Driving through the back roads

IF you say Saipan is a small island and you can go around it in an hour and visit every place there is to explore, you’re right. You can drive from Marpi to Kagman to the Naftan Point and say that you’ve been around and everywhere on Saipan.
I thought I had explored every nook and cranny of the island and there is not a single spot that I can’t say “I’ve been there” already but a buddy proved me wrong last week.
Unhindered by a flat front tire and an hour’s wait for rescue as we didn’t have any tools or spare tire, we drove up to As Matuis Road past the La Fiesta Mall and all the way to the old Radar Station where we spent a few minutes taking photos of this historical structure that still stands proudly and survived the harsh elements of nature. Enjoying the utter silence broken only by the occasional chirping of birds was a real treat — no car engines, no radios blaring, no cellphones ringing, no other people around.
Driving down from the Radar Station, my buddy took a left turn and followed the rough road past the water reservoir. The road was unfamiliar and my senses immediately reeled with anticipation in exploring a new destination.
The road, which I learned is often used by bikers, looked like a dried up riverbed on most parts but my buddy drove his van real slowly, giving me the chance to enjoy the view and snap photos of anything and everything that caught my lens.
I bit my tongue to stop asking for the nth time where the road leads to. After what seemed like an eternity of humps and bumps on the road, we emerged from thicket and found that we were at the main road leading to the Suicide Cliffs.
We went down and made a quick stopover at the Grotto and took more photos of the busload of tourists who ‘oohed’ and ‘aahed’ over the spectacular view of this wonderful dive spot from the observation deck above – a spot that most people who have been living here for a long time take for granted – before driving back to Susupe to watch the sunset from the beach.
When life on the main road seems too boring and you’re following the same routine day in and day out, try to take the back road for a change and see what it has to offer. You’ll be surprised to know there is more to this little gem of an island than you think. Oh, and don’t forget to bring your camera.

Tribute to the Court of Honor

ON any ordinary day, this certain area at American Memorial Park is usually deserted except for a few passersby who jog around, but once a year, this place hogs the spotlight as the community members troop there to pay honor to the veterans and soldiers who have sacrificed  so much for today’s generation.
From afar, the Court of Honor and Flag Circle looks just like any oval area with several steps leading to a platform with five flagpoles. You can see five flags waving in the wind amid colorful blooms especially during the summer, but there is more that concrete steps and flags in this oval than you would think.
Jog around the area on an ordinary morning or afternoon and all you will see is the circle, with the U.S. flag in the center flanked by the Service Flags of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force (Army Air Corps). But join the other guests in November 11 each year and you will notice a change — the place adopts a whole new atmosphere and becomes the site where the veterans are honored and the fallen heroes are remembered for their heroic deeds.
The Court of Honor and Flag Circle is actually a memorial to the Americans and people of the Marianas who died in the battles for Saipan and Tinian, or the “Operation Forager” and the battle of the Philippine Sea during the World War 11.
If you look closely, there are 26 granite plates at the Court of Honor where the names of over 5,000 Marines, Army and Navy personnel who were killed or listed as missing-in-action were inscribed. Records showed that over 150 World War 11 veterans and their families returned to Saipan from the mainland for a reunion on June 15, 1994, or 50 years later to the battles for Saipan and Tinian to dedicate the Court of Honor and Flag Circle at American Memorial Park. Veterans and Saipan residents who endured the war also gathered at the Court of Honor after a parade along Beach Road in Garapan for the dedication which ended with fireworks and concerts in the evening.
The next time you jog or stroll around the Court of Honor and Flag Circle, think beyond the cemented steps and flagpoles and thank the over 5,000 heroes who sacrificed their lives for the freedom you are enjoying today.

