May 2018 - Travel and Scandals

On this American island, a festival is held in honor of mangoes

A wide variety of mangoes greeted festival goers.

By Haidee V. Eugenio

Guam is not only blessed with sun-kissed beaches butalso with good harvests of mangoes.

Mangoes are very much a part of village life that a festival is held in their honor every May.

They grow in abundance on this tropical American island especially in the southern village of Agat, which has been holding the Mango Festival for 12 years.

A mango mascot entices festival goers to a mango slush stall.

The 2018 festival, from May 25 to 27, showcased everything mango — from spicy pickled mangoes to thirst-quenching mango shakes and mango popsicles, doughnut mangoes, mango crepes, mango pies, mango cakes and other flavorful desserts with a touch of the revered fruit.

Others came just for a taste of raw or ripe mangoes, which are seasonal, just like most fruits.

Growers near and far also had the chance to bring home prizes and bragging rights for presenting their biggest, most bizarre, and most beautiful mangoes.

The biggest one was almost the size of a human face, while the most bizarre one seemed like a horn grew on the fruit. For the most beautiful ones, their skins are smooth, their colors are orange to red, and are shaped almost like a heart.

The festival ground was also packed with vendors selling island fiesta plates (attention, barbecue lovers), other fruits and vegetables, local delicacies, ornamental plants, arts and crafts, and carnival rides such as a smaller version of a Ferris wheel.

This mango won first place in the biggest mango category.

The “most beautiful” mangoes, according to contest judges.

Festival goers were also treated to non-stop live entertainment, courtesy of homegrown bands and cultural dance groups.

Capping the three-day event was a fireworks display, transforming the village’s night skies into a magical canvass of colors.

Next year’s festival could only be even better, bigger and tastier than it’s ever been.

Residents and tourists check out what the Mango Festival has to offer.

Train rides and ‘Pablo Picasso’ in California

Editor’s note: This story was originally published in the Saipan Tribune

First of a two-part series

From nostalgic train rides to exploring Pablo Picasso’s masterpieces, reuniting with family and friends, learning history through art and architecture, visiting and revisiting city highlights, or riding a taxicab on the way to the airport with an Egyptian-American driver doubling as a love therapist, there’s always something to love about California.

Taking a 7:16 a.m. train ride was not easy when you’ve just traversed a few time zones the past days and still adjusting to Mountain View’s time zone and temperature. When my cousin and I left the house, my nieces were still asleep but I thought I was also sleepwalking.

She helped me buy a one-way ticket to San Francisco in one of those vending machines at a CalTrain station nearest Stanford University where she works. When my cousin left, it didn’t take long for the train to arrive at the Palo Alto station.

I opted for the upper deck, since I already tried the lower decks two years back. Feeling the rumbling under my feet and wondering about the mechanical processes and the sciences that went with it was just the beginning of almost an hour journey.

Do you remember those movie scenes wherein a person looks out a moving train’s window with a smile in his face? I had that smile, too, but mostly of wonderment, against a backdrop of urban jungles, residential areas, giant billboards, graffiti on concrete surfaces, cars, people going about their ways, and greenery every now and then.

The train ride was a mix of speed thrill and nostalgia, bringing back childhood memories of riding a provincial train headed for Manila. But the comfortable ride aboard CalTrain was too much of a luxury when compared to a particular childhood ride in a humid, crammed, and old box-like train car that humans shared with chickens, piglets, sacks of fresh bananas, coconuts, and other luggage. That childhood train ride seemed like eternity, despite the sensory overload of green rice fields, hills and mountains, barrios, towns, and desolate roads.

Snapping in and out of my nostalgia aboard CalTrain, the names of the places where we made stops were no longer strange to my ear every time the driver announces it — San Carlos, Hillsdale, San Mateo, Burlingame, and San Bruno.

Had I not chosen the limited-stop service, we would have also stopped at eight other stations — Menlo Park, Redwood City, Belmont, Hayward Park, Millbrae, South San Francisco, Bayshore, and 22nd Street — before reaching the final destination of San Francisco.

A ticket inspector was making his rounds. The thought of not being able to show a valid ticket, being fined or embarrassed sent me almost frantically searching for it.

