my toes to test the water, take photos and off we went to explore more of this island’s tranquility.

The Swimming Hole is just one of the numerous unspoiled beaches of Rota. It serves as a perfect getaway, and with fewer tourists, you can have the pool to yourself like one giant Jacuzzi.

My hosts Ali and Doc Manny from Guam whisked me off for a quick visit to the Rota Latte Stone Quarry before proceeding to the Bird Sanctuary, a fast drive around Sinapalo and a faster drive toward Songsong. With so many beautiful places to visit and so little time, I longed to get behind the wheel and explore the island at my own pace, something which I did the next day.

The island of Rota has lots to offer, and the Swimming Hole is just one attraction. This article was originally published here:

A refreshing stop at a famous swimming hole | around-the-island.

Brief stopover at Rota’s latte stone quarry

ROTA — The noonday sun beat mercilessly on my unprotected arms and back was nothing compared to the excitement I was feeling as I picked my way among the tall grasses toward one of the famous latte stones that had claimed a fair share of space on various websites for the past years.

I was standing at the site of Taga latte stone quarry — known to be Micronesia’s best preserved and largest stone quarry, and one of the most unique cultural attractions of Rota. Anyone who visits the place cannot help but take photos and post it online for the world to see.

I had just landed on island for the first time, and friend Ali drove me straight from the airport toward the northern end of the island which had been in my wish list for the past three years.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Rota’s latte stone quarry, also known as the As Nieves quarry, was a sight to behold, and capture through the lens.

The huge latte stone columns and capstones cut from solid coral limestone separated from each other by trenches was a real wonder. It was hard to imagine how the ancient Chamorros carved the gigantic latte stones but here was one real proof of their engineering skills.

The huge latte stones were believed to have been used as foundation pillars for ancient Chamorro houses. I could not stop going around the area and clicking on the shutter to capture these huge stone wonders from different angles.

 

Standing tall and proud on a pedestal surrounded with flowers and shrubs a few feet away from the latte stones was a huge statue of Chief Taga, who, according to legend, quarried the stones on Rota before abandoning it and building the House of Taga on Tinian.

Here is a must-visit cultural site on Rota that you should not miss. I would have wanted to stay  longer, but we didn’t have the luxury of time. We still had to visit more attractions that the island had to offer.

Brief stopover at Rota’s latte stone quarry | around-the-island.

i Sagua Spa: Your ideal destination this weekend

KARISU. The bright letters outside the room blinked a cheery welcome as Esmeralda, one of the therapists, opened the door of the room. I was at i Sagua Spa at the Hyatt Regency, stressed and eager to unwind for some precious minutes of relaxing massage.
The room was a dream for someone as stressed as I was. Two massage beds with fresh linens faced clear glass windows with a spectacular garden and lagoon view outside, issuing an irresistible welcome to lie down and relax. Karisu, which I learned later is the Chamorro word for tall bushes or reeds, was the only room with a lagoon view at i Sagua Spa, Esmeralda told me. She directed me to the lockers at the rest room which boasted of a deep round tub, rolls of freshly-laundered cream-colored towels, and told me I could take a shower if I wanted, an offer which I grabbed without hesitation.
I donned on a robe after my quick shower and lay face down on one of the beds, allowing the pleasant scent of plumeria to invade my senses. When Esmeralda started to press my shoulders and back, I gave in to her ministrations and allowed myself to be lulled into total bliss.
This massage blends long gliding stokes with the i Saguá signature scent, Kalachucha, the essence of the fragrant Plumeria flower.
With the long gliding strokes of my therapist’s gifted hands, the soothing music that filled the room, and the fragrant scent of plumeria flower, I was transported into a half-asleep, half-awake stance where I felt all the stress ebbing away from my body and the feeling of total relaxation of the mind and body seeped in.
All too soon, the 40-minute Mariana Island Signature massage treatment was over and I was transported back to reality, refreshed and renewed. Esmeralda served me a hot cup of tea after, and I felt like floating on air as I went out of the room.
Marketing communications and assistant manager Luis Villagomez said that clients can take a refreshing dip at the Jacuzzi right after their massage.

To celebrate this special day, i Saguá Spa is offering three grand treatments, ideal packages that Moms would truly appreciate—the 50-minute Deluxe Caviar Facial, an exquisite anti-aging facial that nourishes the skin with protein rich Caviar, Rose Oil, Green Tea, and Soy Protein to improve elasticity, tone and firmness for – $150; the 40-minute Mariana Island Signature Massage; the 90-minute Mother’s Day Escape Package that allows Moms to feel appreciated and given a chance to escape from the everyday stress for $180, and the foot ritual.
On Mother’s Day, give your mother the best gift she can’t forget at i Sagua Spa under team leader and therapiot Andy Roda, Esmeralda Cruz, Moonyeen Gementiza and the other therapists.

i Sagua Spa is open from 10a.m. to 10 p.m.  every day. All major credit cards accepted. For appointments please call 323-5888 or 234-1234 ext. 35 or visit www.isaguaspa.com for more information.

The ‘secret’ behind Long Beach’s rocky ledges

TINIAN — Long Beach located south of Blow Hole  is one of the prime destinations here, but there is more to it than meets the eye.

Easily accessible, Long Beach, or Unai Dankulo, is true to its name and is long stretch of white, sandy beach and crystal clear waters gently lapping on the shore.

But there is a “secret” behind the huge rocks and cliffs that border one end of the beach. My buddies Barnard, Susan and Edwin guided me to this secret spot on a leisurely tour one Sunday some weeks back. Picking our way gingerly among the rocks and avoiding getting wet from the splashing of the waves was no easy feat. Soon, we arrived at a huge cliff and I raised my eyebrows as we were obviously facing a dead end. Barnard then squatted and pointed to a very small opening at the bottom of the cliff.

We followed him as he started crawling through the very tight crevice. It was not big enough so we really had to crawl on our stomachs for a distance of about eight feet or so.  Fighting my fear of enclosed places, I crawled on, hugging my camera with one arm and groping my way with the other.

Soon, we emerged into the open. I caught my breath and gaped at the scenic hideaway that met my eyes.

Nestled amid pockets of sand between rocky cliffs and coral shelves was a private cove with fine white sand. Just perfect   if you want to get away from it all.

Crawling to the specific spot is the only way to get there, unless you want to brave the rough and treacherous waves and the sharp and slippery stones at the coral edge.

A huge hollow space with soft, fine sand beneath a large rock formation provides shelter for anyone who wants to just sit there and while the time away.

Tinian is not only rich in history. For the adventurous, the island has a hundred and one more special spots just waiting to be discovered.

The ‘secret’ behind Long Beach’s rocky ledges | around-the-island.