Snakes in a plane and GUAM

[29palms]

Check this out......

Rodents filled with poisonous painkillers rain down on Guam in attempt to kill off 2MILLION tree snakes | Mail Online

[29palms]

I noticed on Guam where we stayed overnight before our trip back to conus that there was heavy foilage around the hotel. I wondered about the snake. I have never seen any on Guam, but I know they are out there. I walked by a tree with a snake trap. I then proceeded to KMART which was close to our hotel, has the best Little Ceasars pizzaria I've seen anywhere. Much better than the states.

[spongebue]

I noticed on Guam where we stayed overnight before our trip back to conus that there was heavy foilage around the hotel. I wondered about the snake. I have never seen any on Guam, but I know they are out there. I walked by a tree with a snake trap. I then proceeded to KMART which was close to our hotel, has the best Little Ceasars pizzaria I've seen anywhere. Much better than the states.

Just curious, was it the one in the picture here? This was originally a "mystery city" but he later said it was Guam. From somewhere in the Pacific: Questions and Answers | Trans World Expedition

[29palms]

That's got to be it. I can recognize "Two lovers leap" photograph in the third picture. The Kmart looks like it could be for certain, but then again, Kmarts are all made to look alike, sort of like McDonalds, but yes, I am certain this is Guam just based on the lovers leap photograph. The Little Ceasars is right on the far left part of Kmart as was the one on Guam. Tropical clouds look alike.

[spongebue]

Yeah, I'm positive that it's Guam, just wondering if it's that same one in Guam. I vaguely remembered the Little Caesar's inside of a KMart. Funny that it's that much better in Guam of all places, though!

[29palms]

I was there when Guam opened up. It had to be around 1994 sometime. Maybe 95. At that time, it was the largest Kmart in the world, don't know about now. I know when Kmart opened up, it virtually lowered the prices on Guam significantly and even compared to prices on base. (Military bases on Guam was always the cheapest for U.S. goods.) The Little Ceasars in Guam inside Kmart had sandwiches, spaghetti and meatballs, pigs on a blanket, pizza, crazy bread, fountain drinks, ICEES, I don't see all of those in the states anywhere. It hadn't changed in 13 years since I was last there. I used to fly down from Saipan and go shopping in Kmart, and even bring back a case of beer. Only like 11 bucks for a case, whereas on Saipan, beer had gone up significantly because the government taxed the heck out of beer. It was over 20 bucks a case there 15 years ago. I had the luck of flying free on standby therefore, I could make runs to Guam, and usually to Kmart to buy up some things I couldn't get in Saipan. When I was there a few days ago, I was talking to a retired Coast Guard guy at Little Ceasars. He was really enjoying his retirement on Guam, best kept secret in the Pacific. Cheaper than Hawaii, and closer to the Orient. Land is actually affordable on Guam. Of course, retired military can shop on bases too, easy transition than to come back to the states in the cold weather and be an average "Joe" here when used to warmer climates and be amongst their buddies. Personally, I wouldn't want to retire on Guam, however, I don't wish to retire at IAH either. But a couple of years on Guam is do-able if I had to. Still very pretty waters there and lots of fun in Tumon bay area.

[spongebue]

I'm guessing MAC flights if you were in the military at the time?

I have to admit, I kinda want to check out GUM now ... won't be able to in the near future, but I should probably wait until winter. Actually, it's probably about the same climate year round that close to the equator. So maybe whenever.

[29palms]

I was in the military PRIOR to going to Guam. I went to Guam first on board the MV WILLIAM R. BUTTON from Jacksonville, Florida, on down through the Panama Canal and all the Pacific Ocean to get to Guam around 1988. Back then, there were no Kmarts. Cheapest place to shop was the PX in military bases. I don't know if I would recommend Guam unless you are passing through. If you are heading West to Japan or China, then Gum would be a good place to stop because GUM has alot of connecting flights to Japan. I've heard alot of people living on Guam now feel like it doesn't feel like an island anymore since it has grown quite a bit, and alot of Americans, mostly military in place there. Mostly Navy and Air Force stationed on Guam. There is alot to do on Guam. Tumon Bay has some neat hotels and things like Hard Rock Cafe, Planet Hollywood, TGIF, things American that the Japanese tourist are looking for. Steak houses for example. Guam has alot of strip clubbing for the military and Japanese tourist if you like that kinda stuff. They have a saying there. "America's day begins on Guam". It's the farthest East of all U.S. possessions, territories and states. Guam is a bit expensive compared to U.S. mainland, however, like I said before, the Kmart has really brought pricing down quite a bit. They get fresh milk and butter, other goods from New Zealand. The ride around the mountainous Guam is quite scenic and many places to pull over and go swimming especially around the eastern part of Guam. They also have a set of islands to the south called COCOS islands. Very cool place to snorkel and swim, lots of Japanese tourist go all over Guam. If you get a chance, check it out. I personally liked Saipan island because, you actually felt like you lived in an island, less "Houlies" there too, no military except for the vessels with the Navy and Merchant Marines coming in and anchoring offshore like when I worked out there.

[29palms]

I know Saipan is in the Guiness Book of World Records for their fewest lack of temperature swings, and stay moderately the same temperature year round, you can almost bank on a high of 87 and a low of 76 from Jan to Dec. The surrounding water creates beautiful trade winds and keeps the island from getting too hot. Nights are very pleasant with great breazes. You don't sweat like a hog walking around, not as humid as mainland kind of places like Philippines for some reason is way hotter than Saipan/Guam. Saipan is about 120 miles northeast of Guam.

[29palms]

Another point I want to make is that the island of Guam, and Micronesia in general pumps alot of bodies in the U.S. military, and many have given the ultimate sacrifice. On Guam's airport, Pat Won airport, you can see a string of pictures of Micronesians that have given their lives in the recent wars of Afghanistan and Iraq, all lined up along a wall, I was totally amazed. So we have to be careful when you mention military because, you include these islanders WHOM ARE U.S CITIZENS and in some cases MORESOE AMERICAN than alot of Americans you find in the states. Many Guamanians live in the U.S. particularily in California and most have served in the U.S. military. They are very patriotic and physically tough. So what happens alot is "Houlie" come over from US mainland stationed on Guam and right away has this misconception of Guamanians being some third world country and that pisses alot of the Guamanians off. Nothing could be further from the truth. Culturally different but nonetheless, U.S. at heart.