In between sightseeing, I was also glancing at the people around me. Each of them had a story to tell without uttering a word. They reminded me of case studies riding Manila’s MRTs. Back on the CalTrain, one was busy with his Blackberry, while another was working on his laptop as if it were his office. Friends were having conversations in hushed tones, with occasional laughs and shrills, while others were reading either a newspaper or a book. I wasn’t sleepy after all.

In less than an hour, the train was at its last stop at the San Francisco station. The train arrived earlier than I expected, so I started reading a free newspaper while waiting for my friend to pick me up. The headline in the San Francisco Examiner was about a police chief defending his men’s actions during a shootout that left one man dead.

Before long, the rush hour crowd disappeared. A man sat beside me and asked what perfume I was wearing because he said it reminded him of a woman he used to know. I told him I wasn’t wearing any, which he and I knew was a lie. They say one could sometimes be more honest and open to strangers than the people he knows, but not at that moment in the train station. I didn’t really want to strike a conversation with a stranger who is sniffing me. I turned to page 5.

A text message came in. “I’m here.”

It’s great to see a dear friend again. Two years ago, he told me he could never drive in the city but as soon as we both settled in his gray car, everything was revealed and we had lots of catching up to do. The stories and questions kept on coming — what have you been up to the past two years? How’s Saipan these days? How is San Francisco treating you? Nothing beats the power of personal interaction when it comes to catching up with friends, despite the wonders of text messages, phone calls, emails, and Facebook.

We missed our turns a few times while navigating San Francisco’s historic districts. I was happy that he’s happy with the city. And who wouldn’t be happy in San Francisco?

It wasn’t foggy and cold as it was when I first visited the city in 2009. Anyone visiting San Francisco should not miss the majestic Golden Gate Bridge, the city skyline, the Victorian and Edwardian houses, the Fisherman’s Wharf and the view of Alcatraz, the Coit Tower and Lombard Street, among other city highlights.

I still remember the roadside parking, the red bricks and the spiral staircase to two of my friends’ lovely apartment in the heart of the city. The wooden floors, the skylight in the dining area, my friend’s paintings that, to me, have always been a celebration of colors, forms and emotions, the electronic gadgets, and the guest bedroom reserved for me! They were always a gracious host, just as they were back on Saipan.

We were then off to Louis Café for late breakfast, overlooking a windswept shoreline, the ruins of Sutro Baths, and Land’s End, which I partly explored two years earlier. But the café/restaurant was closed for renovation. We weren’t about to waste the view so we took turns taking photos.

A man who just parked his car offered to take our photos together. He suggested checking out the nearby Cliff House which, as its name suggests, also has a spectacular view of the sea besides offering hearty meals. It turned out that the man who took our photos was a manager at the restaurant. We got a free serving of their specialty pastry! You never know.

While waiting for another friend to join us, we had a relaxing walk at the Golden Gate Park, touted as “the ultimate haven away from urban chaos.” Golden Gate Park’s beautiful Stow Lake was an experience in itself. Being the largest of the man-made lakes in the park, it is a popular spot for leisure boating, strolling, and picnicking.

Stow Lake, which serves as the park’s reservoir, is a 12-acre doughnut-shaped lake that surrounds Strawberry Hill Island. We walked the trail that follows the lake’s perimeter, passing the 110-foot artificial Huntington Falls, a Chinese pagoda and the Stone Bridge before receiving the call we were waiting for.

The three of us were off to the de Young Fine Arts Museum where Pablo Picasso’s masterpieces from the Musee National Picasso in Paris were on exhibit.

The over 150 paintings, sculptures, drawings, and prints were drawn from Picasso’s personal collection, representing every phase of his extraordinary life and in essence, shaped his artistic legacy.

The Picasso exhibit runs from June 11 to Oct. 9.

As an art history buff, exploring Picasso’s world was one of the highlights of revisiting San Francisco. You could just imagine my excitement that day, finally seeing Picasso’s work in a once-in-a-lifetime exhibit without setting foot on Europe-or at least not yet. “We all know that art is not truth,” Picasso once said. “Art is a lie that makes us realize truth.”

Art exploration at the de Young Fine Arts Museum was made more meaningful by sharing that experience with a dear friend-an artist whose own artwork is no stranger to exhibits in and outside California. The other person who went with us to the museum set out his own journey.

Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) is widely acknowledged as the most compelling and groundbreaking artist of the 20th century. This Spanish painter, sculptor, graphic artist, and ceramist instilled in our collective consciousness the world of Cubism and Surrealism, the Blue Period and the Rose Period. He produced works addressing history, sexuality and mortality “filled with allegorical and autobiographical associations.”

Picasso startled the world with “Les Demoiselles d’Auvignon,” which experts say has been the first truly 20th century painting with its synchronicity of different perspectives. His defiance of convention in this painting, decried as being “aggressively erotic,” set off shock waves.

If you look at the “Les Demoiselles d’Auvignon,” the figures looked as if they were hewn with an axe and the hollowed-eyed faces became mask-like. One of the figures in the painting was presented from no fixed perspective but was showing her simultaneously from different sides. Contemporaries construed it as the artist’s homage to the shrill world of deformation, deconstructed myth, and “a general attack on the ideals of European art.”

My friend and I were sharing our thoughts about the paintings and the other artwork imposing their presence on us. We were moved by the vitality and fearlessness with which the artist presented his masterpieces for the world to see.

And while most people were focused on the images in the paintings, my friend and I were also looking at the discoloration of the canvass on the sides of the painting and the nails used.

“Excuse me, Ma’am, Sir, please don’t stay close to the painting. You might set off the alarm,” one of the exhibit galleries’ guards told us.

(To be continued)

88 fun things to see and do in Guam (Part 4)

Editor’s note: This story was originally published in the Saipan Tribune

Fourth of a five-part series

53. World’s largest Latte Stone replica. Replicas and images of the iconic Latte Stones—the stone pillars of ancient Chamorro houses and found only in the Marianas—can be seen in many areas of Guam and the CNMI but the largest replica is found at the Guam governor’s complex in Adelup.

Called the Latte of Freedom, the 60-foot structure symbolizes the proud heritage of the Chamorro people and the Guamanian people. The Latte Stone-shaped monument can be seen from flights coming into Guam.

The Latte of Freedom serves as an observation deck where visitors can take in the views of Asan Bay, Agana Bay, and beyond. The monument also invites guests to learn about Guam’s culture. It’s one of the best places to snap a souvenir photo of Guam overlooking the coast.

54. Zip Line Guam. Feel the adrenaline rush as you zoom over treetops, enjoying Guam’s stunning forest views, sparkling Tumon Bay and beyond from an entirely different perspective. With Zip Guam’s opening, residents and visitors to Guam can now add “heading to the skies” to their must-do list, especially since most of the island’s tourist activities have to do with beautiful beaches, walking tours of historic and cultural sites, nature trails, restaurant and bar-hopping, and shopping.

Zip Guam, which advertises itself as “the height of adventure experience in Guam,” is conveniently located on the property of Hilton Guam Resort & Spa in Tumon.

After getting considerable pep talk from friends near and far, I finally had my first zip line experience, courtesy of Zip Guam. It was supposed to be one of those new things “to try” right around your birthday. It’s the closest thing to flying, with especially fitted safety harnesses, helmet, and

gloves.

It has two zip lines—mountainside and ocean side—with three courses each with a length from 220 to 550 feet of steel cable, and up to 25 feet in the air. Zip liners launch from one steel platform to another, each about three-story high. It’s not something you do for only a few minutes.

The whole experience lasts about an hour—including walking from one platform to another, climbing stairwells to the platforms, and the actual zip lining.

Trevor Takasu, president and general manager of Zip Guam Inc., said he was inspired by his experiences with Zip Fiji, when he visited Fiji in the South Pacific in 2010.

Takasu said there have been inquiries from tourism-related businesses in the CNMI about the viability of also building a zip line on Saipan, but nothing is etched in stone so far.

Zip Guam is strict with their requirements to ensure everyone’s safety as to mobility. You should weigh less than 280 pounds or 127 kilos and you should fit in the equipment in a safe manner.

You must be able to walk 15 minutes uphill over uneven ground, and have sufficient mobility and strength to climb a 25-foot stairwell unassisted. As Zip Guam’s website states, “because body weight affects the crossing speed on the traverses and excessive speed can result in injuries, guests may be asked to weigh in prior to participation.”

