Parasailing up, up and away!

(This article was originally published HERE)
Photos courtesy of Dan Westphal

THE sight of multi-colored parachutes floating hundreds of feet above the ocean while being towed by a speeding boat has caught my interest for a long time, and I vowed I would not leave the island without trying this amusement ride that had tourists coming back for more. My chance at parasailing finally came early this month when my officemates planned a trip to Managaha Island.

Tasi Tours supervisor for Managaha Yuka Saito booked me and our advertising in-charge Jeanette for a parasailing trip and warned us not to take any alcohol.

At 2 p.m., we were already onboard a boat and speeding toward the middle of the ocean. A couple, then a mother and daughter were ahead of us to go up. We were to be the last. I watched with fascination as the huge parachute unfurled and those ahead of us flew into the skies by two’s.

I watched them as the boat captain, Dan Westphal lowered them into the water a few minutes later to get their feet wet then released them back into the air.

Before we knew it, our turn came. I examined the contraption tied around my body and struggled to drive away the fear that started to gnaw at my guts. I don’t have fear of heights but I don’t know how to swim.

I decided to think of the hereafter later if something happens and we get disconnected from the boat. Tightening my lifejacket, I looked down and saw the warning on the harness which says “the use of the device puts life and limb to risk. Use at your own risk” or something to that effect!

Uh-uh, some assurance indeed!

Before long, we were soaring high above the clouds. Capt. Dan set off at an average speed and I began to enjoy parasailing.

It was exhilarating to float over 150 feet above the clouds and enjoy the view of the islands which looked like tiny globs and the clear blue waters below. Suddenly we were plummeting down at full speed! I nervously looked down to check if we were disconnected from the boat.

I was expecting Capt. Dan to dip our feet slowly in the water but everything was going so fast before I knew it water was up to my neck and I took my first, second and third gulp of sea water.

Before I could think again take my fourth gulp of the ocean, we were soaring up and away again at such a speed I could only hold my breath as I held on for life. Soon it was over and we were gently lowered back to the boat. What I expected to be an ordeal I have to survive turned out to be a very enjoyable yet safe adrenaline-pumping activity.

Although not for the weak of heart or for those who suffer from acrophobia, parasailing is an addictive form of recreation once you get the hang of it.

Capt. Dan said that they get an average of 20 clients who go parasailing in one day, and up to 40 during the peak season.

Parasailing in Managaha costs $65 for adults and $45 for kids and available for people from six to 70 years old. For more information, please call Tasi Tours & Transportation Inc. at (670) 234-7148, fax (670) 235-7141, email managahatasi@tasitours.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit www.tasi-tours.com.

A banana, a boat and a ride

If you think that being a non-swimmer in a small island like Saipan is enough to make your life miserable and boring, you’re quite wrong. The island abounds with interesting water activities that gives you access to experience all the thrills and excitement of getting wet.

If you have been here for sometime, you won’t have missed seeing inflatable yellow or pink banana-shaped raft being pulled by a boat around the island. You won’t have missed seeing up to six people garbed in life jackets and helmets and holding on to a piece of plastic arm grip for dear life as the boat makes huge waves on the water.

Getting up very early last Saturday didn’t faze me like ordinary days because I was looking forward to a day of adventure at the Managaha Island. After a hearty lunch, Tasi Tours supervisor for Managaha Yuka Saito told us that she can book us for a ride at the banana boat. Five minutes before 1 p.m. I was already at the area designated for passengers of the banana boat, clumsily tying the knots of my lifejacket and my helmet.

“If the banana boat flips over, let go. Don’t hold on,” the boat captain instructed just before we pushed away from the shore. I fought the fear that was starting to build up inside me and instead started to pray that my life jacket can hold me if we indeed flip over. I chose the rear seat and it was a good decision because the five people in front of me warded off much of the water. We started off smoothly, but when we were some meters away from Managaha, the boat picked up speed and we rode above high waves, crashing through the breakers into the blue waters.

A thrilling ride indeed, with me saying my prayers so fast and waiting for the signal to abandon the banana boat whenever the boat made quick twists and turns.

As I held on for life on the small handgrip, my imagination went wild. If there was a leak or a small hole in the inflatable balloon, that would be my end, but of course it was just my imagination. I feared yet at the same time was excited at the thought of being forced to jump into the blue waters.

