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Traveling is a luxury, not just of money, but more so
of time. Little wonder globe trotters plan
their next destinations always with a
sacrificial choice of whether to spree
through the magnificent lights of Paris this
time, trudge the historic ruins of South
Asia, swing around the retail stores of New
York, or just cool it off in an island
beach.
It must be a travel enthusiast’s (albeit not
a purist’s) dream to be able to whiz around
all these without the hassle of spacing them
out in different holiday periods. So if it’s
just one long weekend you have, then I say
Guam is it. It’s like having the best of
different worlds within a 500-square
kilometer area: a tropical paradise with
long white sand beaches and clear blue
waters along the coastlines, shopping malls
and designer stores a stone’s throw away
from each other, historical landmarks like
churches and colonial bridges pocketed near
the national parks and undulating golf
courses, hiking terrains with hidden
waterfalls and rugged mountains…
While Guam may not have as much European
glitz or authentic Asian charm, its
unassuming magnetism of having almost every
entertaining thing within reach—balancing
the cosmopolitan landscape with the casual
warmth of the coconut-lined beach—is enough
to lure me into spending a few days there. I
might sound too simplistic in my trivial
pursuits but for a homegrown city girl who
always looks forward to a getaway, a treat
to an island off the Pacific Ocean without
losing the comforts of city living (think:
paved roads sans the traffic, luxurious
accommoda |
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tion and
24-hour convenience stores) is always a
welcome trip.
Shopping High and Low
I stayed at the Hyatt Regency Guam, a fine
hotel with a private balcony overlooking the
ocean in every room. Waking up with the
gentle hushing of the waves and retiring
amidst the soft golden glow of the serene
sunset, it took me a few extra seconds to
come again to my senses that rows of
commercialism are just walking distance
away. I skimmed past the Louis Vuitton,
Fendi, Chanel, Bulgari, Gucci and all high
fashion brands and I couldn’t help but
notice how there were more designs to choose
from and how items cost way less than if I
would buy the stuff here. It makes sense
because even if Guam is farther from the
mainland United States than from the
Philippines, it is still is a US territory.
I was told some Filipinos actually go to
Guam to shop for imported items rather than
go all the way to the mainland. It’s
actually as close to the US as you could
get, with outlet malls (Guam Premier Outlet,
Micronesia Mall, Cost U Less) and even
K-Mart for the budget-conscious. As they
say, it’s America in Asia.
Another good thing about Guam is that you
don’t really need to plan your itinerary
down to the last minute. It can be as
leisurely as you could get when you don’t
have to count time catching up with a tour
group. Here, even the most direction-less
tourist could singularly get by with a map
on hand and a day’s pass for the trolley
buses that cruise past all the hotels and do
the round of tourist spots.
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