It’s for people of most ages, from children 5 years old. There is no maximum age limit for adults, and requires no prior experience zip lining. Plus, the zip line guides are friendly, helpful, and professional.

Zip Line is open seven days a week from 8am to 5pm. The tours start every hour from 9am to 4pm.

As of this week, there is local promotional price of $30 for children 5 to 17 years old and $40 for those at least 18 years old.

For more about Zip Guam, visit their website at zipguam.com or call (671) 646-9471.

55. Dededo Flea Market. Bargain hunters or those simply curious to discover what Guam has to offer on weekend mornings will find a special treat or two among rows of new and used merchandise at the Dededo Flea Market on Marine Drive. Just be patient when looking for a nearby parking spot free of charge, or you can pay a fee to park near where the action is.

The flea market starts welcoming buyers at 6am on Saturdays and Sundays. Here, you can find everything from arts and crafts to clothes, trinkets, toys, household items, plants, fruits, vegetables, pets, island souvenir items and used car parts.

And if you get hungry or missed your breakfast trying to make it to the flea market on time, you can choose from stalls serving hot meals (try arroz caldo), coffee (don’t look for brewed ones), other beverages, local pastries and delicacies.

It was at the Dededo Flea Market where I was able to buy used and old vinyl records for my turntable. I believe I got three for $5, including a Roberta Flack record and a Cat Stevens’ greatest hits. During my next visit to the flea market, all I was looking for is that makeshift stall selling used vinyl records, to no avail. A friend later pointed me to another area where I could possibly find old vinyl records, which brings me to…

56. Salvation Army Thrift Store. And my friend was right. Salvation Army thrift store in Tamuning sells vinyl records at much cheaper prices. But you have to be patient when browsing through the hundreds of available records, some of them really old and already rotten. But at the end of the day, you still get the best bargain on the island if you know what you’re looking for to add to your vinyl record collection. Plus you help the ministry’s work.

57. Chief Gadao Statue. You won’t miss the statue as you drive through Inarajan, one of the best preserved of the Spanish-era villages, on Guam’s southeastern coast. It is home to Chamorro Chief Gadao who, according to legend, was the strongest and wisest member of his clan. But there’s also another chief named Malaguana from Northern Guam, believed to be of equal strength and stature. Legend has it that Chief Gadao outsmarted Chief Malaguana as the two rowed a canoe in opposite directions, breaking the canoe in half. Today, Chief Gadao’s statue shows the powerful chief rowing his half of the canoe back to Inarajan.

Still based on legend, Chief Gadao drew the story of how he outsmarted Chief Malaguana on a wall in a cave as a remembrance of the event. The same petroglyph or rock engraving is still well preserved in Gadao’s Cave in Inarajan, although there is still debate as to what the cave wall drawing really means.

58. Umatac Arch. When you see that prominent white-and-red European-inspired bridge that still looks new (they were built in the ‘80s), you’re definitely in the southwestern village of Umatac. It doesn’t matter that some think the welcome arch is out of place, because the village itself is rich in history as it is believed to be the first village in Guam to be discovered and landed on by world renowned Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, in 1521.

59. Magellan Monument. And since we’re on the topic of Magellan, an obelisk monument was built at the center of Umatac Bay within a park in honor of Magellan’s first landing in Guam in 1521. The monument, bearing the inscription, “Magellan landed here,” overlooks a scenic view of Umatac Bay’s black rocky coastline.

In March every year, Umatac village people celebrate Discovery Day to commemorate the historic occasion. Across the street is a commercial establishment bearing the name, “Magellan’s Landing,” with beer advertisements on top.

60. San Dionisio Catholic Church. Also overlooking Umatac Bay is the San Dionisio Catholic Church, the last of the several buildings constructed on the site of old churches. The first church was destroyed in 1681 by Chamorros who opposed the Spanish occupation. The second one was ruined by a 1693 typhoon. The present-day structure was rebuilt in 1939. Ruins of its predecessor structures can be found some 50 yards east of the present church.

61. Kamalen Park. Near the Merizo Bell Tower is the Santa Marian Kamalen Park, in honor of the island’s patroness saint. There is still debate on the original statue but legend has it that two crabs with lit candles on their backs guided the patroness ashore more than 300 years ago. The park has a replica of the patroness saint, while the original is housed in the Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral-Basilica in Hagatna.

