In June of this year I had the opportunity to stopover at Saipan. Never heard of this place before and it turns out it is American territory. An American city in Asia – closest to Japan – imagine that. A tropical paradise three hours from Japan, Hong Kong and Korea. Couple of hours from Philipines. I got to Saipan via Guam another American territory, bit south of Saipan. Guam had a direct flight from Bali. I was very curious as to why Guam would have a direct Continental flight from Bali, so during my meeting with Lt. Governor Cruz I brought that up. The answer was the soldiers at the base in Guam need some time off and they went to Bali to relax. It makes sense, although I still wonder isn’t Guam a tropical paradise as well. I guess the soldiers need a change of scenery from time to time. I just got an email that this flight has been eliminated to save costs.
Visiting these pacific islands was quite eye opening. Humans have been here for the past 3000 years or so and the Pacific is not as empty as one would think. There are chains of populated islands from Hawaii through Okinawa through to Fiji in the south. Islanders have been travelling and trading between these islands and have developed an unique culture. Historically their boats had unique design and as well unique sails. Islanders have developed a very advanced skills to navigate the oceans being able to read the waves, wind, birds and the weather.
Saipan’s recent history is brutal. Occupied by the European powers, then Japanese and then the Americans. Monuments abound for Japanese and American soldiers. I visited several islands including Tinian, the island from which the bombers carrying the nuclear bombs took off to Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It was quite an experience to stand alone on that runway, now a monument, with calm blue pacific ocean on the east, the deep blue pacific on the west over the marianna trench and imagine those two planes taking off. I visited Rota, another volcanic tiny island, full of coconut trees with a few hundred people living on it.
(More to come)
Filed under: Foreign Affairs