I clung to the assurance Saito gave us earlier that Tasi Tours has always put the safety of their customers in all the marine sports as their top priority.

The ride was brief, and before we knew it, we were heading back to shore. The memory of those 20 minutes of wet, thrilling adventure is something I will treasure.

Another option to the banana boat is the Banana Split. Unlike the banana boat where you have to balance your body, you can comfortably sit on the banana split but the thrill lies on the incredibly dizzying speed as you skim over the water.

Saito said they also refer to the banana split as water jet. She said the banana boat ride is available for children and adults for $30.

Other thrilling marine sports are available at the Managaha Island like scuba diving, bubble maker, sasy, parasailing, aqua naut, and snorkeling tour. For more information, please call Tasi Tours & Transportation Inc. at (670) 234-7148, fax (670) 235-7141, email managahatasi@tasitours.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit www.tasi-tours.com.

This article was first published HERE

Island in Flames

Sometime between March and July each year, Saipan seems like an island in flames when seen from a distance.

This is the time when the Flame Trees are at its full bloom, displaying a brilliance that resembles flames and giving the whole island a spectacular look.

I arrived on Saipan on a February and did not pay much attention to the first few orange blossoms that peeped out from the seemingly dead twigs along Beach Road, but one morning, I looked around with wonder. It was as though somebody went around in the night, touched all the twigs and branches with a magic wand and sprayed the streets with the colorful blooms that I was to learn later as CNMI’s national tree.

If you had been here on island for eternity, you may just take it for granted but for the newcomers, it’s a whole new world.

the leafless twigs before the flame tree blossoms

For two years now, driving from the Flame Tree Avenue at the airport down to Garapan along Beach Road and to Marpi during these months has been wonderful and I just can’t seem to get enough photos. The vivid red and orange flowers stand in total contrast to the backdrop of bright green foliage, blue skies and seas that would make a photographer’s hand itch.

Try going up to the balcony of the 15th floor of the Palms Resort Saipan facing the road and you will see a spectacular panorama that will take your breath away.

I learned from the internet that the first Flame Trees or “Tronkun At’but” were brought to Saipan by Francisco Borja Kaipat when he worked for the Marianas agriculture program in the 1960s. I read that the Flame Tree has been described as the most colorful tree in the world. Somebody told me there is also a yellow variety of the Flame Trees but it is something that I still have to see. If you know of one, feel free to email me. Meanwhile, here are some of my flame tree favorite photos...

up close and personal

an idyllic spot at Smiling Cove made much more attractive by a sprinkling of flame tree flowers

The first few flame tree flowers create a huge difference to the ordinarily eerie atmosphere at the Suicide Cliffs in Marpi

This article was originally published HERE

for more flame tree PHOTOS CLICK ME

Hotel intern wins hotdog eating competition

A 23-YEAR-OLD intern of Palms Resort Saipan received $50 for the hotdog eating competition at Taste of the Marianas on Saturday evening.

Joshua Cho bested 14 opponents, eating three hotdogs in less than the 15-minute time allotment.

Kai Shiano, 12, and a Chacha Oceanview Junior High School student, came in second and won a $30 prize.

Tommy Baek, a senior student of Marianas High School, placed third and received $20. Cho said he was “still hungry” after the contest.His “secret” was to drink as much water so he could swallow the hotdogs faster. Siano said that he was hungry before the start of the contest.

The competition was limited to 15 individual participants and all the contestants, majority of which were minors, had to sign a waiver from the Marianas Visitors Authority. The hotdog eating competition is a side event of the annual Taste of the Marianas event which runs for all Saturdays of May each year.

competition snaps

ewww, catsup dripping like blood

wolfing the hotdogs down

can i really finish this? uhh two more after this...

gwaaaark!

drowning the hotdog buns with water

alaehhh..the hotdog went straight to your nape?

i can do this...

This article was published HERE

Taste of the Forbidden Island

The name Forbidden Island alone is more than enough to trigger anyone’s curiosity, just like anything else that is forbidden. I became intrigued by the place even before I set foot on Saipan 14 months ago, but I have yet to find the origin of why this beautiful island located at the end of the southeastern part of Kagman village is named so.

