Travel

Bird Island hike

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With this morning’s hike to Bird Island, we crossed the last item off our Saipan Bucket List today! Yes, we actually did write one! I wanted to make sure we didn’t miss anything.

Bird Island from the viewpoint

According to the atlas, we’d drive to the end of Bird Island Lane and then hike down to the water’s edge. It didn’t look very far.

Isn’t this where you’d expect Bird Island Lane to begin? Me too. Pretty easy. No yellow shorts this time. The only problem was, there wasn’t a lane there. No road of any kind. There was the beginning of a trail though so we guessed we’d have to walk a little further than we’d anticipated and set off. It was an easy, well marked and mostly level path through the jungle. We knew we were going in the right direction because we could hear the ocean in the distance.

Suddenly, after walking for awhile, we came upon a road! Apparently, Bird Island Lane did exist, just not where the sign said it was! Weird! Sure enough, there was the actual trailhead too.  From that point on, it was a fairly steep descent but, like the trail to Old Man by the Sea, there were ropes to help us down the steep, slippery parts.

Soon, we emerged on the beach. The tide was high so we couldn’t get close to Bird Island itself but we walked the narrow sandy beach from one end to the other, explored a small cave at one end and climbed over rocks at the other. What a beautiful spot!

   

We’re close to the equator here and with the tropical sun beating down on us and it’s heat reflected back at us by the white coral sand, it was really hot on the beach! We cooled off with a dip in the Grotto on our way home. This time we had our masks and snorkels with us so we could actually see the fish and watch the scuba divers deep below. It amazes me that there are lots of people living on the island who have never swam in the Grotto and we’ve been there three times already!

Though this is a tiny island and we’ve explored it pretty extensively, I know that there are still more hikes that could be done and beaches that could be seen. With close to two weeks left, though, we’ve seen and done all the things we most wanted to do which is good because we’ll be busy with Vacation Bible School every day next week. Ministry is, after all, the main reason we’re here!

Oh rats!

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It’s early Friday afternoon and everything is ready for the weekend so what do we do with the rest of this dreary wet day? It’s been raining non stop for about 18 hours! Fortunately, I’ve been keeping a list of things to blog about!

With the exception of birds and sea life, Saipan doesn’t appear to have much in the way of wildlife. What it does have, however, is rats! For a girl from Alberta, Canada’s only rat free province, this was a little disconcerting but I quickly got used to seeing the occasional rat scurry across the porch. They weren’t as big and ugly as I expected them to be but when I discovered that they were raiding the cat’s dish I decided to take action. I started bringing the dish into the house after the cat had her morning meal. That seems to have taken care of the problem. I haven’t seen a rat for awhile and the kitty has learned to wait patiently at the door every morning for me to bring her her food.

Though we’re not willing to share the porch with the rats, we’re quite happy to share it with the geckos. After all, these cute little lizards eat insects and they’re really quite fascinating. They actually have adhesive feet that allow them to walk across the ceiling or scurry up a pane of glass! And did you know that geckos chirp? I didn’t. Geckos are nocturnal so we rarely see them until after sunset. I’d noticed the occasional loud chirp in the evenings but it took awhile for me to realize that it might be coming from these tiny critters. Sure enough, according to Wikipedia, geckos are unique amongst lizards in their ability to vocalize. Apparently, they make these chirping sounds to interact with other geckos. If you want to hear what they sound like, click here.

It’s kind of nice when we’re hiking through the jungle to know that we’re not going to round a corner and come face to face with a bear as we might in the Canadian wilds. I suppose a tiger or a leopard might be more fitting but they aren’t here either. In fact, there aren’t even any dangerous snakes. There’s actually a program that actively works to keep the the island snake free, much like Alberta’s rat control program. If you see a snake, you’re supposed to kill it then immediately call 28-SNAKE! Hmm… I hope I don’t see one. I’m not really up on the best way to kill a snake!

