CNMI’s eco-tourism sites highlighted

PRISTINE beaches, historical sites, underwater wonders—these and more sum up the CNMI islands which lures hundreds of thousands of tourists from all over the world each year.
The CNMI is home to thousands of artifacts and relics found in World War 2 sites scattered across Saipan, Tinian and Rota. It has places that played a historical significance such as the Banzai Cliff, interesting bits and pieces of ancient history such as the Petroglyph found in the Kalabera Cave in Marpi, spectacular sites such as the Grotto, Bird Island, Managaha Island, white sand beaches for state recreation, and other sites ideal for bird watching, plant watching, and the most ideal sites to watch romantic, serene sunsets.
Honolulu-based Marine Science & Policy Advisor Dr. Stacey A. Tighe who conducted a brief lecture at American Memorial Park Visitors Center on Wednesday said that the CNMI is rich in natural beauty, with different kinds of attractions such as the mysterious ancient and current culture, recent history that is unique and relevant to many, scenic views and locations, and unique ecosystems.
Ecotourism, according to Tighe, means responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and sustains the well-being of local people.
It involves the participation of the local people, particularly in ownership and business opportunities that abound in the islands.
Tighe highlighted the main scenic sites that continue to attract tourists to the CNMI in her presentation. She cited for example the beauty of the Northern Islands and the hardship involved in getting there that adds to the mystery and the value of the place for tourism.
“The CNMI can tap on these prospects to bring in more tourists but still maintain best practices in ecotourism,” she said.
From the cultural side, Tighe cited low impact arts and crafts, local attractions such as the zoo, annual celebrations such as the Flame Tree Arts Festival, and events where tourists can witness and learn cultural dances.
When people go for vacations, they want to see attractions that are different, unique and are not in their places of origin.
Residents in the CNMI should not take the place for granted because so many people would be willing to give much “just to have what we have here.”

Exploring Saipan’s northernmost jungles

ARE you one of those individuals who are confined in your offices or work place the whole day through and waiting for the clock to strike five, punch out and go home, watch television and go to sleep, then repeat the cycle day in and day out?
It may be time for you to stand up, stretch those muscles and see what more this beautiful island has to offer by exploring the roads least taken.
After five weeks of having no exercise (except for climbing up and down 10 steps of stairs to the office everyday- if you consider that as exercise), my buddy Andrew convinced me to break our muscle hibernation and join the hash run again last Saturday.
Just before leaving the assembly area at past 4 p.m., we were informed that the trail would be somewhere near the Suicide Cliffs so off we went, hitching a ride in the jeep of another companion.
We went all the way to Marpi, turning right before reaching the Last Command Post and passing the rough road below the Far East Broadcasting. We emerged on the road going to the Suicide Cliff and met with our other companions on the roadside.
After the usual instructions, the hike began and we followed a trail in the jungle which started simply but just got harder and harder as we progressed. We had to hoist ourselves over tree trunks or crawl under thick foliage before emerging into another rough road.
I thought that was it, but the pink and orange ribbon strips and mounds of flour on the road pointed us to follow another trail across from the road. This time, I had to raise my hands above my head to avoid bruising them. The tall and sharp grass blades obscured everything else from view but we plodded on. We must have been going very slowly because we no longer heard anybody.
It seemed like hours of laborious walking and groping for handholds and footholds before we finally emerged from the thicket and came upon a fenced area that looked like an abandoned ranch.
Cow Town, the sign above the arch said. I have written about the place in my previous police and court stories but it was the first time I have seen the place. One side of the area was fenced off by rows of old tires with tall bushes. There were no cows and no sign of life in the area. The place looked deserted for years and vines and grasses of all kinds have covered the dilapidated buildings, or what’s left of the buildings.
I read that the ranch belonged to Larry Hillbloom of the famous DHL (he’s the ‘H’), the multimillionaire who lived on Saipan and died in a plane crash here in the 1990s. I would have loved to stay by longer but it was growing dark.
A few minutes more of plodding on and we were finally free from the canopy of the thick tangan-tangan and thick bushes. We were in a clearing beyond the landfill in Marpi and we saw our companions from a distance.
I counted only a few bruises in my arms, and muscle pains that I knew from experience would leave me limping for the next few days. Andrew was not so lucky, judging from the ugly, long red gash on his right arm he got from a tree branch somewhere.
You say you have been here ‘long enough to have been everywhere’ and Saipan is just a small island? You may be right, but if you go out and explore some more, you will discover that there’s more places waiting to be discovered.

