Fruit From The Farm

Wedding At Leo Palace

Trent and I spent the 4th of July together trekking through the jungle. I had the day off from work but Trent had to go do some research down south in Ija so I decided to join him. We got to Trent's work at about 8am, Trent and his boss's Tommy and Irene and his co-worker April started getting all of their equipment ready to head out. We left for Ija at about 10, it is about a half hour drive south from UOG. I have heard many stories about the jungle and I have to admit I was very nervous about going. It rained the whole ride down and stopped just in time so we didn't have to walk through the rain. The overcast sky was nice, it was still really hot and humid but it helped not having the sun beat down on us. We walked for about ten minutes through sword grass, this grass is really sharp and will cut through your skin. We all were dressed in long pants, long sleeve shirts, and gloves. I actually had two shirts on, and a rain jacket. It seems like way too much clothing to be wearing in that heat but I was so thankful I was wearing all of that once I got there. The jungle was really muddy and so steep in some places that I had to sit and slide down. In the middle of the jungle there was a stream which we had to walk in and climb up huge boulders. I wish I would have taken some pictures but it really was the last thing on my mind. It was muddy, and slippery and there were tons of mosquito's swarming us. I think I applied mosquito repellent at least 10 times in 2 hours and probably ate some of it too. Overall I actually had a really good time. Aside from going to the beach, I have tried to avoid doing anything outdoors. I prefer staying inside with the AC, but now I really want to go on more hikes and explore this island since we will be leaving next year. It was cool to see what Trent does at work, and aside from all of the bugs it was actually really pretty. The best part of the day was going to Tommy's farm and picking star fruit and mangoes. I have never had star fruit before moving here and now it one of my favorite fruits and the mangoes are so sweet and juicy they taste like candy!

Last weekend our friend Paciano's sister got married at Leo Palace Resort in Yigo on the north east part of the island. This was my first time at the hotel and first time attending a Chamorro wedding and it really was beautiful. The hospitality of the Chamorro people is amazing, they really go all out and make sure you have a good time. There of course was an impressive spread of food, entertainment, music and dancing. We had a great time and we were so happy to be a part of their celebration.