By far the biggest animal control issue on the island is the stray dogs. According to a recent survey there are an estimated 10 000 to 20 000 of them and the number continues to increase! The municipality has recently introduced a licensing program for dogs and already pet owners have registered approximately 1000 of them. Apparently, the revenue generated will be use to build a permanent animal shelter but clearly it won’t be able to house the thousands of unwanted animals that wander the streets. Sad.

Mount Tapochau

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This morning we stood at the highest point on the island of Saipan, the top of Mount Tapochau (pronounced top-a-chow). Rising 1554 feet (474 m) above the coastline just a few miles away, the lookout point at the top offers stunning views of the entire island and the azure ocean beyond. This amazing vantage point made it a strategic location during World War II. Several informative plaques at the summit describe the views below and explain what occurred in June of 1944 when the Americans captured the island from the Japanese.

Unlike our climb up Mt. Fuji almost exactly 3 years ago, we were able to drive most of the way up Tapochau. Sixty-five cement stairs took us from the small parking area to the top. I’m glad we waited until we’d been here awhile and had explored the island quite extensively before venturing up Mount Tapochau as we were able to identify many of the sights spread out below us.

Looking south toward the airport with Tinian in the distance

Lao Lao Bay on the island's rugged east shore

Looking north

The western side of the island is lined with sandy beaches and an offshore coral reef which creates a large lagoon. Beyond the lagoon, you can see US Navy ships on stand by. A concrete statue of Jesus overlooks the western shore.

There are a number of beautiful homes along the dirt road that climbs Tapochau. The road is in very rough shape but I’m sure that the spectacular views make up for the difficult access. One would hardly know it but approximately 55 loads of coral were hauled up the mountainside this spring to fill potholes and prepare the road for the annual Good Friday procession to the peak. Deep gouges are the obvious results of recent heavy rainfalls but I reminded myself that at least they never have to deal with snow! Once again, though, we were happy to have the use of a 4-wheel drive vehicle!

Hike to Dry Grotto

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We hiked to Dry Grotto this morning, a formation somewhat similar to the better known Grotto that we swam in on Sunday. It was an easy hike through the jungle and then along a cliff edge overlooking the ocean. We were able to look across the water to Tinian, the island that the  Enola Gay took off from carrying the atomic bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945.

   

Soon we reached the Grotto and climbed down inside. Surrounded by fascinating coral and rock formations, we stood inside in an open window looking out over the ocean.

   

   

The island of Saipan is dotted with World War II relics. On our way back out of the cave, we noticed a small pile of rusty unexploded hand grenades. Definitely a look but don’t touch experience!

Swimming in the Grotto

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We definitely crossed one off our Saipan bucket list today. We went swimming in the Grotto! I’m almost at a loss for words when it comes to describing how fabulous it was.

The Grotto is an amazing natural formation on the northern end of the island. Thousands of years ago it was an underwater cave but at some point part of the roof caved in and it became accessible from above. More than 100 stone steps lead down to the water’s edge. There you wait for a break in the waves before stepping across a narrow opening and climbing up onto a huge flat-topped  boulder. Many swimmers like to jump or dive into the water from there but I chose the easy climb down the side of the rock.

The water is a brilliant blue, very deep and crystal clear. The Grotto is one of the island’s prime scuba diving spots and at times we could see divers deep below us! We could also see light entering the pool in three spots where tunnels extend out to the open ocean. One of these forms a deep narrow cave at the back of the pool. We swam to the very back of it.

The water temperature was perfect; cool enough to be refreshing but warm enough that we could stay in for as long as we wanted without becoming chilled. Being ocean water, of course, it’s salty and we floated easily. It truly was a fantastic experience and one we’ll definitely want to repeat while we’re here.

   

The last shall be first…

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“The last shall be first, and the first last.”  Matthew 20:16

That’s certainly how it was when we went through immigration and customs at the Saipan airport shortly after midnight last night.

