Guam: Second time around
Aired October 27, 2007
By DYAN CASTILLEJO-GARCIA and MARC NELSON


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Sports Unlimited gets another glimpse of Guam. The Guam Visitor’s Bureau kindly extended their second invitation for us to come over and join them in celebrating the 20th anniversary of their Micronesia Island Fair.

Just a three and a half hour plane ride from Manila will get you to a tropical island in the Mariana Archipelago of Micronesia known as America’s Paradise in the Pacific, Guam. Because Guam is at the crossroads of East and West, each year, this tropical island paradise receives visitors from throughout the world. Presently, regular flights connect Guam with numerous Asian-Pacific countries including Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, and the Philippines, neighboring Micronesian Islands and the United States.

Sports Unlimited was first invited by the Guam Visitor's Bureau to come to Guam in 2005. Through our show, they wanted Filipinos in the Philippines and Filipinos all over the world to know more about the myriad of activities there is to do in this island oasis, both for the laid-back and adventure-seeking traveler.

Needless to say, Sports Unlimited falls under the adventure-seeking traveler, so the Guam Visitor's Bureau last 2005 gave us an adventurous and unforgettable good time in Guam. There aren't many water experiences that can compare to the Sea Walker, the closest analogy I can think of is, you feel like an astronaut, but instead of walking high-up in the moon and looking at craters, you're walking in the bottom of the sea staring at the prosperity of marine life and diverse coral reef of Guam. The Sea walker is a total trip that anyone can do here in Guam.

Our hosts here in Guam figured out from the time they heard about Sports Unlimited that we like to see places in an edgy way. They knew we like different. They knew we like cool. They knew we like scooters, and scooters we had. We used them as our means of transportation to get around the city. Very different and very cool indeed.

Not everyone is a diver, some people don't swim. If you're one these, a non-diver and a non-swimmer, that does not mean you are going to miss out on the underwater treasures that Guam has to offer. All you need to do is head to this world class aquarium. You will be able to see all the fish and other critters that divers and swimmers get to see. What a great way to have an underwater bash.

It's no secret Filipinos love to eat, and so do the people of Guam. A favorite restaurant here of both locals and tourists is Jamaican Grille. This place specializes in fusion cuisine which captures the tastes of Jamaican-style "jerk" barbecue with local Chamorro flavors, anything you have here will definitely be a treat for your pallet.

On this second trip, we were so glad to be in Guam when the 20th Annual Micronesian Island Fair was going on at Ypao Beach Park. The fair has become a time-honored tradition that calls on all people to indulge in the rich flavor of this region's cultures, arts, food, dance and music.

According to the Office of the Governor of Guam, this fair is all about celebrating the unique heritage that is the hallmark of their island communities. The Micronesian Island Fair is this region's premier event that celebrates the vibrant, cohesive spirit of the people here and it truly demonstrates the extraordinary pride and spirit of Micronesia.

Guam is the Southernmost and largest island in the southwest pacific, a favorite past time on the island is you guessed it, hanging out at the beach. .Water sports are, without a doubt, Guam's finest offering. A lot of visitors, Sports Unlimited included, come to Guam to enjoy the island's ocean playground and can choose from a full range of activities that can take you either over, or under the surface of Guam's inviting tropical seas.

My partner Marc could not wait to do one of his favorite water activities over the sea surface, kite surfing. Back home, in Boracay, when it's the season for kite surfing, Marc heads on over there every chance he gets. This sport is definitely on the top of his favorite things to-do list. Unfortunately, Marc was not able to get a full-on kite surfing experience due to the lack of wind that day, but that did not stop him from at least getting a hold of the kite to do a little maneuvering. You can just tell how much he enjoys this sport.

Corey is your typical beach boy, surfer extraordinaire. But I'm not quite sure if he's ever tried his hand on kite surfing. He surely did not hesitate to give it a go. Careful now Corey, you could get bitten by the kite surfing bug just like your mate Marc.

I have tried kite surfing too back in Boracay, but I have not ventured into doing it with a board in the water. You know what though; just flying the kite on the beach is a whole lot of fun and very challenging. There's just something exciting about using nothing but the air to control a kite that's way up in the sky.

If there's one rule in kite surfing that I should instinctively know, it's to not let anything very light like my son, get a hold of the kite. But I figured out by now that my son Matthew has a philosophy, what mommy tries to do, I can try too. Thank God for our instructor for being so patient with Mat, letting him hold on to the kite. If not for him, I may have had to pick my son up somewhere in the water. Whatever you do son, .if you end up holding the kite by yourself, please just let go.

Ju-jitsu is a fast growing martial art in Guam, so we decided to jam with some of the best in the ju-jitsu business on the island. We were told that ju-jitsu has become the basis for the other fairly new martial art styles and is referred to as the calm and gentle art whereby pressure points, kicks, sweeps, throws, grappling and other effective techniques are combined to counter an attacker with ease.

It has been said that to attack a true Ju-jitsu master is like attacking yourself. Hmmmm, let me ponder on that thought a little more. After a little pondering, I came up with this, you may want to think twice and then think some more before messing with a ju-jitsu master. You might end up hurting yourself. I guess ju-jitsu is contagious because after observing the class for a while, next thing we knew, .we were on the mat all twisted, and getting acquainted with the basics of grappling. Wait a minute, didn't they just tell us that ju-jitsu is a calm and gentle martial art? In this position, I hope it stays gentle.

What a pleasure it is to meet such masters in this martial art. Everything about these martial artists impressed us, from their awesome talent...to their tattoos. We really got a kick coming to this ju-jitsu school.

The ocean in Guam provides a playground full of activities. Surfing, diving, jet skiing, wind surfing, sea kayaking and other water sports. If you have no experience under your belt, lessons are available at many of the hotels. Today I chose windsurfing.

At my hotel, The Pacific Islands Club, your windsurfing lessons start at one of their many swimming pools. This sport combines aspects of both sailing and surfing which makes learning it very interesting. I seem to be doing well in the pool, and my instructor says although the wind is not blowing as hard as he would like it to, he still insisted that I take the techniques I just learned to the ocean. He assures me it will be a whole different feeling. We could definitely use more wind but my instructor was right, it's definitely very different from being in the pool being out here surrounded by the sea, directing my
windsurf on my own is refreshing, relaxing and very liberating.

It was a day after we completed our 20 kilometer Koko relay race and Corey who did so well, got his reward, his long-time-want to surf in Guam. Marc of course went along with his mate and they met up with Corey's surfer buddy who makes a living in Guam surfing.

Being around surfers lately, I learned that no two waves are alike and surfing in a new destination is always double the fun. Again the waves were not as big as they usually are when the boys went out to surf but just like they say, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." The same applies here. "If these are the waves given to you, ride them to the max.”

Guam is truly an outdoor experience for everyone. There's an activity for every level of adventure seeker. It offers just what you need to keep your adrenaline running and the excitement flowing. Keep tuned-in the next few weeks for more of the great time we had in Guam. .Sports Unlimited raising the awareness for extraordinary experiences.

 
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