Epilogue

My last Hafa Adai,

So as some of you might have read in my last blog, I was finishing up my contract at PIC, leaving island, but returning in a month to eagerly pursue a career with the Guam Fire Department. Well, after much kicking and screaming, I have accepted the fact that GFD isn't for me and that I need to get back out there and see some more of this beautiful world we have. Before I indulge you on my soon to be reality, let me recap the last couple of months of me being here upon my return.

Once realizing the fire department was going to be taking a while, I knew I was going to need some way to support myself during my time out here, so through a connection made while working at PIC, I was given a job at a beach bar, bar tending a few nights a week. Being that this beach bar was the brand new hot spot in Guam, it turned out to be surprisingly lucrative for me during the short time I worked there. So much so that I was able to plan a 3 month trip based on the funds. But we'll get to that in just a bit. Being that bar tenders work all sorts of arbitrary hours, I found myself having quite a bit of time to continue exploring the island. I saw more waterfalls, deeper caves, and even climbed a mountain! Well, mountainous for Guam. More like a large hill, but it allowed for a spectacular view of the entire island. North to South, East to West, I was able to see it all from this "high altitude" and what a view it was. The water falls explored may have not been as exciting as my writings on Tarzan falls, however they did make for a great hike going straight downstream, rock climbing down each waterfall, continuing through the lush green landscape and cool, clear water. And of course, I had to spend one of my final days at my most favorite beach in the whole wide world. Ratidian. So majestic and tranquil you could just forget about everything and be completely content just laying on the white sandy shore. I know I mentioned this before, but I surely will miss this beautiful island.

My last week was spent saying goodbye to friends, teammates and co-workers and what a fun week it was. The water polo team took me out to one of my favorite restaurants on island called Mermaids. We all talked about past games and tournaments ahead and what sort of travels I had in front of me. That team was really the reason why I came back to Guam. Each of them helped me out in some sort of way that got me back out to Guam. Truly some of the most genuine, caring individuals I have met yet.

So now for some more interesting news. One of my best buddies, Ryan Priest, had me promise him before he left Guam that I would travel with him if I didn't get the firefighting job. This guy has been all over South East Asia traveling for the past 3 or 4 months, and now I am going to be meeting up with him in Nepal to trek Mount Everest. It is a 17 day trek that will take us up to the base camp of Mount Everest, and then to a few different peaks around Everest. We aren't able to do the summit due to financial restraints and our time schedule, but what we are doing should be quite amazing to say the least. After we trek Everest, we plan on returning back to Kathmandu for the  "Festival of Lights" which is supposedly an annual event that is the biggest celebration of the year among the Nepali people. This four day festival will be celebrating family, friends, life and togetherness. I cannot wait to immerse myself in this unique culture and explore their traditions.

After Nepal, Priest and I will then travel to India where we will see the famous Taj Mahal, Veranassi, Ganges river and something I am particularly excited for, the annual Rajastan Camel Festival. This beautiful state  is home to one of the largest gatherings of people and camels in the world! At this festival they will be trading, selling, and best of all racing these camels. If I'm lucky, I might even be able to hop on one and get in on a race. My travels to Southern India while studying abroad were unforgettable and I am very eager to now explore the North and all it has to offer.

Since I'll be all the way on this side of the world, I have decided to explore Thailand with a few friends. This trip has so much in store. My buddy Priest just got done doing a month there and after hearing his stories, I'll be sure to make some memories of my own after trekking from Chengmai all the way down to Phuket. I have heard so many great things from so many people about Thailand, I cannot wait to explore it for myself.

After doing a month in Thailand I will be heading to New Zealand in January where I have a job lined up working for an Amphibious Boat Tour company. They are old WWII boats that can both drive on land and in water. The company is based out of the small chain of lakes in Rotarua NZ. Sounds a bit quirky, I know, but it will put my year long NZ work visa to good use which will set me up with the financial backing to do some more traveling around the North and South islands of New Zealand. I plan on making a surf adventure out of my time in NZ because of the amazing surf it has. I'll start in the North in a small surf town called Raglan, then head to Tauranga, and then start zig-zagging my way South the Blenheim, Seddon and other surf destinations.

Here are some pictures, and a video at the end, of my last month in Guam.

Love and miss you..

                                                               Cliff line in Tumon Bay

                                                                            Last Cliff Jump!

                                                                Cruisin through the jungle

                                                              Mount Lam Lam lookout

                                                             Tarzan Falls Waterfall repel

                                                                  Tarzan Falls

                                                                

The Last Hurrah...Or is it?

Well, like all good things, my time here at PIC has come to an end. I am writing this blog on my final day here at the resort with my bags packed, sitting next to the door, waiting to be carried thousands of miles back to where they came. What a surreal experience this has all been. I used to joke and say how this is all just some magical dream full of adventure and wonder and how at any moment I would wake up, rub my eyes and smile at the spectacular contingencies that subconsciously took place.

