The Mouse That Roared

I know you are all probably following along at home, but in case you didn’t know, the 2007 Pacific Games have started in Apia, Samoa. This has actually been a big deal everywhere I’ve been this summer. In Samoa, all the streets in Apia had banners for the games and every day in the paper …

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Final Thoughts on Guam

As I previously mentioned, I had no preconceived notions about Guam. Having nothing to compare it with, I sort of used American Samoa as a benchmark. American Samoa is a US territory, but it seems very subdued about it. You will see American flags flying here and there in American Samoa, but it is first …

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The Road to Saipan

I’m off to Saipan in the Commonwealth of the Northern Marinas Islands in a few hours. I have my flights booked through to October 3, so the month of September is locked up. Here is my schedule: August 31: Saipan, CNMI Sept. 3: Chuuk, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) Sept. 5: Pohnpei, FSM Sept. 7: …

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Guam First Impressions

Guam isn’t something you think about much, so I had no idea what to expect. I was mentally using American Samoa as my measuring stick for Guam. Both are American territories in the Pacific, so I figure that would be as good a benchmark as any. (Actually, I do have one thing when I think …

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What I Did On My Vacation From Vacation

A quick summary of where the last several weeks have gone: – I got a 160gb Firewire hard drive for my laptop. This pretty much solved the “where do I put my photos” problem with a vengeance. Between this, my old iPod and my laptop, I have more than enough room for anything digital. I’m …

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Leaving Hawaii

I’m finally leaving Hawaii today. I’m off to Guam for my SEVENTH crossing of the International Date Line of my trip. This is also the longest flight of my trip by a wide margin. It might just be the longest flight I take during the entire trip. I am very much ready to leave Hawaii. …

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5 Month Scorecard

Yesterday was my birthday. On this black day in history, the following happened: Rome was sacked. (410 AD) Mount Vesuvius erupted burying the city of Pompeii (79 AD) The White House was burned (1814) Windows 95 was released The Saint Bartholomew’s Day Massacre occurred (1572) The Bank Panic of 1857 Pete Rose was banned from …

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Bungle in the Jungle: Day 1

My trip to Rennell is certainly the biggest feather in my travel hat to date. Why? The number of non-Soloman Islanders who visit each year is around 10. You’ll probably understand why when you’re done reading this. The thing which made this my biggest adventure isn’t any one thing so much as the sum total …

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The Seduction Which Is Hawaii

I’m leaving Hawaii soon, so I figure I better get back into the habit of writing. Many people have a very romantic view of island life. They can think of nothing better than sitting on a beach with palm trees. That is their version of paradise. You go to the mall and in some kiosk …

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