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Exploring Saipan’s northernmost jungles

ARE you one of those individuals who are confined in your offices or work place the whole day through and waiting for the clock to strike five, punch out and go home, watch television and go to sleep, then repeat the cycle day in and day out?
It may be time for you to stand up, stretch those muscles and see what more this beautiful island has to offer by exploring the roads least taken.
After five weeks of having no exercise (except for climbing up and down 10 steps of stairs to the office everyday- if you consider that as exercise), my buddy Andrew convinced me to break our muscle hibernation and join the hash run again last Saturday.
Just before leaving the assembly area at past 4 p.m., we were informed that the trail would be somewhere near the Suicide Cliffs so off we went, hitching a ride in the jeep of another companion.
We went all the way to Marpi, turning right before reaching the Last Command Post and passing the rough road below the Far East Broadcasting. We emerged on the road going to the Suicide Cliff and met with our other companions on the roadside.
After the usual instructions, the hike began and we followed a trail in the jungle which started simply but just got harder and harder as we progressed. We had to hoist ourselves over tree trunks or crawl under thick foliage before emerging into another rough road.
I thought that was it, but the pink and orange ribbon strips and mounds of flour on the road pointed us to follow another trail across from the road. This time, I had to raise my hands above my head to avoid bruising them. The tall and sharp grass blades obscured everything else from view but we plodded on. We must have been going very slowly because we no longer heard anybody.
It seemed like hours of laborious walking and groping for handholds and footholds before we finally emerged from the thicket and came upon a fenced area that looked like an abandoned ranch.
Cow Town, the sign above the arch said. I have written about the place in my previous police and court stories but it was the first time I have seen the place. One side of the area was fenced off by rows of old tires with tall bushes. There were no cows and no sign of life in the area. The place looked deserted for years and vines and grasses of all kinds have covered the dilapidated buildings, or what’s left of the buildings.
I read that the ranch belonged to Larry Hillbloom of the famous DHL (he’s the ‘H’), the multimillionaire who lived on Saipan and died in a plane crash here in the 1990s. I would have loved to stay by longer but it was growing dark.
A few minutes more of plodding on and we were finally free from the canopy of the thick tangan-tangan and thick bushes. We were in a clearing beyond the landfill in Marpi and we saw our companions from a distance.
I counted only a few bruises in my arms, and muscle pains that I knew from experience would leave me limping for the next few days. Andrew was not so lucky, judging from the ugly, long red gash on his right arm he got from a tree branch somewhere.
You say you have been here ‘long enough to have been everywhere’ and Saipan is just a small island? You may be right, but if you go out and explore some more, you will discover that there’s more places waiting to be discovered.

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An afternoon at a ‘resort away from the resort’

YOU haven’t seen it all on Saipan if you haven’t been to the eastern part of the Laolao Bay Golf & Resort in Kagman.
Dubbed as a “Resort away from the resort,” the Laolao Bay Golf Resort is indeed a paradise even for non-golfers.
As you turn off the main road in Kagman and enter the gates, you will start to feel being relaxed as you drive along wide, paved roads under the shade of tall trees.
Laolao Bay Golf & Resort’s assistant food and beverage manager Ren Sapkota took me up to the sixth floor of the newly-finished resort with its fresh and brightly-colored doors and emerged into the balcony from one of the suite rooms. The spectacular view from the top can make anyone breathless.
From the resort, we drove around the range in a golf cart, following arrows on the road until we reached the eastern coast.
The eastern course is more of the touristy side. For the daring, leaning against the railing at the edge of the cliffs with the view of the endless ocean stretched out before you is one of the most exhilarating feelings you can ever experience, with the wind blowing your hair and attempting to carry you off and the gigantic waves of the Pacific Ocean crashing on the rocky cliff lines a long way below.
The eastern views provides breathtaking views of stunning seascapes—the paved roads with its unique twists and turns, well-manicured lawns and golf courses, gentle swells and slopes—all of which add to spell a tropical island beauty. The stronger winds prove additional challenge to golfers in the eastern coast.
The western course is more of the classically designed inland golf course which provides a golfer a panoramic view of the Kagman Valley with Mt. Tapochao as the backdrop.
Ren and I ended our ride at the Tea House, an ideal rendezvous perched atop a cliff and nestled amidst lush foliage. It serves as a quick stopover for golfers who want to grab a drink or a quick snack.
The cool and comfortable ambiance of the Tea House, with its glass windows provide guests a full view of the ocean and the golfers nearby.
We were served shaved ice topped with tropical fruits, a very cool and refreshing respite from the heat outside.
If you need to get away from it all, you can find solace at the tropical beauty of this Resort away from the resort.
For inquiries, visit www.laolaobay.com, call 256-888, or fax number 256-8000.

