The Island Hopper

I have just arrived in Guam, flying on the infamous Island Hopper. This is United’s 737 that takes you from island to island on your route to wherever, in my case Guam. I left the ground at a little after 9 a.m. First stop, Kwajelin. This is a U.S. military base so No One gets off unless it’s your destination and you have clearance. You are instructed to put all electronics away and there are NO PICTURES. Everyone remaining on the plane takes down their carry-ons and an official inspector person comes aboard to check out the plane. Then we’re off to Kosrae. We stop and now we all de-board; not a bad thing because I can buy some delicious Kosraen tangerines for the trip. Back on and we’re on our way to Pohnpei, another island in the Federated States of Micronesia. Folks get off and more get on. It’s interesting because all of these islands honor folks with leis that are worn on the head, but each culture has its own version. The Pohnpeins have leis that are little fronds that hang down from a crocheted string. By now the plane ride is fragrant with the smell of hibiscus - it’s lovely. On to Chuuck, another FSM island. This island has my curiosity piqued because it is known for being one of the rougher groups of locals, not the safest of the places to go. We get off the plane once again so they can spiff up the plane for the new group. From what I can see Chuuck looks like it has seen better days, the buildings are not in real good shape. The airport is much like the others, just a couple of rooms but I am disappointed there are no crafts to look at or buy. There is a large poster of what Chuuck has to offer. This is a huge diving destination because there are at least 13 huge WWII war ships that were sunk in the area. The people from this island are wearing another beautiful version of the head piece; theirs is floral with very little greenery; they are gorgeous. One young woman is in a very pretty traditional dress with her long black hair and her head piece. I would take her picture but I think it would mortify her. Now we get back on and now we are finally off to Guam. Another hour and fifty five minutes and I arrive in Guam about 4:40 p.m. It’s quite a change coming to a large airport with all of the modern amenities! I must say, my Island Hopper ride was very interesting, but the 9 hours of screaming little ones make me a strong candidate for the noise cancelling headphones!

This man from Paupa-New Guinea was standing behind me at the airport and let me take his picture. Guess what the stick is for!