Almost 30 hours into the very long day that took us from Edmonton to Seattle to Tokyo to Saipan, Richard and I both fell asleep on the airplane. While we were snoozing, the stewardess handed out the various forms that would be needed upon arrival. Assuming that we were American citizens, she left only one form for us to fill out when we actually needed three. We awoke as the airplane began it’s descent into Saipan and I suddenly realized that we had not done the necessary paperwork yet! Yikes! The steward on board responded to our call but he was hurried and unsure of which documents we needed. We ended up with the correct ones but they were in Japanese rather than English which wasn’t of much help to us! By this time, I was feeling a little panicked and sent a silent prayer upward asking the Lord to smooth our path. His answer was nothing short of miraculous.

As we deplaned, we exchanged the Japanese forms for English ones but that meant that we had to stop to fill them out after we entered the airport putting us at the very back of the long line of people waiting to go through immigration. In our very tired state, we were also unsure if we had filled them out correctly and were definitely feeling a bit intimidated by the whole situation. It was at that point that one of the immigration officials noticed the family with a small baby just ahead of us in line. He took them aside so that they could be processed more quickly and be on their way. As he did so, he asked where we were from and when we told him Canada, he turned the family over to another official and dealt with us himself. He was friendly and courteous and we were through in no time leaving everyone else still standing in line!

As soon as we knew that we were coming to Saipan, I began to research visa requirements. As far as I was able to determine, we would likely be issued a 30 day visa on entry and then, because we’re actually staying longer than that, we would have to have it renewed for another 30 days. We had been advised, however, that we should try asking for a 60 day visa at the airport. I thought it was worth a try. Imagine my surprise when the agent told us that, as Canadians, we are actually eligible for a 6 month visa! Though we don’t plan to do so, our passports now say that we can stay until December!

Passing through customs was just as quick and easy. Within minutes, we were out the door of the terminal where we were met by Helen Ann, her daughter and her son-in-law who welcomed us with beautiful floral leis that smell absolutely heavenly. Our Saipan adventure had begun!

Norman the tree

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When I finished working at the farm yesterday, I came home and planted the flower beds, an exercise in futility perhaps since we won’t be here most of the summer to take care of and enjoy them but I love getting my hands into the soil at this time of year and I want the place to look somewhat cared for while we’re gone.

We love our yard but it will never be the showcase that some people’s are. We don’t stay home long enough, especially in the summer! One of my favourite features of our yard is Norman the tree. Yes, unlike the rest of the trees and plants in the yard, this one has a name! It also has a story.

In the summer of 1994, we were returning from a trip to the Yukon and were somewhere near the BC/Yukon border when a wheel bearing went on the tent trailer that we were pulling. Richard jacked up the trailer, removed the wheel and he and Matthew drove back to Watson Lake, the closest community, to have the necessary repairs done. I waited by the road with Melaina and Nathan.

What does one do to entertain two ten year olds for almost three hours on a hot summer day in the middle of nowhere? Hiking into the bush was out of the question as I didn’t want us to get lost or eaten by bears so we were limited to the road allowance. We went for walks along the highway, endured the bugs, read, played cards, picked wild strawberries and built a fort using trees, sticks and our jackets.

Hundreds of tiny evergreen seedlings grew alongside the road. One of them was a perfect mini Christmas tree shape. Imagine Richard’s lack of enthusiasm when he returned hot and dusty only to discover that, in addition to putting the trailer back together, his wife wanted him to find the folding shovel that was buried beneath everything else in the back of the vehicle so that she could dig up a tree! I know that removing trees from crown land is probably not an entirely legal thing to do but I also know that the ones growing along the road allowance are mowed down from time to time to keep visibility clear for drivers. That perfect little tree wouldn’t survive if I didn’t rescue it! Being the patient husband that he is, Richard indulged this craziness and found the shovel. I dug up my tiny prize and temporarily housed it in the plastic garbage container that we carried in the vehicle. When we camped across the highway from the Liard River Hot Springs that evening, I planted it in an ice cream pail and there it stayed until we got home and it took up permanent residence in our backyard. In the 17 years that have passed, it has grown into a stately and still perfectly shaped tree. I remember waiting patiently for it to get big enough for its first string of Christmas lights and then, in no time, it grew so big that it was too difficult to bother stringing lights on it anymore.

