Ok, I’m finally ready to offer more of an explanation for all of these pictures.
Eric and I decided, if we couldn’t be with family for Thanksgiving, we’d go on mini vacation instead. I was actually pushing for Guam, but Eric’s co-clerks, Robert & John, invited us to Rota so we decided it would be more fun to go with a larger group. Guam could wait.
Rota is a very quiet island. It’s not the place to go if you’re looking for amusement parks and fancy restaurants; it is, however, the place to go if you’re looking for a beautiful, relaxing getaway. When we first arrived, we probably drove for 15 minutes without seeing any sign of civilization. When we finally made it to the “big city”, Songsong village, there were probably a total of 4 restaurants (all ma and pop’s), and I think we ate at all of them during our weekend stay. The people on Rota are about as nice as they come. It’s called the “Home of the handwaves” for a reason. I would say 4 of every 5 cars that passed gave us a friendly smile and a wave. At one of the restaurants, Robert mentioned that he liked their hot sauce so the owner just said, “Here, take a bottle.”
The thing I’ll remember most about Rota though is it’s raw beauty. Even our $50/night hotel had a gorgeous view of the ocean only a few steps away. We left the door open for most of the weekend so we could listen to the waves. I guess we have the ocean here in Saipan, but the waves are pretty puny here. Plus, there are a lot of dark colored rock formations all along the beach in Rota. I guess I prefer the soft white sand for beach strolling, but the beaches there were quite impressive to look at.
We also had a couple of humor highlights in Rota. Believe it or not, all of the rental cars were out so we had the pleasure of packing 7 people into a borrowed Toyota Camry. That meant 2 of us had to be the designated lap-sitters. During my lap time, I made the mistake of sticking my head out the window to conserve on space, and of course we got pulled over - not for the over-loaded car or for the lack of seatbelts, just, "keep all body parts in the car." From then on, we kept ourselves hidden behind tinted windows in our cozy sardine can.
Later in the trip, Eric, ever the comedian, decided to spice things up. Let me explain. During one of our adventures, this time to a waterfall, the group was split up so Eric decided to prepare for a dramatic reunion. Next thing I knew, he was taking off his shirt and I was helping him secure his palm leaf loincloth with vines (fortunately, he had shorts hidden under there). Next thing I knew, he was completely in character. No longer Eric, the law clerk, suddenly he was “Eric, the savage Rota warrior”. When the rest of the group arrived, he jumped, while crouching and grunting of course, from behind a tree with his wooden club and Reeboks. I can confidently say he struck fear in their eyes. We all thought it was hilarious, and, fortunately, we all have plenty of photo evidence.
Eric and I decided, if we couldn’t be with family for Thanksgiving, we’d go on mini vacation instead. I was actually pushing for Guam, but Eric’s co-clerks, Robert & John, invited us to Rota so we decided it would be more fun to go with a larger group. Guam could wait.
Rota is a very quiet island. It’s not the place to go if you’re looking for amusement parks and fancy restaurants; it is, however, the place to go if you’re looking for a beautiful, relaxing getaway. When we first arrived, we probably drove for 15 minutes without seeing any sign of civilization. When we finally made it to the “big city”, Songsong village, there were probably a total of 4 restaurants (all ma and pop’s), and I think we ate at all of them during our weekend stay. The people on Rota are about as nice as they come. It’s called the “Home of the handwaves” for a reason. I would say 4 of every 5 cars that passed gave us a friendly smile and a wave. At one of the restaurants, Robert mentioned that he liked their hot sauce so the owner just said, “Here, take a bottle.”
The thing I’ll remember most about Rota though is it’s raw beauty. Even our $50/night hotel had a gorgeous view of the ocean only a few steps away. We left the door open for most of the weekend so we could listen to the waves. I guess we have the ocean here in Saipan, but the waves are pretty puny here. Plus, there are a lot of dark colored rock formations all along the beach in Rota. I guess I prefer the soft white sand for beach strolling, but the beaches there were quite impressive to look at.
We also had a couple of humor highlights in Rota. Believe it or not, all of the rental cars were out so we had the pleasure of packing 7 people into a borrowed Toyota Camry. That meant 2 of us had to be the designated lap-sitters. During my lap time, I made the mistake of sticking my head out the window to conserve on space, and of course we got pulled over - not for the over-loaded car or for the lack of seatbelts, just, "keep all body parts in the car." From then on, we kept ourselves hidden behind tinted windows in our cozy sardine can.
Later in the trip, Eric, ever the comedian, decided to spice things up. Let me explain. During one of our adventures, this time to a waterfall, the group was split up so Eric decided to prepare for a dramatic reunion. Next thing I knew, he was taking off his shirt and I was helping him secure his palm leaf loincloth with vines (fortunately, he had shorts hidden under there). Next thing I knew, he was completely in character. No longer Eric, the law clerk, suddenly he was “Eric, the savage Rota warrior”. When the rest of the group arrived, he jumped, while crouching and grunting of course, from behind a tree with his wooden club and Reeboks. I can confidently say he struck fear in their eyes. We all thought it was hilarious, and, fortunately, we all have plenty of photo evidence.
All in all, it was a great trip! I could probably go on and on about all of the gorgeous things we saw, but it’s late, and I don’t want to bore you with descriptions. That’s what the pictures are for, right? Enjoy!
Pona Point - stunning (probably my favorite spot on Rota) 
Songsong Village lookout (aka makeout point)
Bird Sanctuary
Taga Latte Stone Quarry (I'm a happy meditator)
"Ohm"
Sitting on my harley in front of the ancient Chamorro Cave Museum
BELLY FLOP!
Swimming hole (another favorite spot on Rota)
See the resemblance?
Karate Kid 12 