These last few weeks here have been anything but dull. I came back to my true love of surfing, which has been an incredible, whole new experience for me here in Guam. For the longest time I couldn't find anyone that had extra surf boards or knew which surf spots worked during certain swell, but for the past two months, I have found those friends and have been loving every minute of it. Well, almost every minute of it. Surfing here in Guam is like nothing I have done before. Paddling through the crystal clear waters is breathtaking, seeing all of the beauty below and looking up and seeing perfect barreling waves coming in one after the other.  But the real fun is when you drop in on a wave and it is almost as if you are soaring over glass, looking through a window to the coral reef, fish, and life below. The first time I dropped in on a wave I almost didn't look back up, I was so taken by how resplendent the reef below me was. Back home, surfing waves in California, I never get to see what is below me. Out here, the conditions just couldn't be better. The sun is always shining, the water is warm, there is beauty all around you. That's why the surf sessions out here last for hours on end.

As beautiful as it all is, the reef below is extremely dangerous. I found this out last time I went surfing with a buddy of mine that took me out on a jet ski to a rare surf break that not too many people know about. I had caught a really good wave and had taken it way inside, when I was done, I hopped off my board right onto the razor sharp coral reef. Luckily I had booties on (water shoes) so my feet were safe from the scathing reef below. But what happened next was one of the scariest events to have marked my life. Probably one of the few times I have actually been afraid for my life. So after I hopped off my board I turned around only to see a huge set coming right for me. The first wave hit, I rolled on the coral, covering my head with my hands, I feel the biting coral cut into my skin. The wave passed only to be hit by another six footer that sends me tumbling over the reef, just barely missing my head as I roll, and then coming around and slamming my knee on the coral. Immediately seeing my knee swell up and gush blood, I knew that I had to escape this perilous field of unforgiving coral immediately. As I stood on the reef with the water just below my knee caps, I prayed to God to get me through the towering waves that were still surging towards me. Another one comes and I then lunge with my board over the rapid white water and begin to paddle as fast as I can to deeper water so that I can escape the crashing waves by diving under them. Another wave comes, I stand on the coral and jump again into the white water, being pushed back, I fight to paddle towards safety. The further I get pushed back, the shallower the water gets, making it even more dangerous on the coral. Bleeding, bruised and tired I don't know how I am going to make it out as I watch more head high waves come crashing towards me. Wave after wave after wave hit, so powerfully and overwhelming. Holding my breath I try and secure myself as I take another wave right on the head. My mind then goes blank and now I think of nothing but surviving. I feel the adrenaline kick in. Suddenly I am not tired. My once exhausted muscles are now in survival mode, propelling me through the gargling water. I can feel my fins scrape on the coral, but it doesn't stop me as I continue to try and make it to water deep enough to dive down, away from the thrashing surf. One last wave comes towards me. As I see it about to break I know that if I make it before it crashes that I'll be free. Paddling fastidiously I dive under the wave with the board and feel the white water crash on my feet behind me, trying to suck me back into certain peril but I kick free and head straight for open water. I am now free of the treacherous waves but I am still in survival mode and continue paddling until I get to the jet ski that is safely anchored out in open water. I roll off my board and float on my back in the open ocean debilitated, fatigued and dazed. I just float there looking up at the passing clouds. I can hear my buddy Laraunt yelling towards me to see if I am ok, I blink a few times and lift my tattered hand to give him a thumbs up. Thanking God for getting me out of that terrifying experience, I give myself a once over to make sure I didn't need to go to the hospital. Fortunately none of my cuts were hospital worthy. My knee looked pretty bad and stiffened up for a few days, but none of this has stopped me from getting back out there and doing what I love. My respect for the ocean only continues to grow more and more with every day I paddle out

On a different note, my buddy Pete Larson, that I play water polo with, has been taking me out early mornings to go surf and find cool little adventures here and there before work. Our latest one was paddle boarding out along the cliff sides of the naval base here in Guam. We would paddle along and look for good rock climbing sections and then once high enough on the cliff, we would jump off into the water. My buddy Priest was with us as well this time and as soon as we scoped out a good enough spot to climb and jump, one of us would watch the boards, while the other two climbed up. Higher and higher we scaled the sides of the cliff, cautiously making sure each move was secure so that we wouldn't fall forty plus feet down below. Once we found an adequate platform to jump off of we set up and did back flips and dives down into the deep blue waters below. After doing this a few more times we just had to go higher. So up we went, climbing about fifteen more feet or so. Looking down was quite a bit overwhelming. Getting the courage to jump was a bit harder than I thought, but with one great leap, I flew out into the open air and let out a great yell to help the genuine terror that I felt as I came plummeting towards the water below. Down I went, deep into the ocean. As I ascended towards the surface, beams of light would glimmer off of the bubbles created by my plunge. Emerging from the water I immediately broke out into laughter at how much fun/terrifying that was. One of these 50ft+ jumps was enough for me. Afterwards we paddle boarded back over to shore and headed in.

