A brief look

From the moment we stepped off the plane here, I have been accumulating things I've wanted to say about this place. The trip here as an experience in itself, one I hope I will remember to tell. Many things here are just the same as at home with a slightly different look and feel. Others are very different and some things, I find myself doing a double-take and scratching my head at the oddity of it.

The first time I saw a carabao, I did that. And the second time, lol. One of these days I'll get a picture of one. The best description I can give right now is to picture a donkey crossed with a cow. The bodies are big and bulky, but they have large flappy ears that put me in mind of a donkey. Their tail is similar to that of a donkey's, too. I'm not sure if they moo or bray or what kind of noise they make yet, though, as I havne't heard one.

Guam is a Micronesian island located in the south of a chain of islands called the Mariana Islands. It is approximately thirty miles long and between four and nine miles wide. Wikipedia has a decent article and a few pictures of the islands.

One of the first things we noticed here (besides the beautiful sky, the views, and the palm trees) are the utility poles. Utility poles here are huge pillars of concrete. Once in awhile we ill see one of those pencil-thin wooden utility poles, often lashed to the heavier concrete ones, but the heavy-duty conrete ones are standard here. One of my fist thoughts upon seeing them was that Oklahoma needs to take a page out of Guam's book and invest in these. It would take one hell of a tornado or ice storm to take these things out. They are, of course, built to withstand the typhoons.

Speaking of typhoons, while we knew the island as hit form time to time with typhoons, we didn't realize that Guam sits in what is known as typhoon alley. So now we have moved from tornado alley to typhoon alley. And speaking of tornadoes, I do get a fair amount of questions about the cyclones in tornado alley. :)

Driving in Guam is interesting to say the least. I believe the highest posted speed limit is 45, but I know we get up to 65 at times just keeping with the flow of traffic. It does take awhile to get to places, though, on this small island. There are lots of lights and at times one can sail through them all, but most often, one has to stop for each one. Or not. Just because it's red doesn't mean everyone will stop. At times it seems stop signs are only cautions and stoplights are just mere suggestions. A friend told me that used to be, up to ten cars would run the red light. Nowadays that number seems to be down to three or four.

Often traffic here has two paces, fast and slow.... at the same time. The faster cars just weave in and out of the slower ones on the main roads. Of course, it doesn't seem to matter if one does this or not, as one has to stop at the next stoplight usually anyway, lol.

Pick-ups are a great transportation tool, here, just like back in Oklahoma. Only, here it's small Nissans and Toyotas filled with equipment, belongings, produce, appliances or people. Most often a combination of all those with people being the most popular cargo for transportation. :)

There is so much more, but I'll have to come back to this later. Right now, I've got to go get things ready for the moving truck tomorrow.