I'm currently breathing in the smells of plumeria, bougainville, hibiscus, and all these other wonderul tropical flowers that are in bloom everywhere. Add in some birds chirping (sorry, I don't know all the land birds around here!), the sound of waves crashing 500 feet from my porch, and the absence of TV, phone, clock, cars, tourists, people...you get the idea. Paradise!
Rota is this tiny (well, 85 sq km) island north of Guam. It's part of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), which is US territory or something (you need a passport to come here). Anyways, Rota is the CNMI "Nature Island" and I see why. It's one of those places still unchanged, for the most part. Island lifestyle, four restaurants in the main town - called Songsong - so fitting! The rest of the island is volcanic reefs, sandy beaches, and steep rocky cliffs covered in tropical foliage - perfect for all of the endemic and native birds. I'm not that much of a birder, but I have already seen the local kingfisher, Mariana crow, brown ground dove, and lots of noddies, terns, and herons! Ah, paradise.
I came up here for 2 days/1 night to get away, and I wish I could stay. This is the place people should (but for some reason don't because they haven't discovered it) come to get married and honeymoon. There's literally no one here! Amazing. Secluded beaches, the swimming hole, all ours for the taking...We each rented our own little bungalow (see below) and I had the best sleep of the last 3 months. Aaahhh...Okay, sorry I know most of you can't be in the tropics withe me, so I'll stop. Anyways enjoy the photos...
Our own personal swimming hole, with the ocean crashing over the lavarock reefs and forming these mirror-like pools with little mini waterfalls...
The east side of the island - the main road over here is one lane, dirt road bumping over the cliffs...and no other cars to veer away from!!
Strangling fig vines that took over this HUGE Tree
My little bungalow, where I write to you from. Just outside on the porch you can see the palms and ocean inviting me over. We're at the Coconut Village, and I think there's one other family here...
The plane we flew from Guam to Rota on - I think it may be an old Army plane or something...very boxy and old. They bring people (about 7 on my flight), food, mail, etc all on this little plane! It's the kind of plane where you can't change seats because they ask your weight before you get on and put you in a specific place to balance it out! But, ironically, I got more food on this 30 minute flight than any flight to New York! Well, not really, but juices and snack packs (without the mandatory charge nowadays)...
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