Tuesday, February 01, 2011

Rota

We're going on a little Valentine's excursion this year--we'll spend a couple of days snorkeling on Rota, then go over to Guam for a couple more days and then home. Valentine's on a remote tropical island---WOW!! But, you know, a tropical island is a tropical island and just because we live on one doesn't make it any less beautiful or a moonlit, ylang ylang-scented tropical night any less romantic.
Rota is the smallest of the developed Mariana Islands, only has about 1,000 residents, and was skipped over in the bombing and burning during WWII so it doesn't have the erosion-control plants (tanga tanga and ironwood trees) that were introduced to save the soil after Tinian and Saipan were ravaged. It has a bird sanctuary (probably for all the poor refugees trying to escape the brown tree snakes on Guam) and a latte stone quarry. Latte stones are monoliths with a bowl-shaped capstone. According to one website, "Their precise use remains one of the great mysteries of the Pacific to this day."
I've never been to Rota, but I hear it has great diving and snorkeling, white sand beaches, crystal clear waters, a turquoise lagoon, palm trees swaying in the breeze, brightly colored tropical fish, moonlit nights, ylang ylang,....
:)

2 comments:

Mal said...

Ya know, Mum, everywhere has moonlit nights. Hate to break that to you--well, except for places with a disgusting amount of light pollution--but most places I've lived do.

Sounds like fun. I think Rota is probably kind of like Kauai in Hawaii--the other islands are pretty, but Kauai is spoken of in hushed tones. An untouched paradise--if that's what your paradise looks like. (Rota, not Kauai.)

Ave said...

Sounds wonderful! Have a great time.