My second to last day here on Guam my buddy Andrew and about ten other friends and I went out to the naval base and rented a pontoon boat. Andrew had heard of a ship wreck that we could snorkel around and check out, so we packed the boat up with supplies and cruised over to this protruding ship wreck just inside the harbor. After dropping anchor, we all geared up and hopped in. As soon as the bubbles cleared I saw the massive ship eerily resting on the sea floor. Diving down along the ship, I could see it had become an entire ecosystem full of coral, fish and other sea creatures that flourished around it. Passing over one of the windows was a bit spooky as I peered down into the dark ominous hull. I half expected to get snatched up by some large sea monster, or see a ghost glare at me from one of the gloomy dark areas of the ship. As I continued along the shipwreck I could see all sorts of interesting coral growing right off the sides of the ship. Beautiful, small schools of fish would scurry as I glided over them. Coming to the bow of the ship, there were certain port holes that you could swim through to see the inside of the ship. I didn't chance the swim through and neither did the rest of the group. The ship wreck was great, but we didn't want to become a permanent member of the crew. After snorkeling around for a bit longer we all headed back on the pontoon boat and lounged and relaxed, enjoying the day, until it started to pour rain on us. Luckily here in Guam, it never really gets too cold, so even though it rained quite a bit, it was still a pleasant afternoon.

The rest of my time here has been spent with great friends saying my goodbyes and see you soons. It is crazy how fast this all went by. It seems like just the other day I was coming to PIC for the first time in the shuttle, bright eyed and so eager to explore this beautiful island. This is an amazing place that I will never forget. I love it so much here that I am going to try and live here. Coming home and visiting friend and family is long overdue and I cannot wait to see everyone, but I have never been more at peace at where I am at in life than here in Guam. My efforts at becoming a firefighter here in Guam are still in the running against over five-hundred plus applicants, but I have a good feeling that this is just the beginning of my time here. We shall see. I can't wait to see you guys.

Love and miss you

A Typical Guam Afternoon

One sunny afternoon, my buddy Priest and friend Heidi came over to my room and asks if I want to stand up paddle board (SUP) over to a small rock island in Tumon Bay where baby sharks hang out.{Paddle boards are like large surfboards that you can stand on and use a paddle to move you through the water. Just fyi.} I had gotten off of my morning shift and didn't have anything planned for the afternoon, so of course I said yes. We set out at around 5pm so that we could catch the sunset on the way back. So off we went paddling our little hearts out into the wind, which was a just bit less than arduous because every stroke we took, the wind pushed us back three. Coming down onto our knees, we became more aerodynamic, enabling our movement through the water to become more streamline and manageable amongst the wind. Gliding over the coral reef just below us was admirably impressive as we soared over bright blue starfish, sea cucumbers, and schools of hundreds and hundreds of tropical reef fish. Everything seemed to come to life as we passed by it, most likely startled by our quick passing. Upon arriving at the small rock island, Heidi and I immediately saw a baby black tip, reef shark only two feet in length. This was the first shark I have seen outside of Sea World and other attractions like it so it was a bit of a moment for me. As a surfer, we usually don't take kindly to such marine animals, but seeing this little baby shark was not half bad. In fact it gave me a bit of respect for the creature as it gracefully swam by us and continued on its way. Heidi saw a few more fins come out of the water up ahead so we quickly paddled over to find a school of fish desperately trying to make an escape from its predator of a few baby sharks just behind.

Not quite ready to finish our adventurous afternoon, we picked some cliffs off in the distance to paddle to, to see if we might be able to jump off of them and also see some monitor lizards were crawling around that we heard resided there. I wish I had a camera on this trip to be able to show you what we saw next, but hopefully my words will suffice. So after another tough paddle we came before the jagged cliffs of Tumon on the North side of the bay. We originally made the trek to try and see the monitor lizards, however we were more captivated by a mouth of a  cave that was just barely visible through vines and vegetation that grew over it. Paddling right up into the cave we were appalled by this natural unknown hole in the ground only accessible by water, or so we though. Up in the far left corner of the cave I saw that it went deeper and darker. Taking a slight risk I plunged into the darkness ahead of me, not knowing where I was going, or what I would feel out ahead of me. With my buddy Priest right behind me, we went deeper, burying ourselves in the obscurity around us. Then we saw a single beam of light,  fighting its way into blackness. Instinctual attracted to the beam, Priest and I crawled up and further towards the light. With how exhilarating this was, we told Heidi she couldn't miss this, so she then began to follow as well. This beam of light took us into another pocket of the cave that then had another stream of light in which we followed. Shimmying up a wooden beam, free climbing up and out of the cave, we finally breached ourselves from the darkness behind us into a damp, dense jungle. Thinking we were deep in isolation we were perturbed to hear the sounds of civilization; laughter, splashing, music. We had emerged from a cave, hiked only but  a few steps and ended up at a resort with water slides, pools, and best of all a nice white sandy beach. A bit confounded at what just happed, we laughed a bit and the realized we needed to take advantage of our new found discovery. We immediately jumped on one of the slides and splashed into the pool. Walking around the pool, past the beach bar, we dove into the warm waters of the ocean. Baffled at what had just happened, we sat there for a bit enjoying each others company and talking about how crazy that all just was. We went down the slides a few more times and then headed back down through the cave so we could catch the sunset on our paddle home.

Sunsets here in Guam are spectacular to say the least, but what we witnessed on our way back, was absolutely one of a kind. Just before the clouds rolled in with nightfall, we were able to catch the sun setting in the far west, falling behind the billowy clouds, coloring the sky in all sorts of pinks, yellows and oranges. Looking directly opposite of the sunset, we were lucky enough to catch a full moon rising in the dimming night sky. It was an amazing feeling to be in the middle of the bay with tropical fish, sharks, and sea creatures just under me with an illuminating full moon rising on one side and a glorious sun setting on the other. Among the peacefulness of the moment, I stopped and said aloud, "I love my life", and then paddled on back home.