La Fiesta Mall The glory that was

IN broad daylight, the ruins of what was once a flourishing mall teeming with life and activity looks like what it exactly is—sprawling dilapidated buildings, but cloaked under heavy darkness, the view changes. The crumbling buildings take on a sinister form and everything about the place feels creepy.
It was getting dark and I and a buddy were at the parking lot of the former glorious La Fiesta Mall in Marpi. Sitting under the old, ominous-looking tower with the huge clock up above, I could not stop the goose bumps as the silence engulfed the whole place.
I’d been at the La Fiesta mall several times in the past with companions, picking our way among the ruins, through the debris-filled hallways, peeking through the rooms and shouting “hello” into the vast emptiness. As always, our voices ricocheted through the walls.
I had seen the place come to life with gun shots echoing through the hallways when the Department of Public Safety used the place as a training area for shooting.
I’ve heard hundreds of stories about the glory days of La Fiesta Mall before the bustling mall finally closed its doors.
Now, no traces of the once-largest shopping and entertainment center on Saipan remained except for these forsaken buildings with its peeling paint, shards of broken glass from the shattered windows and dangling plywood from the cracked ceilings. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for these buildings that had been mute witnesses to events of the past.
Somehow, in the deepening darkness and deafening silence, it was hard to imagine that just a few years back the place bustled and throbbed with life.
The three sections– Fiesta I, II, and III which used to house shops, fast food restaurants, designer boutiques, movie theaters and a concert hall where performers belt out live musical renditions every night have become a thing of the glorious past.
We didn’t dare wander thought the empty halls in the darkness albeit the temptation to do so was strong. I didn’t exactly relish the thought of being caught by authorities and mistaken as burglars.
We left the ruins with a heavy heart, feeling sorry for the days-gone-by when La Fiesta stood in all its glory, a past that I was not even a part of.

Up close with a sand sculpture

SCOOPING water from a bucket with his hands, he allowed the salty droplets to trickle through his fingers to wet the mound of sand he shoveled to his workplace in the beach.
Unmindful of the sweltering heat of the noonday sun, the world ceased to exist for Australian photographer turned world-champion sand sculptor Dennis Massoud as he focused all his attention to the sand for the next 10 minutes, patting, scrubbing and brushing, trimming and blowing until very soon, the form of a young dolphin became recognizable.
Known as the “Sandman”, Massoud lived practically all his life near the beach.
From a matter of minutes to several days or weeks, Massoud can form simple to the most intricate designs of castles, animals, humans, mermaids and anything else.
“I think I have already sand-sculpted everything I can imagine, but I cannot stop,” he said.
Massoud recalls that his most fulfilling work was when he worked with a group of other world champions to create a huge sculpture in Luliang, China using the natural multi-colored sand.
“That sculpture has generated over $180 million a year for the producer from the millions of people who visited the sand forest,” Massoud said.
He has been invited to do sand sculpture in several parts of the world for both private and government agencies. He is also available for corporate team building workshops or sculpting workshops, for themed sculptures such as Christmas, weddings, and more.
“I’ve been everywhere around the world doing sand sculpture and the sand is my life,” Massoud said.
“If you won’t be allowed to touch or work with sand again, what would you do for the rest of your life?”
For several long seconds, Australia’s famous sand sculptor Dennis Massoud stared blankly at this reporter, clearly caught off guard by the question as he grasped for an answer.
“I would probably spend the rest of my life looking for sand and working with sand again,” Massoud finally answered in a faltering voice.
For one who has spent most of his life on the beach and the past 15 years playing with sand as his source livelihood, that would be equivalent to taking away the meaning of life.
“In every man or woman, there is a child who wants to come out to create sandcastles and play in the sand,” Massoud said.
The Sandman has been on Saipan last and stayed for a few days for the Sandcastles for Wishes 2010 building competition at the Hyatt Beach Park on July 10 where he created a mermaid hugging a little girl that were washed ashore.
To see more of Massoud’s works, visit www.sandinyoureyes.com.

Up close with a sand sculptor

SCOOPING water from a bucket with his hands, he allowed the salty droplets to trickle through his fingers to wet the mound of sand he shoveled to his workplace on the beach.

Unmindful of the sweltering heat of the noonday sun, the world ceased to exist for Australian photographer turned world-champion sand sculptor Dennis Massoud as he focused his attention on the sand for the next 10 minutes, patting, scrubbing and brushing, trimming and blowing until very soon, the form of a young dolphin became recognizable.

Known as the “Sandman,” Massoud lived practically all his life near the beach.

From a matter of minutes to several days or weeks, Massoud can form simple to the most intricate designs of castles, animals, humans, mermaids and anything else.

“I think I have already sand-sculpted everything I can imagine, but I cannot stop,” he said.

Massoud recalls that his most fulfilling work was when he worked with a group of other world champions to create a huge sculpture in Luliang, China using natural multi-colored sand.

“That sculpture has generated over $180 million a year for the producer from the millions of people who visited the sand forest,” Massoud said.

He has been invited to do sand sculpture in several parts of the world for private and government agencies. He is also available for corporate team building workshops or sculpting workshops, for themed sculptures such as Christmas, weddings, and more.

“I’ve been everywhere around the world doing sand sculpture and sand is my life,” Massoud said.

If you won’t be allowed to touch or work with sand again, what would you do for the rest of your life?

Massoud stared blankly at this reporter, clearly caught off guard by the question.

“I would probably spend the rest of my life looking for sand and working with sand again,” Massoud finally answered.

He believes that “in every man or woman, there is a child who wants to come out to create sandcastles and play in the sand.”

The Sandman stayed for a few days on Saipan for the Sandcastles for Wishes 2010 building competition at the Hyatt Beach Park on July 10 where he created a mermaid hugging a little girl.

To see more of Massoud’s works, visit www.sandinyoureyes.com.
(This article was first published HERE)