One thing that probably surprises you about Guam is not the beach, not the palm trees, not even the tropical weather, but rather the fact that everything seems American when you find yourself on a little island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
A few minutes later, everything will change dramatically.
That strange mix of the ordinary and the extraordinary is probably what makes Guam truly fascinating.
Guam appears to be a tropical American tourist destination for an Asian traveler.
However, Guam is not a state of the US.
It is an unincorporated territory of the US, and this fact has a strong influence on how things work on the island.
The journey started in Taipei, Taiwan, where the flight to Guam was waiting. The flight was with United Airlines, and it turned out to be surprisingly quiet. There were not many passengers onboard the aircraft, either. It looked like the plane was only three-quarters full, which is almost empty in comparison with other international flights.
The flight was rather short
It was quite surprising to find domestic flights in the USA had previously been much less anticipated than that one. Chicken along with mashed potatoes was served in this flight. While it was nothing overly amazing, it was still fabulous to find out that one was provided with food during that relatively short flight.
Then came Guam.
After several hours spent above the Pacific Ocean, it felt very strange to arrive at such distant land. Guam is actually a lot closer to the Asian continent than to the mainland of the USA. There are direct flights from such countries as Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Philippines, and Hawaii but no normal direct flights from the rest of the USA.
So is Guam really a part of the USA then?
The answer is rather complicated.
Arriving at immigration is a familiar process. The US Customs and Border Protection service is doing it and the questions being asked are the same as when arriving at the mainland of the USA: Why are you visiting? How long are you going to stay? What do you do? What is your passport history?
The process differs in much being faster compared to what is done at
It was a good first impression.
Then came the first big challenge: the cash problem.
Two ATM machine attempts proved to be unsuccessful.
It was lucky that the traveler had some US dollars from a previous travel.
If a traveler has a backup payment method or some cash it can make a real difference in the remote destinations.
Getting around Guam required quite a lot of adjustment too.
There was no Uber there.
However, there were taxis and later the local ride-hailing app Stroll Guam was used. The taxi drive to a night market cost about $35, pricewise the same as in the USA.
The taxi driver was able to share some information about Guam.
He was Filipino by origin and had lived on the island for many years. It was not surprising since Filipinos are among the biggest population groups in Guam and an important part of the island labor force.
Guam is advantageous for many of its Filipino workers since it allows them to earn American salaries without straying too far from their homes.
This concept of culture is evident everywhere.
The night market is an excellent place to see how the Filipino and Korean, Japanese, Chamorro, and American cultures combine with each other. The market is full of street food, home products, entertainment, and gifts.
It feels more like an Asian place than an American one.
At the same time, it may be one of those few moments when one can question if Guam is really the USA.
There are also hot dogs and pizza as well as local, often exotic cuisine.
The language situation is also interesting.
English is widely spoken but Chamorro has a great meaning for the culture of this place.
Guam’s night market had provided some surprising findings.
One in particular was that it often didn’t offer cheap prices.
To illustrate this, a hot dog cost around $3–better than in New York but still higher than expected.
Food, however, quickly returned to being priced in the usual American way.
For instance, grilled food had proved quite popular.
The long lines at most grill stalls made it easy to assume that they were a hit. Someone was even reported to wait for food for as long as 45 minutes.
Such long wait was enough to convince the tourist to try something else instead of grilled meat.
Eventually, the same tourist tried mini pancakes at $15 for the amount of 15 pancakes and then changed to a cheeseburger.
But the place was absolutely superb.
The ocean lay right at the doorstep.
Here Guam was able to show itself in all of its glory.
The warm climate perfectly complemented the tropical sea beaches with palm trees and views over the ocean from any luxurious hotel. Instead, there were just hotels after hotels along the coast.
The ocean water was absolutely perfect with full transparency; you could walk quite deep into the shallow bay before reaching the open sea. It was not crowded with tourists, however.
The only thing explaining the absence of American tourists in Guam relates to the fact that America is so far from the islands.
There are no direct flights from any point in the mainland, and Americans were paying very much even when they got there.
At the same time, destinations like the Philippines are nearby and able to provide the same types of tropical scenery for a fraction of the price.
In contrast, the presence of Japanese and Korean tourists is most apparent.
The country of South Korea operates direct flight routes to the islands of Guam, which is a popular tourist destination for Korean visitors. Indeed, during my time there I saw that the hotel was full of Koreans as well as signs in Korean at the airport.
Guam is recognized as a hotspot for Asian tourism.
Then there was the supermarket.
Walking into Kmart felt as though we had entered the past, since Kmart is no longer commonly found on the mainland United States — but Guam still operates one.
Almost everything we saw was enormous.
Big bottles of shampoo.
Massive packets of candy.
Huge packs of beverages.
Gigantic bottles of mouthwash.
Big bags of rice.
It is easy to see how the saying “everything is bigger in America” has come about.
I was struck by the differences in prices, too.