Awe struck me the first time I stepped on the lookout of Forbidden Island during a search and rescue drill with the Department of Public Safety last year.
For individuals who suffer from acrophobia or fear of heights, standing at the edge of the lookout while viewing the Forbidden Island way down is a stomach-wrenching ordeal.
But for the adventurous, the exhilaration you get even as you are driving on the rough road amid thick foliage and finally as you gaze at the endless stretch of ocean extending from Tank Beach on the north side the Laolao Bay Golf Resort on the south side is boundless.
The designation of the Forbidden Island as a sanctuary for the conservation of wildlife in April 2001 through Public Law 12-46 helps maintain and conserve the beauty of the place.
I have been at the lookout site of the Forbidden Island twice but alas, those two times were just a taste of what the place has to offer. It is just like licking your lips from a distance while looking at a plate of your favorite food sizzling and emitting mouth-watering aromas.
I have yet to go hiking and sweat myself in that 45-minute grueling downhill and uphill hike and transform all the tales and colorful accounts of the beauty of the place from those who have huffed and puffed along its rocky downward trail into first hand experience.
I still have to find a chance to go down the Forbidden Island and I know I will be singing a different tune in describing one of the most beautiful places on earth and dip my feet in the clear waters of something that’s forbidden—the Forbidden Island.

This article was first published HERE

More photos HERE

Cooling off at Sugar Dock

IF it’s a quick dip in the shallow waters, a few minutes or a whole day of rest and relaxation you want right in the center of Susupe, the best place to go to is Sugar Dock, located a few meters just across from the Mt. Carmel Church.

The long, wide stretch of cement road leads to the end of the dock which is a favorite of many especially in the early morning and evening hours where many just hang around to enjoy and breathe the salty tang of air from the sea.
Anytime of the day, the sight of people casting their lines in the water is common.
The beach at Sugar Dock is ideal for swimming especially for children with its crystal clear waters and fine, white sand. The beach has an open shower to rinse off the salty water when you have had enough, but if you are not in the mood to frolic in the sand and sea, the benches and cottages provide an idyllic spot to picnic with family and friends. You can pass time watching banana boat riders or jet skiers who leave huge splashes of waves behind them. Or you can daydream, laze around, meditate or just cool off on a humid day.
Sugar Dock beach is one of Saipan’s beautiful beaches and you don’t have to go far to get there.
Oh, one more tip for sunset buffs—Sugar Dock is one of the best places to go to on Saipan. If you have not experienced spending those few marvelous moments watching the full round sun making its downward journey and finally dipping and disappearing beyond the horizon, you have been missing a lot. Grab a few minutes of your time one day and be fortunate to enjoy and witness one of nature’s spectacular wonders unfold.

This article was first published HERE

Lazing away at Laulau Beach

I first visited this gem of a beach in San Vicente late in the afternoon a few months back. Dark clouds hung in the skies, threatening to let loose a dam of water anytime.

When I downloaded the contents of my memory stick, all I got were bleak-looking photos. I vowed to return and my next chance came last Friday.

Deadbeat on the way back from an unplanned hike to Mt. Tapochao, my buddies and I decided to drop by Laulau Beach to catch our breath, and it was a good decision.
Laulau Beach is not your ordinary, everyday beach where people can easily gain access to and picnic anytime of the day. The distance and accessibility makes it remote and you have to really allot time to be there, hence the absence of the usual crowds.
You should also prepare to rough it out there, because there are no bathrooms, no telephone, and no man-made facilities to save for a couple of cottages with benches and barbeque pits.
But Laulau Beach is a popular attraction and one of the best dive spots on Saipan. Nothing beats the pleasure of wading in the warm and shallow waters of the beach.
Interesting lava rock outcroppings provide an added attraction to Laulau Beach. Standing on the shore facing the ocean, you can see Naftan point at the far end to your right. On the left, the ongoing construction of the Laulau Bay Resort can be seen from a distance.
Prepare for a slow, rough ride if you plan to go to Laulau Beach. You have to navigate several bumpy twists and turns amid bushes and trees, but a treasure await you at the end of the road.
The rough road to Laulau Beach from San Vicente snakes its way all the way to Kagman, traveled much easier if you board a four-wheel drive, or an all- terrain vehicle. The drive to Laulau beach is an attraction by itself where you have to pass by huge rock formations, hanging vines and thick foliage. Got a day to spare? This is an ideal place to laze away.

This article was first published HERE.
More fotos HERE