A morning hike to Naftan Point

5 a.m. The shrill ringing of the alarm clock jolted me from an hour’s sleep on Saturday morning, and I had to drag protesting muscles up to get ready for a trek to another one of Saipan’s famous hiking destinations.

Hiking to Naftan Point, says our trek organizer Jacob, would take only about 20 minutes from his cousin’s house. We started walking in the darkness toward this historical spot at the southernmost part of Saipan, but it was only after almost an hour later when we reached the Hawaiian Rock where the real trek began. Talk about 20 minutes!
As the sun began its ascent to the skies, my energy level was slowly beginning to drain, not to mention that there was actually none to start with.

We plodded on, asking over and over how far do we have to go and agonizing over the thought of the way back until we finally emerged through a clearing and stepped into a whole new world.

A spectacular panorama was before us but an eerie silence seems to pervade the place. It felt as though we were intruders into another world.

Naftan Point is an enchanting rugged terrain, with grass-covered corals, steep cliffs, numerous caves, plateaus, bushes and more ruins and relics from the World War 2. From a distance, the Forbidden Island seemed to issue a silent but daring invitation to anyone who would want to challenge its name. Over 50 feet below the sharp cliff lines, the thunderous noises created by the crashing waves would make one think twice before standing on the cliffs’ edge.

Hiking to Naftan Point without proper ammunition (a.k.a. camera and tripod) would be unforgivable because the place is a photographer’s dream. It was not that easy to pick your way through the sharp stones and rocks concealed by the untrimmed grasses though. One wrong step and the corals you are stepping on could crack. I did not have the chance to go near the very edge of the cliffs because aside from my progress being hampered by the tripod, I had second thoughts about gambling my life and my camera from the edge. After a few quick bites of tuna sandwiches and sips of water, we took a few minutes of rest but our time was running out. With only the shelter from the huge rock, we know it would not be long before the shade would be gone as the sun gets higher.

We found an old Japanese canon in one of the ruined bunkers at Naftan Point, along with several other war relics. I could just imagine the war when the canon spewed death fumes all the way to Tinian.

We finally started our way back. And that was when everything turned awry.

Two of my companions—Jeanette and Fe went ahead of the group. The six of us followed, but Jacob got other ideas and led us into a “short cut”, which we hesitantly took. But anyway, any change in the road seemed welcome so we followed the leader. However, the road we were following seemed to be going in circles and we seemed to be walking endlessly. When we began to see pink flowers on the vines along the road, I began to guess that the trail we were following was leading to Obyan Beach, much much farther from our car. I was dreadfully right.

We plodded on and reached the end of the shady trail. Suddenly, a dusty, winding road shimmering in the noonday heat stretched out before us. Obyan Beach was a few miles below, and I knew there was no choice but to force my over-tired body to move on.

It was not easy for somebody like me whose only exercise everyday is to go up the stairs of the office or the Superior Court. Imagine walking up the Obyan Road toward the direction of Hawaiian Rock under the 11 o’clock sun, with not a single tree or shade in sight. I was at the farthest rear of the group, trying to concentrate in putting one foot ahead of the other to walk on.

With every dragging, agonizing step I took, my camera seemed to grow heavier and it took real effort to stay awake and not give in to the darkness that threatened to envelop me. After over an hour of fighting the urge to cry, I finally convinced buddy Andrew to seek some shade in the bushes. Under ordinary circumstances, I would never imagine going into those bushes. Andrew volunteered to spread his towel to cover the sharp bushes so we could sit on for a while. Just when I felt so helpless, I got a call that a car was coming for us. I could have kissed the car's wheels with joy!

Naftan Point has still so much to offer and we missed much, but I would love to go back anytime. Minus the unplanned miles of hiking.

This article was first published HERE

A trip to CNMI's past

BEFORE we get our feet wet in the pristine waters of CNMI’s beaches, dive into the ocean’s spectacular depths, or explore the islands’ nooks and crannies that draw visitors from far and wide, let us make a first stopover at the commonwealth’s bank of artifacts and take a trip back to the past.
The door of the Northern Marianas Museum of History and Culture is just within your reach, a key to transport us back in time when the islands were under different governments.
From the outside, many of the residents in the islands may not even give a side glance to the old building that used to be a Japanese hospital before, but the old buildings hold valuable treasures and pieces of history that every resident, as well as visitors must not miss.
“Every piece and every artifact that is in the museum carries a piece of history of the CNMI and it tells its own story about the past,” museum executive director Robert H. Hunter said.
A tour of the museum will take you back to the pre-compact period or the Spanish period, German period, Japanese period, the Trust Territory and the present commonwealth.
Wander into the different sections and get a chance to see what life was during the different periods. Artifacts like old canoes, jars of all shapes and sizes, exhibits, gold pieces, World War II relics and memorabilia, and other pieces of history. You will come to discover that these artifacts are worth preserving for the future generations.
“We have hundreds of boxes of artifacts in our storerooms that were donated by people from everywhere, and these are very valuable pieces that should be preserved as they are a part of the history of the islands,” Hunter said.
Going back, Hunter said the idea of putting up a museum took place in the early 1970s when some dedicated individuals worked together to get the museum organized.
He said the first museum was located at the old Japanese building by the old mayor’s office in Chalan Kanoa. It was later moved to a smaller building down in Garapan which is the present location of American Memorial Park where it went into operation for about a couple of years before closing down.
He said most of the displays then were a hodge-podge of artifacts donated by people from all over the world.
“It was relocated somewhere else afterwards, until the government invested about $10 million for the rehabilitation of the museum,” he said.
Hunter said the present location of the museum is the first permanent place which has been designed as a formal museum.
Hunter said credit goes to persons like Herman Guerrero and Mike Fleming who persevered in trying to come up with a proper museum.
“This is the only state museum in the Marianas, and we get a fair share of archaeologists from Guam and other places who come here,” he said.
He said that the displays are just about 20 percent of the total collections. The rest are in the storeroom as a bigger display area is needed.
He said that on the average, the museum gets about 20-40 visitors daily, and an approximation of 500 visitors monthly, mostly from student field trips.
Hunter is inviting everybody, and not just the visitors to step into the museum and get a glimpse of how their ancestors lived years ago.
You have to step into the museum to get the feel of the place. Each artifact that had been a mute witness to the lives of people of the past portrays its own message.
The NMI Museum is open from 9am to 4:30 pm Mondays to Fridays, and from 9am to noon on Saturdays. For more information, call 664-2160.

For PHOTOS click HERE

This article was originally published HERE