Spectacular views from above

HOW long have you been in the island? 10 years? 20 years? 30 years? If you have lived here all your life and performed your daily routine all these time, have you ever paused for a moment to wonder what the island looks from up above?
If you love swimming or diving, you may have already seen the underwater wonders of the island, and if you are an explorer, you may have already explored all the nooks and crannies and followed all the roads — paved, rough and even the rarely used jungle roads at one time or another. But have you seen what the island looks like from up above?
If you are one of those individuals who doesn’t care what seat is assigned to you whenever you fly in an airplane, or go to sleep immediately even before the seatbelt on sign is turned off, you may have missed a lot.
Even short flights like going to Tinian, Rota or Guam can offer you spectacular views you wouldn’t have thought about.
As much as possible, I always ask for a window seat upon checking in, and my first glimpse of the islands when I arrived here over a couple of years ago was a long strip of unpopulated jungle areas with a few roads going around and through it, bordered by pristine aquatic blue waters from all sides. My first thought was that the pilot made a mistake and we were going to make an emergency landing in a jungle but we flew on over the blue oceans for a few minutes before I finally spotted another island — this time occasional buildings and roads. My seatmate told me the first island I saw was Tinian.
In highly urbanized cities where the airports are located right within the city limits, you may even consider pilots as geniuses for finding the exact spot where to land, but in the CNMI, it’s an entirely different story. You can enjoy the view of this tropical paradise from your window seat — an island wrapped in lush greenery, pristinely blue waters and white shores marred only by a few touches of modernization.
You don’t have to necessarily board an aircraft to view the islands from above. You can drive up to elevated places such as Navy Hill or Mt. Tapochao to get a 360-degree view of the whole island, but on board an aircraft will give you a more thrilling view from a higher angle.
I haven’t had the chance to go around the island onboard an aircraft to take aerial shots yet, and I bet most haven’t done so too but if you browse the internet, you will find various Web sites with spectacular aerial photos showing the beauty of the islands.
An aerial view of the islands at night is another totally different wonder — one you should not miss when you have a chance.

Remains of an old church

SOME old structures, when repaired, come out beautiful and vibrating with a new life, but some, especially those that carry historical significance and bear witness to a glorious past, should be preserved or restored to its original form as much as possible.
In the center of San Jose village on Tinian stands one of those structures — an old bell tower — the remains of an old Catholic church.
The bell tower may look out of place in the modern and developing surroundings, but the contrast adds to the mystic of this pre-war structure despite its dilapidated and crumbling state.
The Tinian bell tower, a central landmark on the island, was the only portion of the historic San Jose church that survived the fury of the war. Over the years, this piece of history continues to attract thousands of tourists and has been one of the most photographed places in the CNMI.
Photos posted on various Web sites showed that a small plaza was built around the tower a few years back.
The old church was built by Father Pellet and parishioners in 1936.
The old bell tower in San Jose is just one of Tinian’s many historical attractions.
The island is  littered with history — latte stones, World War II relics, crumbling architecture, shrines, old abandoned Japanese buildings and the two pits where the two atomic bombs that were dropped on Japan were loaded.
During the few times I visited the island, I always experienced the same eerie feeling of intruding into a sacred part of history —knowing that every brick and mortar, every piece of nail and bar in the abandoned buildings were mute witnesses to a bloody war that shook the entire Pacific over six decades ago.
It always felt like a sin to leave footprints on the grounds and your mere presence in the historical sites seemed to be an “incursion.”
Aside from its historical wealth, the island is a paradise surrounded with spectacular vistas, secluded beaches, clear waters for scuba diving and snorkeling, and friendly people.
To get to Tinian, you can fly via Freedom Air for $69 per person, or charter a flight with Star Marianas Air. On Tinian, you can rent a car or a scooter to visit the historical and natural sites, and take you around the island.
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Celebrating Saipan’s Katori Shrine

AN altar perched on top a flight of cemented stairs at the foot of a jungle area at the far end of Sugar King Park in Garapan caught my attention the first time I visited the place a couple of years ago. I was with a couple of friends who had been on Saipan for several years and they were eager to show me around.
It was almost dark and the park was deserted. I could not stop the goose bumps that crawled up my spine as I ventured farther beyond the altar.
Out of habit, I fished out my camera from my bag and started taking photos without thinking if it was allowed or not. I knew the place was sacred and held some piece of significant history.  I returned later in broad daylight to get brighter photos.
My friends just told me that the place was Sugar King Park, but it was not until much later that I learned its name: Katori Shrine.
Information from the Internet showed that the original Katori Jinja or shrine was built on Saipan in 1911 during the Japanese era.  Fire destroyed the shrine in 1944 during World War 11 but 40 years later, the then-Marianas Visitors Bureau and the Katori Federation joined hands in re-establishing the site.
Tomorrow morning, the spotlights will be focused on the Katori Shrine as it hosts dozens of religious followers and visitors from Japan for the annual memorial ceremony.
If you have been around for a long time and have not visited the Katori Shrine, think about taking some time off tomorrow to join the rest of the visitors in celebrating the shrine’s 25th anniversary.
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Apparition at Santa Lourdes Grotto

