Today we breezed through Garapan (the main city on the island) and headed north. Looking for a nice place to stay we visited one resort. Its heyday had passed a long time ago. We then stumbled into Aqua Resort – a beautiful boutique resort located right on the beach overlooking the corral reef which extends well offshore. I walked out about half a mile on the shallow sandy reef until I met spiky corral in shallow waters and could go no further. Saw lots of cool underwater fish – including bright blue starfish (The Blue Starfish – now that sounds like a good name for a bar – please take my idea and run with it – I want an invite when you open it though). The sand was littered with sea slugs – it’s never a pleasant feeling to step onto one of these gelatinous creatures!
The beating of drums from the local entertainment at our resort brought me back to shore. Combining culture with alcohol I jumped into the pool, swam up to the “swim up bar” and promptly ordered a Margarita and fell into a blissful state, helped by the alcohol and the rhythmic beating of the drums.
We visited Banzai and Suicide Cliffs in the afternoon. Visually these picturesque cliffs do not reveal the pain that occurred here some nearly 70 years ago. The memorials lining the edges do. Just looking down at the sheer drop and rocky outcrops below is enough to make one step back quickly. Both Japanese troops and civilians jumped to their death here expecting capture and then torture by the Americans who had taken over the island after fierce battles.
The swimming pool and swim up bar at Aqua Resort
Blue starfish resting underwater on top of coral
The clear and calm waters protected by the offshore coral reef
The Japanese Memorials at Banzai Cliffs
Beautiful Pictures.