62. Oldest building in Guam. The Merizo Conbento is believed to be the oldest existing building in Guam built in 1858 by the Spaniards to house the priest assigned to San Dimas Catholic Church. It demonstrates a style introduced by Spain and North Africa during the 1600s. The site, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is the only Spanish building still in use as a parish house.

63. Tanguisson Beach Park. One of the beautiful northern beaches on the island just outside Dededo is Tanguisson Beach Park, whose main features are picturesque mushroom-shaped rock formations off its shore. Although quite obscured by the Tanguisson power plant built by the U.S. Navy in the 1960s, the beach park is popular among residents. It has barbecue pits for weekend—or weekday—picnics. The name may have been derived from the Chamorro word for parrot fish, “Tanggison,” a favorite of local spear fishermen.

While most visitors to the beach park go there by car or pickup truck, you can also try walking or hiking to it to break a sweat, starting from the road that also leads to Two Lovers Point. Continue down a side road past the power plant that opens to the sprawling beach park.

64. Hilaan Beach. Adjacent to Tanguisson Beach is the serene Hilaan Beach or Sagua Maguas, which requires you to hike along the white sand beach. From Tanguisson Beach, hike some 2 miles north following the beach, around or over rock outcroppings. Walking on the sand burns as twice as much calorie per step as walking on hard ground but it was the least of my concerns that sunny day because the waters were rough and we had to wade in the water cautiously to go round sharp-edged rocks to get to our destination. They didn’t put the sign, “Hike and enjoy activities only if the ocean is calm” for nothing.

The hike ends at an aqua blue-water lagoon called Shark’s Hole, not because there are sharks there but because from atop, the lagoon is shaped like a shark. Hilaan Beach, with its white sand set against a picturesque mountain and green background, is a good spot for snorkeling, swimming, fishing, picnicking, and camping. But don’t just stop there because there’s still more to explore in the area.

65. Lost pond. From Hilaan Beach, a trail leads toward the cliffs and a freshwater pond, or hagoi. It’s worth any Valentine’s Day hike with your loved one to find what others call the “lost” pond. Look for the pink and orange ribbons tied to trees along the trail leading to the pond, so that you won’t get lost. While we didn’t get to see the nearby latte stones of the ancient village of Hilaan on that particular hike, we will go back for sure.

66. Village murals. By now, you must have seen a handful of colorful murals in the villages you have visited or passed by, part of the Guam Visitors Bureau’s branding program “We are Guam.” The murals embody the Chamorro’s “Hafa Adai” spirit that has recently undergone a revitalization effort, thanks to GVB’s efforts in cooperation with village mayors, local businesses, schools, and residents.

Each of the village murals represents unique aspects of the village, whether it’s Sinajana, Hagatna, Piti, or Barrigada, for example. As GVB puts it, each piece of artwork tells a story about the people of Guam—“from the historical significance of Agat to the timeless culture that lives in Inarajan.”

67. Feast of lights. Instead of snow, there’s sand but Guam does sure know how to conjure up images of a typical winter holiday around Christmas and New Year, island-style. The Guam Visitors Bureau lit up the tourist district of Tumon with its holiday illumination project.

Tourists and residents were treated to thousands of festive lights visible after sunset along the medians of San Vitores Road starting from the Hilton Guam Resort & Spa all the way to the Westin Resort. This month, however, Tumon lit up with images in the shape of hearts and flowers to keep up with the Valentine season.

68. Christmas Village. This festival of lights drew thousands of residents and tourists during the 2013-2014 holidays, giving much credence to that island-style winter holiday feel. There’s Santa Claus with a surfboard, a carabao pulling a sleigh, to name a few. Perhaps nobody came to the village without snapping photos. It was an enjoyable spot to be, whether you’re a child or adult. We visited Christmas Village, across from the Hyatt, about an hour before ushering in the Year 2014, until it’s time to watch the fireworks from Ypao Beach.

The Guam Visitor’s Bureau and the Guam Hotel and Restaurant Association used three barges floated out to the middle of Tumon Bay for the 15-minute fireworks, seen from a lot of points on the island. Now, are you ready for the next holidays?

To be concluded.