The name was given by the children who were reading a hilarious book entitled The Plant That Ate Dirty Socks by Nancy McArthur that summer. Norman was one of the main characters. I resisted for a long time thinking that my brother, Norman, might be offended. I should have known better! He’s definitely not the kind of brother or uncle who would be upset by something like that. In fact, I think he quite likes the idea. Eventually even I began to call the tree Norman.

Richard isn’t as fond of Norman as I am. With his lower branches so close to the ground, he’s difficult to mow around. Richard has actually threatened to cut them off a time or two. I may not have been completely serious when I told him that that might lead to divorce but he hasn’t taken any chances! He also complains that I planted Norman too close to the house but his trunk is actually a full 12 feet from the back corner of the garage. Perhaps Richard’s lack of love for Norman goes all the way back to their rocky beginning on that frustrating day beside the highway but I think that that’s one of the reasons I’m so fond of Norman. After all, he’s not just a landscaping feature, he’s part of our family history!

Living out of a suitcase

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Though I still love the title, Following Augustine, I might have called this blog Living Out of a Suitcase since its original intent was to chronicle our travels and it still serves that purpose from time to time.

This week I read an article about a young man who spent six weeks travelling around the world without any luggage. None at all! He took nothing with him that wouldn’t fit into his pockets. I like to travel light but I’m afraid I couldn’t quite manage that! When we leave home, we have several suitcases to choose from but we decided to buy yet another one when we were in Calgary last weekend.

When we fly, we rarely take as much luggage as we’re allowed. In fact, we moved to Japan for an entire year with less than the full amount that the airline would have permitted. We did purchase one enormous suitcase for that trip though; one that probably won’t be used again. Shortly after we bought it, the airlines reduced the maximum allowable weight per bag from 70 lb (32 kg) to 50 lb (23 kg). Filling that enormous bag while keeping its weight under 50 lb was a major challenge. I don’t think they even make suitcases that big anymore. It’s so large that I could almost pack myself in it! Hmm… I’ll definitely have to remember that idea for future games of hide-and-seek with the grandchildren!

where's Gram?

Our most interesting and innovative piece of luggage is the two piece Mountain Equipment Coop backpack that Richard received from his school staff as a retirement gift. Attached together, the two multi pocketed bags are big enough that they have to fly as checked baggage but when separated, the larger wheeled pack and the smaller detachable day pack can travel as carry ons. They were absolutely perfect for short trips within Japan and also wandered Korea, Vietnam and Cambodia with us.

this + this

= this

We bought this set as an early retirement gift to ourselves when we made our first trip to Japan in 2005. They replaced the old soft sided suitcases that we’d been using for many years; some since my university days. Those ones didn’t have wheels which have to be the best addition to suitcase technology yet. The smaller one can go as either checked baggage or carry on and it’s great for overnight trips. The larger one serves us well when we’re away from home for several days.  Together they don’t give us quite enough space for longer trips like our upcoming two month sojourn to Saipan though.

On our recent six week trip to Japan, we took the set of two and the MEC backpack but that proved a bit awkward. Two people trying to push, pull or carry three pieces of luggage through crowded airports and on and off trains is just too difficult. Though the airlines permit international travellers to check two bags each, we’ve decided that the best rule of thumb is one person, one bag. That’s why we went shopping for yet another one similar in size to the larger one shown above.

We may not be willing or able to travel the world with nothing but what we can fit in our pockets but I’m completely confident that with one good sized suitcase each and a small carry on to hold a few essentials to tide us over if those suitcases don’t arrive at our destination at the same time as we do, we could travel indefinitely.

