Micronesia: August 2015
After losing a day due to the international date line, it seemed like a good day to take things easy and enjoy the massive rooms of the Westin in Tamuning, compared to the shoeboxes of the Courtyard by Marriott in Waikiki. The beaches here are not particularly broad, but the rocks and coral reefs offshore mean large protected areas for tourists to enjoy the waters.
The one truly local restaurant of note, Meskla Dos, was crammed with Japanese tourists seeking out a hambuger. Virtually everyone got burgers, which reminded me of a local take on Fatburger, down to the bacon and egg. The chili spices were definitely not from Fatburger, and clearly it was locally done as opposed to chain-spec'ed. French fries were mediocre, which makes me suspect that out here people simply don't understand what makes a good french fry outside of McDonald's.
Spent most of the day in a leisurely drive around the island, stopping at the minature Statue of Liberty and the tourist-trap Chamorro Village in Hagatna, as well as Asan Beach and the War in the Pacific National Historical Park visitor center further down the coast. The visitor center is decent sized and very well done, and a nice interface to the rest of the sights. Ga'an Point is a short drive down the road, boasting a few Japanese WW2-era pillboxes, a 20cm coastal defense gun, and a 25mm AA gun, plus more spectacularly clear water.
Cetti Bay Overlook, the old Spanish Fort Soledad, Agfayan River inlet, and a few other places had nice views too. The southern end has quite a few beaches and mountain view points if you don't mind the somewhat oppressive heat and humidity. Opted to skip Jeff's Pirates Cove as it looked 100% tourist trap (bratwurst? On Guam?!? uhhh no thanks...) on the southeastern side of the island. Heading up the east/central coast got into strip malls as opposed to tiny villages, but fewer places to stop and take pictures, while the northern highway is largely inland due to Andersen Air Force Base taking up most of the coast.
A through browse of Yelp suggested that Tamuning Bay was mostly tourist traps for dinner, so back to the Micronesia Mall food court for dinner. Rambie's Fast Food was the only obvious local food place I could find, and while mall food is rarely good, the red rice, chicken adobo, and Chamorro-style chicken BBQ skewers was edible. Clearly if I had been in the mood for ramen or Subway I would've been golden in Guam, but convenient local food is clearly not a priority for tourists!