Love and miss you

Whale Sharks, Water Polo... Who Knows What's next?

Wow, it's been a while. Sorry about that. Let me preface this one by letting you know that I have been waiting for this Philippines trip for over two months now and have been training and preparing devoutly for the past 4 months. This trip went above and beyond all expectations I had previously had about what the Philippines might hold and I am thoroughly excited to share this amazing adventure with you.

Flying to Manila was spectacular to say the least. Aside from being flown business class for the first time, the lights, landscape and luminous boundaries of the city were overwhelming as I peered down from the Continental 787 jet above. A network of roadways and skyscrapers lined the ground below as if a gird that so many people lived by. I would soon be enlightened at just how many people were teaming the streets below. The harbor was a dazzling display of bright white lights that looked like fireflies from the elevation above as the boats waded to and from in the black watery canvas surrounding. I hadn't the slightest idea of how brilliant this archipelago truly was. I had always had a much different perception of what Manila would look like. Soaring over a much more rural area just outside Manila, the town was marked by lights that were entirely different, random, and unruled by the enormous city beckoning just a few miles away. The contrast was definite, exclusive, contrary. If you weren't on the grid, you were in a whole other world. I would soon get more than a glimpse of this very true reality. As we circled, we headed out, back into the black abyss of the Philippine sea, only to return once again to the majestic lights that guided our landing safely to this new haven for adventure.

After a smooth landing, I grabbed my only carry-on bag, avoiding the sticky fingers that handle checked luggage in Manila, and headed out to the street to find a cab. One of my favorite parts of arriving in a new foreign country is the very first breath of air you take once exiting the airport. It's almost like a fingerprint or a signature. Every country has their own unique emanation that I find intriguing. Once negotiating with the cab driver I began my quest to the Hyatt hotel where I would reside for the night. As I drove down the densely congested streets of Manila, there seemed to be a frenzy of vehicles trying to reach their destinations in the most obtuse, chaotic means possible. How there weren't collisions every other second is beyond me. I can remember a fire truck trying to manipulate its way through the sea of cars; sirens piercing, lights flashing and nobody sharing the same urgency as those aboard the fire truck. My taxi driver noticed the lights but only saw an opportunity to take advantage of the situation by racing behind the emergency vehicle. Somewhat appalled by this I asked if this was legal. I received a chuckle, followed by silence. This cab ride was tame to say the least. The bus ride that lies ahead was one I will never forget.

Upon my arrival to the Hyatt, I was met by my good buddy Troy, whom I play water polo with on the Guam National Team. That night, Troy and I got a little taste of what the nightlife was like in Manila on a Wednesday. Long story short, I wasn't sure if I could handle a Friday or Saturday with how wild this town was. Troy and I arrived 3 days prior to the rest of our team because we had something grand in mind that we could not pass up. After our first night in Manila, we took a flight down to Le Gatzby and then a two hour car ride down to the small town of Donsol for one sole reason. The Whale Shark. For 3 months of the year the small town of Donsol, off the South Western side of the main island of the Philippines is visited by this mammoth of a fish that just happens to pass through in a very unique migration pattern. The plankton that spawn a ways up river in Donsol, and then get pushed out into the bay, is the reason for this enthralling creature's presence because it is their sole means of sustenance. So upon our arrival to Donsol, Troy and I set out to find a boat that would take us out to these Whale Sharks. After realizing that the Whale Sharks were actually quite popular among travelers and tourists, we easily found a boat that would accommodate our requests and we set out to find the great Whale Shark. With a spotter in front, back and on both sides of the boat, we found our first Whale Shark pretty quickly. From a distance all I could see was an enormous, ominous shadow in the water. As we approached this giant I soon became aware of the monumental size of this creature. Grand was and understatement. Huge was an insult. Leviathan, maybe. And what were the next words to hit my ears as we came right up next to the shark. "JUMP". Jump? "JUMP". Jump. What I was about to see would humble me completely. As the bubbles cleared from in front of me, I came face to face with the worlds largest shark. Immediately I swam to its right side to avoid the gaping mouth, funneling in plankton. I then gazed right into its pitch black, tennis ball sized eyeball that seemed to peer right into my soul as it nonchalantly continued on its course scooping in its defenseless meal. Never have I had a more memorable moment than looking right into the eye of a Whale Shark. As it continued on I began to analyze this foreign creature. Its bright white spots against its deep gray skin were mesmerizing, confusing, amazing. The body just kept going, and going, and going. A dorsal fin finally passed. More entrancing spots and then the giant fluke (tail fin) that with one sway sent water blowing by me, causing me to fluster and go up for air. With one giant breath of air I immediately broke out in uncontrollable laughter and pure incredibility at what just took place. Pure amazement; astonishment. Upon being pulled back onto the boat Troy and I raved about the Whale Shark and all of its beauty. We continued diving with a dozen or so different Whale Sharks ranging from 5 to 8 meters. The largest around 25ft in length and as wide as a room. Basically a bus in water, however one of the most graceful, docile underwater beings I have encountered. This experience will never be forgotten.