THE date was December 26, 1995, and it was his visit to Saipan. Manny Duenas, born on Guam but whose family moved to the mainland in the early 1970s, was touring the island with a friend following a business meeting.
Duenas told the Variety that his friend suggested visiting the Santa Lourdes Shrine on Capitol Hill to which he immediately agreed.
“We arrived at the grotto about 1:30 in the afternoon, and I felt the very peaceful and calming nature there,” Duenas said.
He said that he immediately felt the presence of the Virgin Mary so he began his prayers with her at the altar.
As he was praying, he said a busload of tourists arrived at the grotto and everybody wanted to have souvenir photos at the altar. Duenas said he waited until the tourists left the area, before he asked his friend to have his picture taken at the altar, too.
“We took several pictures at the grotto before our journey home.  It wasn’t until I had those pictures developed, that I realized how “special and sacred” that grotto is,” Duenas said.
He said that each picture came out with fine color and detail, but when he came across his picture at the altar, he felt truly blessed and deeply amazed.
“The Virgin Mary was there with me, it wasn’t just a feeling,” Duenas said.
“I believed the Santa Lourdes Grotto and my spiritual experience is a sign that the Virgin Mary is still calling us to gather and pray for peace and to remember our Faith in God and the Holy Trinity,” Duenas said.
One of Duenas’ spiritual revelations was aired on Fox40 news back in March 9, 2008. In the interview, Duenas told Sacramento reporter Jamie Soriano that he found the image of the holy virgin in a palm branch in his backyard in Citrus Heights, California.
Duenas said that he was doing some yardwork when he saw what he believed was the image of the holy virgin with the baby Jesus cradled in her arms.
“I was just doing my work but for some reason, when I got to the second branch, I had the goose bumps when I saw the image, so I shared what I saw with my family,” Duenas said.
The interview, viewed by almost 10,000 people and which can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bXA3hmYXnM got a fair share of comments and reactions from people who believe and those who don’t believe in him.
Duenas said he is planning to come back to Santa Lourdes shrine on December 26 and offer a mass or rosary to commemorate the 15th year anniversary when he saw the apparition there.
Duenas was born in Dededo Village on Guam with 12 siblings. He had been to Guam only on four occasions since his family moved to California in 1972 and his last visit on Guam was in 2004. He now resides in northern California East of Sacramento. Duenas is married with seven children and three grandchildren.

Discovering a secret cove

IF you are looking for a long stretch of soft, sandy beach with gentle waves lapping on the shores, it is not the place you are looking for, but this beach located at the very tip of the southern part of Saipan is one of the island’s attractions that continue to draw in both locals and tourists each day.
The remoteness could be one of its added attractions because unlike the other beaches in the island, you have to drive it rough for a minutes past the landfill in Marpi and walk the last few meters down before you can get to the beach, or take the more scenic route and walk for an hour or so through the jungles in Banzai Cliff. If you go hiking through the jungle, seeing World War 2 relics scattered along the way, hundreds of butterflies fluttering among the flowers and hordes of other insects is a pleasant diversion.
Cow Town beach is not your ideal place for a day of fun in the sand. The shores are literally covered with sharp rocks and bushes. It is not a where you can run around or chase its other because you have to carefully pick your way with each step you take.
Huge waves rolling in from the Pacific Ocean produce a thunder-like rumbling each time they slap on the jutting rocks but I find the sound pleasant.
I got the chance to visit Cow Town beach one noontime a few weeks back with a couple of friends. Finding some shade for shelter was a mission impossible in the area. The tide was low so I braved the sharp rocks and ventured into the rocky ledge and discovered a cave-like structure behind some huge rocks.
The secret cove provided us some sort of shelter from the scorching heat and we rested for a few minutes before making our way out of the rocky ledge.
Unmarred by commercialization and the advances of modernization, you can enjoy nature’s best at Cow Town beach.
For years, the beach has made it to the headlines with reports of fishermen drowning or going missing, but the lure of the place is just irresistible. Visit Cow Town beach and see for yourself what this place has to offer.