In contrast to the typical grocery stores in the mainland USA, where the prices of items are subject to additional tax, the Guam prices were said to be final prices. This was a relief for foreign tourists in that the price on the label was exactly the money they needed to spend on the product.
The groceries store has also many other things aside from food.
It is selling such various items, as clothing, shoes, toys, items for the household, electronics, groceries, and other things necessary for life.
For travellers interested in the life of a local Guan, the visit to the local grocery store might give them more knowledge about the everyday life of the islanders than the local tourist attractions.
In addition, and there is petrol as well.
The price of petrol is given per gallon instead of liters, which is the same system of measurement used in the US. The whole shopping experience feels extremely American.
Finally, at the same time you can enjoy the beautiful nature of the island and realize that it is not just New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago.
This is Guam.
The island is very important militarily, which is a part of
Visitors come to Guam for its beaches and warm weather. Yet the island also has geopolitical importance.
This is an interesting dichotomy. One side of the island is filled with hotel complexes, tropical beaches, Korean tourists and food markets. The other side, however, is directly related to one of the most vital military bases.
And what about the Statue of Liberty?
The latter is not the one from New York City.
Guam has its own version of Lady Liberty. It can be found near the food market and becomes another reminder of Guam’s close ties with America. It is nothing special compared to the original statue; nevertheless, it is a good photo opportunity.
The traveler even meets Korean tourists there who also decided to spend their holidays in Guam.
It seems that Guam exists in its own reality.
It is American.
It is Asian.
It is Pacific.
It is Chamoro.
And it is remarkable how this existence is possible.
A very interesting topic of discussion occurred in relation to the concept of identity. Another aspect is that Guam’s citizens have US national identification and citizenship document. However, this does not guarantee that they feel like mainland Americans.
Several individuals interviewed called Guam a separate identity from Americans.
This is completely understandable given the island’s past and its way of life.
The United States took Guam from Spain in 1898 during the Spanish-American War. Nowadays, those who were born on Guam belong to US citizenship, but they still do not participate in the presidential election.
Guam’s relation to America is political.
Nonetheless, from the cultural point of view, Guam is its own entity.
The island was also perceived as being safer and more laid-back than some of the major US cities worth visiting during the journey.
Strolling around various quiet places during the night felt quite unlike other similar activities done in some places across the mainland. Guam was much smaller than other options and seemed to exude a friendly vibe throughout anyone’s stay.
Still, the statement was not valid at all times. However, overall, Guam seemed to be really calming.
Transportation remains one of the least convenient aspects of the island.
The issue with walking around is that it is impractical. One of the solutions is to rent a scooter. However, when comparing the costs of scooters and renting on the mainland, the prices are prohibitively high. Scooter renting fees reached about $100. On the other hand, electric scooters were another possible option, costing around $1 to unlock and charging on a per-minute basis.
When it comes to short trips, electric scooters proved to be much more beneficial.
Electric scooters provide greater affordability compared to taking a taxi and can be highly useful compared to walking under the tropical sun.
And then, there was food.
Finally, tasting the local Chamorro barbecue
The food consisted of beef, pork, rice, salad, and the famous fina’denne’ sauce. The ingredients of the Chamorro cuisine have been influenced by the ingredients available on the island together with the traditions of cooking from Spain, Asia, and the United States.
The sauce made an impression.
It was similar in taste to the soy sauce but was more acidic and much more piquant. For a person who is not very good at eating spicy food, the level of spiciness of the sauce was a little high.
As for the barbecue, the pork had a great flavor, just like in backyard barbecues.
Sometimes not the most exotic food gives you the best sensations.
Sometimes food even reminds you of your family.
The meal itself, including the tip, cost about $46.
And then came one of the simplest and most beautiful moments of the journey – the beach.
Guam cannot be considered a typical destination for partying.
There are no beach bars or crowded restaurants along the beaches but the area is quieter than the aforementioned places, with the hotels being the center of all the activities.
This could be the main reason for its popularity and attraction.
Unlike Las Vegas, Guam is not a tropical destination with lots of excitement.
It is likelier to be a slower place than Las Vegas.
It is also more relaxed.
It is also a lot more isolated than Las Vegas.
Thus, these traits of the island.
While Guam is American, it is not what travelers imagine when they hear ‘America.’
The island has American cars, money, etc.
At the same time, there are also Chamorro culture, Filipino neighborhoods, and Asian cuisine.
Then the question could be about whether Guam is worth visiting.
For someone who is looking to have really American vacation, it might be plausible that Guam does not suit this person.
However, there is something original about Guam that appeals to non-standard tourists.
It is an opportunity for you to see the United States from a new perspective. Here, you get to appreciate all that is American, but surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and situated closer to Asia.
In essence, it is America’s tropical counterpart with its own unique characteristics.
This is precisely what makes Guam important to any travel list.
Not because it is simply another Hawaii.
Also not because it is just another American city.
Instead, it is Guam, a remote Pacific island that brings America, Asia and Chamorro culture together.