Amidst some confusion at the airport, Troy and I were forced to take a ten our, overnight bus back to Manila because flights out of Le Gatzby were booked for the next two days, and our tournament was the following day. Just about the only good thing about the following bus ride was witnessing the most symmetrical volcano on the planet. This volcano was known among locals as "Mayor" Volcano. Truly a majestic sight to see as we were leaving the town and began our journey back to Manila. At first Troy and I thought this overnight bus would work out perfectly. We would just sleep on the bus and get there by morning and play our game and everything would be fine and dandy. No. Not even. A hardly amusing thought looking back at it now that I have been through the craziest ride of my life. First off the roads in the Philippines are terrible. Both "lanes" combined are about the size of a regular sized bus, and we were lucky to go a stretch of a hundred yards without hitting dirt patches, where the road was just simply absent. The whole sleeping thing was not an option, plain and simple. I have been on roller coasters that have yielded smoother rides than this bus. In the middle of the night, while going in and out of a sleep dazed state, I would have to position myself in  a safe enough position so that I could catch myself when being jolted awake and out of my seat by an inevitable bump, turn or sudden halt for everything from animals to people, to even parts of the road that were too badly damaged or missing to drive over. Looking at the road ahead became too stressful to endure. I still don't know how the driver managed to maneuver around oncoming buses, motorcycles and cars going 30km/hr and still managing not to crash. Once coming to the realization that I had no power over the situation it was actually impressive to see the driver weave between traffic in such a large vehicle at such fast speeds. To make matters even more tense, about three hours into the trip, our air conditioning went out. When mentioning this to the locals next to us, they simply nodded their heads as if to say, "duh, this happens all the time". We were teased every now and then by  a taste of cold air that would come through and hit our damp skin every now and then, but all I could think  about was finding a nice cool bed.

On the contrary to all of the maladies of this terrible bus ride, there were also some intriguing sights that I was able to catch before sunset. Driving deep into the countryside, I could see how impoverished parts of the Philippines actually were. It wasn't as bad as the poverty in India, but it was very apparent that the people lived off of the most minute means of living. They were organized, concise, with everything they had, which was nothing. They were clean and presentable in the most ragged, tattered clothes, hanging off of their thin bodies. Their homes, constructed of mainly of wood and Palm tree frawns were neat and cheap. This alternate lifestyle was so adverse to what I had seen before in Manila. When talking to a fellow passenger about these small villages we drove through, he said that most live off nearly a dollar a week. The rest is traded or used from the land they lived off of. Arriving back into the concrete jungle of Manila was almost startling coming from such an agronomic area.

Finally we arrived at our hotel, got a few hours of sleep and then headed out to play our first water polo match against the Philippine National team. To say the game was exhausting would be a complete understatement. Men's International water polo is played in a 30 meter pool, which is nearly twice as big as what I have been practicing in here on Guam. We held the Filipino National team the first period 2-2. Then they kept swimming and swimming and swimming. They were like fish! We were like logs. They purely out swam us, leading them to a well earned victory. Quite a bit disappointed, we figured we were going to need to rework our strategy before we went out and played the next teams to come. Sure enough strategy payed off and we didn't lose another game. Water polo is an extremely physically demanding sport, but to say that it is all Braun and no brain would be a very foolish statement to allege. Our plan of action lead us to a second place finish in the tournament. The tournament lasted two days, and after those many games and thousands of yards of swimming, punching, and grabbing, it was safe to say I desperately needed a message. So, 5 dollars and one hour later I was feeling like a noodle, ready to go sight seeing for the rest of my time in Manila.

The next two days were filled with relaxation, sight seeing around Manila, and a stroll through the park, which was probably the best part of my sight seeing in this crazy town. Rizal park is in the heart of Manila. It is filled with statues, monuments and tons of people. This park was occupied not with tourists, but with locals trying to escape the busy streets not too far away. No one had told me to come here or mentioned it was a neat park to check out, I had just  been walking by and stumbled upon it. What a gem it was. Families, couples, locals young and old all enjoying the beauty of this park. There was a fountain show going on right down the middle of the park that followed a cadence to music that was playing out of loud speakers. Lights would project up on the water creating a magical display of color and illumination. Sticking out like a sore thumb, being the only American in the park, I was approached by some Filipino locals that were very friendly and quite inquisitive of my presence. I told them my story and how I was having an awesome time in the Philippines and they told me how this park is a sanctum from the humming city just beyond. After chatting for about an hour or so, it was time to get back to the hotel and pack my things.

The Philippines are an amazing, interesting, adventurous place to visit, and I am very fortunate and grateful for being able to travel with the Guam National Team to play water polo. This trip was everything from astonishing to humbling to chaotic and to saddening, but all in all I wouldn't have traded the experience for anything.

Make sure you Click the link below for the whale shark video

Bayline view from the Hyatt

Stepping off the landing strip in Le Gatsby

Kids playing in a back alley

Rice Patties

One of many beautiful sunsets

Painting of the Whale Shark with Dollar & Peso signs on it representing the monetary importance of the Whale Shark to the small town of Donsol

Close up of the Whale Shark (video is better)

Our little boat team that took us out. 