Don’t light my own torch!

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I had hoped to book our tickets to Saipan this week. In fact, I woke up in the wee hours of Monday morning feeling very stressed because this hadn’t already been done. We’re not actually going until sometime in mid June but I like to take care of things like this well in advance. This time, however, our travel plans depend on other people. We thought we had pretty much nailed down the dates that we’d be needed with the missionaries that we’ll be covering for but then news came of a possible youth retreat that they’d like us to be involved in. Not a problem! In fact, that sounds pretty exciting to us but now we have to wait on someone else’s plans as this would involve another person coming from off island to do the retreat.

So what was I doing Monday morning? Fretting. Stressing. Worrying. Wondering if I should simply pick some dates and go ahead and book our tickets.

Then God spoke! No, I didn’t hear a booming voice from heaven but I definitely heard him loud and clear. He could have said, “Be patient you silly, foolish child and let me take care of things or you’ll mess them up for sure!” but he’s kinder than that and perhaps a little more subtle.

I sat down to review the previous week’s homework in preparation for that evening’s Beth Moore Bible study and Isaiah 50:10b-11 jumped out at me:

“Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God. But now, all you who light fires and provide yourselves with flaming torches, go, walk in the light of your fires and of the torches you have set ablaze. This is what you shall receive from my hand: You will lie down in torment.”

It’s amazing how that happens; how God seems to know exactly what we need to hear and when we need to hear it! It’s so easy for me to want to take things into my own hands, to light my own torch and try to find the path on my own but God was reminding me to trust in him and to wait on his leading. So now there’s a highlighted note to self in the margin of my Bible study workbook:

Don’t light my own torch!

Instead, I’ll wait (patiently, I hope!) until we’re given a better idea when we need to be on Saipan and then I’ll book our tickets accordingly.


Walking around the world

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English countryside

I went for a walk in the English countryside this afternoon without ever leaving home! Yesterday, it was scenic Argyll in Scotland and perhaps tomorrow I’ll choose a segment of Italy’s Appian Way, the most historic road in the world.

Scotland

How is this possible? It’s easy with virtual walk DVDs from VITA Digital Productions! My sister got several of them for Christmas and after using them for the past three months, she loaned them to me. I rearranged the basement so that its tiny TV is right in front of the treadmill and off I went!

I’ve walked well over 200 miles since the beginning of September, many of them on the treadmill. That can get really boring but with these videos, time flies by and I hardly notice how far I’ve walked. Most of the videos are filmed at approximately 3 miles per hour, a little slower than I usually walk but that doesn’t seem to present a problem. It just gives me a little longer to notice details along the way. Argyll is actually one of VITA Digital’s Virtual Jog/Bike Ride videos so it was filmed at a much faster speed but even that seems to work. It’s a wee bit disorienting when the film speeds up on a downhill slope but so far, I’ve managed not to lose my balance!

All of the videos were recorded with natural sounds so as I walk, I can hear birds singing, water splashing or cars passing by. Some also have a music option so if I choose, I can put on my virtual earphones and listen to that instead.

I love visiting new and different places and have always considered walking the best way to see the sights but until we pack our suitcases again and head off to another foreign land, these DVDs will help satisfy my gypsy longings. In fact, I’ve already ordered four more of them. Soon I’ll be able to look down on the Mediterranean as I stroll the Isle of Capri or Italy’s famous Amalfi coast. I’ll also be able to go for a nature walk that will take me through all four seasons in 60 minutes but most of all, I’m looking forward to Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia. I won’t be able to stop for tea at Ronnie and Myrna’s but maybe I’ll walk by their house and see Lindy’s boat anchored offshore!

Eventually spring has to come, the huge drifts of snow will melt away and I’ll be able to spend more time walking outdoors again but until that happens, I’m going to enjoy walking around the world in the comfort and safety of my basement!

Isle of Capri