Volcano in Le Gatzby

Water, light show in Rizal Park

High school cultural team practicing

Rizal Sports Complex Manila

Rockin #4 just like in high school

Water show

Busy streets of Manila

Whale Shark Video Here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aAHt2DAvM4

Experiencing Turtle Cove

We are at the peak of slow season here at PIC, which means there are less hours, not as many guests, and an abundance of free time to spend venturing out on this beautiful island. Let me prelude the story I am about to share with you by saying that about twelve friends and I have been yearning for an overnight camping trip somewhere on this island for the past two months or so. Until now, we had not had the resources, known the right people, and principally had the right location to accomplish this trip. Luckily, being the social group we are, we have all made friends with the locals here that prevalently helped us create an amazing camping experience that we will never forget.

The decided location was this picturesque little cove that is home to this beautiful secluded beach, no more than a hundred yards long. This withdrawn strip of beach is attached to an outstretched piece of land that looks like a turtle, hence the name "Turtle Cove". This place is known amongst the locals for fishing, and rarely do outsiders get to see this attractive location.  Aside from this cove being completely isolated, it also held tons of activities to keep us busy all day and into the night. The outstretched turtle's head allowed a great little cliff to jump off of into the crystal blue waters below. We spent hours jumping off the nose of this turtle, enjoying every second of this carefree experience. We of course brought our snorkeling masks and headed out to see the life that thrived among the coral and sea plants that gently waved back and forth as the tide swept past it. Just past the beach, no more than ten steps, was thick jungle that only when I stopped and became still, was I able to appreciate how alive the jungle actually was. The trees were long and skinny, no more than six inches or so in diameter that reached up high, trying to grasp every bit of afternoon sunlight possible since the morning sun was blocked by a huge wall of sheer rocky cliff. There I sat, perfectly still doing nothing, but at the same time hearing and seeing everything. The trees swaying in the light breeze would creek and scritch almost as if talking to one another. Towards the water I could hear the small waves lapping at the beach's shore, and only after twenty minutes or so did I begin to see the creatures of the jungle start to resume their lives. The geckos started to hunt about, seeking their prey of small insects. The black and purple butterflies effortlessly floated through the air landing on small twigs, pulsing their delicate wings. And the giant tree spiders spread out like an X in their enormous webs, waiting for their next catch to fly by.

After a while I then emerged from the jungle and walked to the far right of the beach where these shallow caves became front row seats to an amazing sight that so many of us take for granted, which is unfortunate because the sunset that was before me was one I will never forget. The entire sky was filled with radiant oranges and yellows with the now quiescent water in the cove mirroring every ray that beamed through the cotton like clouds that floated by. The hillside in the distance once filled with lustrous greens now became more and more of a silhouette as the sun sank behind them, changing the mood to a more tranquil tone of pinks and purples that were brushed upon the clouds above. The prevailing moon slowly began to illuminate with the young night's stars becoming more incandescent with each passing minute that the sun fell deeper out of sight. As I began to walk back to camp I could smell the bbq chicken and short ribs that my friend had begun to cook. We feasted on all of the different dishes everyone contributed to the group. With our bellies full and our minds at ease we took pleasure listening to each others stories, conversing among one another, laughing and feeling completely content with all that was around us. A friend and I decided to take a walk out into the shallow water to see the stars above and witness the beautiful night scenery around us. The gibbous moon was so incredibly brilliant that when a cloud passed overhead, it was as if someone was turning a light switch on and off. Even late into the night we could see outstretches of the cove, the caves in the distance, and the turtle that was now seemingly in slumber. Upon making our way back to shore, one of our local buddies brought out a guitar and began to play island music as we then laid by the glowing campfire that gently warmed our skin. "It just doesn't get better than this", I thought to myself. The rest of the night was entirely lighthearted and gladsome as we forgot about any sort of albatross and became completely appeased with exactly where we were at that point in our lives with one another in this beautiful paradise.

Sleeping under the stars that night was such an incredible experience. It was so peaceful and calm with the temperature outside being just right to where all you needed was a light blanket and good friends around you to be comfortable. As the transcending moon reached further and further away, my eyes became heavier and heavier with each crackle of the fire. The next morning we were woken up by the warm sunlight and a breathtaking double rainbow that really topped off this camping trip. If only words could truly express what an amazing experience this trip held.

Love and miss you,

See the Turtle?

Backflip off the Turtle's nose

Another day in paradise

Our own little private cove

100 yds of beach

Backflip off the Turtle's head

Look closely, theres two rainbows!

Look for more pictures to come!

Water Polo, Philippines

So as few of you know, since moving to Guam, I have had the chance to revisit my love for water polo. I was lucky enough to meet the right people to get me a chance to practice with the Guam national team. Once practicing with them it was clear that I was quite rusty, but they saw that I had a passion for the sport and potential to do well so they invited me back to another practice. Between practices I began swimming laps on my own to try and get back into swimming shape. I now attend practices regularly Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday, running drills, getting back into how things used to be back when I played in high school. I swim almost every  other day that I do not have practice, trying to get into water polo shape, but boy is it tougher than I remember.

Just recently there has been a lot of talk among the players about an annual tournament they attend that takes place in the Philippines against teams throughout Asia. Never would I have thought that they would invite me to the tournament, but sure enough after practice a few weeks ago, they sent the invitation to come! We will be playing against other national teams such as Japan, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines. Just yesterday I got all my flight confirmations for the trip, and so now I begin preparing and training even harder than before. I fly out to Manila (Philippines) for the tournament April 7th  through the 11th. I cannot wait to write about my experiences there.

Back in high school I never thought I would ever take water polo beyond the states, or even beyond college, but it is amazing how things work out. I am so glad I took that original invitation to watch the Guam national team play and practice with them. All of the guys are so nice and supportive and  it is cool to see how we all share the same love for the sport.

I look forward to sharing my water polo experiences with you in the near future!

Love and miss you

Birthday Festivities and Saipan Activities

Alright folks, I just had an incredible last ten days, so get your reading spectacles on, grab a cup of tea and get ready for an adventure. I’ll start off with by sharing that in the last month or so I have started going to yoga here at the Jiivana spa and wellness center and boy has it has been revitalizing. I was never really into yoga because I didn’t really want to pay money to have someone tell me how to stretch, but since it was offered for free and since we have some world renown yoga instructors here at PIC, I thought I would give it a try, and I am so glad that I did. Aside from yoga being great and all, I will tell you about a particular experience that I had last week, that words can barely describe. So usually yoga is held in the yoga pavilion on the beach, which is so beautiful, but this week one of the managers attended yoga and suggested we go to an even more aesthetically pleasing spot that we could all enjoy. So we follow Ed over to the elevators of the tallest tower here on property (32 floors) and proceed to take the elevator to the helicopter pad on the top of the roof! Once up there, we all set up our mats and had probably the best yoga session I’ve ever had. There were panoramic views of all Tumon Bay, the east part of the island, and of course the resort below. To top it all off we were able to see the sky turn all sorts of oranges and pinks and eventually dark purples as the sun slowly set in the sky. Truly an experience I will never forget. Thanks Ed for taking us up there..

Next we had my “Golden Birthday”, 23 on the 23rd, and it was definitely one I will never forget! So we started off on the eve of the 23rd, beginning the festivities with a mustache party, where everyone either bought fake mustaches or mainly just drew them on with eye liner and sharpies. This was such a fun night filled with picture taking, a belly dancing performance, and then ended with a live band across the street at a local venue. Such a great night! Thanks again to everyone that attended and to those that made that amazing night possible. The next night my good buddy Art (who is Pilipino) threw me a bbq with all sorts of dishes from the Philippines, including the infamous Balut (half cooked chicken fetus). This night was a lot more relaxed and chill with everyone mainly conversing with one another and stuffing ourselves full of the delicious food prepared by Art and his family. I’m still not quite sure how I feel about 23, I’m optimistic however, and am quite positive this year is going to bring much more traveling which I cannot wait for.

Now for the main event. Saipan! This small island just north of Guam is home to so many beautiful sights and held so many new adventures for me in the short time I was visiting. A bit overwhelming, but no doubt one of the most incredible islands I have experienced yet. I had four days here but two of which would be spent playing in my first pro beach volleyball tournament. So after our 3am morning arrival, we caught a wink of sleep and then went off to explore the island. One of the girls that was on the trip had actually lived here for a few years, which was awesome because she became tour guide for the day as we went from one cool spot to another. The first stop was a historical one. It was called "The Last Command Post" which was the last fort to be overtaken by the Americans on Saipan during WWII. This sight held all sorts of heavy artillery, old tanks, deep bunkers and more. It was interesting to see such remarkable history on this tiny island. Next we headed off to "Suicide Cliffs". The gory story behind this cliff was that when the Americans came in and overtook the Last Command Post, instead of the Japanese surrendering, they ran up to this cliff side to kill themselves in an honorable way instead of becoming a prisoner of war. It was a bit uncanny standing there in the same spots that many Japanese did right before they hurled their bodies off of the cliff. And when looking down the edge, it was clear that there was no chance of survival.

After the history lesson we decided to lighten the mood by going to an amazing diving/snorkeling spot called "The Grotto" which held water that was an incredible blue color that I had never witnessed before. Along with loving the new experiences out here, I also love encountering new colors, tastes, smells that I haven't had before. It's sort of a refreshing feeling and makes you think, wow the world is so big, and I've only started to barely scrape the surface. Anyways, getting back to The Grotto. Despite the impending tide that looked questionable breaking on the rocks, we decided to hop in and start swimming around. We couldn't pass up traversing around in this breathtaking water. Basically the Grotto was like a shallow cave in the water that got smaller and smaller and eventually just turned into a wall, but underneath that wall was a hole that the tide would come in and out of which also let light in that gave the water such an impressive glow. So we went all the way back as far as we could and experienced the crushing force of the rising and falling tide coming in and out of The Grotto. Half awe stricken, half concerned for my life, we would wade in this little safe zone, careful not to get sucked out,  and as the water came in, it sounded like a series of explosions as it rose up against the rocks, pushing air, and whatever else was in the way, up and out. After around an hour or so we decided that it was time to see the next cool spot on the list; Bird Island.

Bird Island is a beautiful little piece of land just off the coast of Saipan. It was so close that we literally swam there. Only my buddy Ryan and I swam out, but once on the island we began exploring all of its beauty. At first it appeared as though the whole backside of the island was flat with about an inch or so of water running over the top, but as we starting walking across this surface we noticed that there were hundreds of small pools, with one big 9ft by 12ft pool that was probably 8ft deep. In these pools were fish that had become trapped by the falling tide. They stayed here until the tide rose again, freeing them from their small natural cages. Some of the pools were too small for the fish and so we would see them try and flap across the one inch of surface water that was constantly running over the pools from the breaking waves only yards away. We had to be careful walking around here not only because we didn't want to fall into one of the pools but also because of how slippery it was. Before long our curiosity led us away from the pools and around to a different side of the island were there had been vegetation growing. we began to climb up through the trees and eventually we found ourselves grabbing vines and roots as the cliffside became steeper and steeper. The loose earth beneath us was not enough to make it to the top so we literally had to go from tree to tree, grabbing onto whatever we could so that we would not tumble down the steep slope to the sharp coral and rocks below. Up higher and higher we went, every now and then peering out of the dense vegetation to see how high we were. Finally we made it to the top where the wind howled and the views were like none other. We could see our friends that didn't adventure out with us on the beach below, just tiny specs at this altitude. After being overwhelmed by how beckoning our ascent was, we decided we had better get back down before someone got hurt. Returning to the beach was almost like returning from some epic journey of sorts. As we looked back at the island we were just sort of in shock at how majestic it was protruding from the water. Not too many people reach the top, or even attempt to climb this island. Thankfully we made it up and down with only a few cuts and scrapes.

I didn't think we would be able to top Bird Island, but our "tour guide" for the day promised what came next would put us in awe. After driving down a dirt road quite a ways, we pulled off into the jungle and began hiking up to what looked like a huge entrance to a cave. Sure enough it was more than a cave. it was a cavern descending hundreds of feet down into the earth. Standing on the edge of the cave looking down was incredible enough, but what came next was almost too much to handle. There was some scaffolding with a ladder leading down to what Ryan and I thought was the bottom of this cave but as we began walking around this enormous trench's floor, we came upon another colossal hole in the ground leading hundreds of feet further into the pitch darkness below. Once again our curiosity got the best of us and took us right up to the edge of this void of earth. As we looked over the edge we had to test how much further down it went, so we grabbed a rock and casted it into the abyss. We waited for the clash of the rock to sound but we heard nothing. We looked at each other and then back at the hole and finally we heard the sound of the rock echoing up to our ears. Our imaginations ran wild with what living or non living things might be down there. It blew our minds to think how deep this hole was in the ground. What we would give for some flashlights and some climbing gear to go down that far into the earth, but since we didn't, we decided to climb back out of the cave, back into the warm sunlight that was completely foreign to the depths of the cave below.

After our adventure around the island we headed back to our hotel, grabbed some amazing Thai food and rested up for the the next two days ahead. Those next two days were filled with some of the most challenging beach volleyball that I have ever played. It was the Mariana's Cup, which is a tournament held annually bringing in professional volleyball teams from Japan, the US and Australia as well as amateur teams like mine. I didn't really know what I was getting myself into at first when I signed up for the tournament, but by the time warm ups came about early Saturday morning, I quickly realized the level of play that was before me. I have never played in a pro beach volleyball tournament before, so I didn't really know what to expect. After warm ups, we began "pool play" which is essentially weeding out the weakest teams so that the next day would be at a greater caliber of play. To Ryan and I's surprise we won our first game. We barely pulled it off in overtime, but we did it. We soon found out that we had four more games to play that day. So we rested up a bit and went out and surprisingly won our second game! Some talk began around the beach about this young team no one has ever heard about that won their first two games, and if that wasn't enough, we ended up winning our third game in a row. At this point we were so shocked slash happy we had won that we didn't care who we played next. Turns out, winning our first three games automatically advanced us to the second day of tournament play. The next day we came out ready to go, but the teams that all advanced were too much for us to handle. Our first game we played was against a Japanese pro team with 5th ranked Japanse player Yujiro Hidaka. That game was sad to say the least, however it was cool to say that we scored ten points against them, and even better to say that I had one block against 5th ranked Japanese beach volleyball player Yujiro Hidaka, haha. All in all it was a very fun tournament that gave an opportunity to meet some amazing athletes that live for their sport. They were all very nice people that just loved playing volleyball, so it was fun to be around an athletic group like that where everyone was there because they loved being there, not to mention the tournament was played right on the beach in beautiful Saipan. The tournament was concluded with a very lovely banquet and award ceremony that went late into the night with dancing and amazing food.

The last day of the trip was spent lounging around the pool at the resort we stayed at. It was nice to my legs a rest after hours of volleyball and also some strenuous hiking and climbing. Later that day we flew back to good old Guam and back to "work" it was for me. Saipan was a beautiful place. It's incredible to think that if such a small little piece of land can hold that much beauty and adventure, then the rest of the world must be holding some truly amazing sights I cannot wait to explore.

love and miss you,

P.S. My camera broke on this last trip, so I am in the process of getting more pics from this trip, come back in a few days for some better uploads.

See me up at the top of bird island..

bird island

the calbera cave

Bonzai Cliffs

The Grotto

The Last Command Post

Suicide Cliffs

Beach Cave

Can you spot me at the Grotto

My first amateur/pro volleyball tournament

Top of the Grotto

Calabera Cave

Look for more to come!