Our airplane was delayed 2 hours but we're just happy the flight was not cancelled (the flight was cancelled 2 days later to Saipan and so everyone tried to get on the Guam flight instead and the last and fourth coworker of Noboru's couldn't make the trip to Guam at all due to being bumped, poor guy but the Guam and Saipan flights are getting a brand new airplane in a few weeks anyways and the engines were all replaced a few days ago with new ones as well, so they should be fine now). But, we passed the time quickly by going to Mc Donald's which was right near our gate. And we let Branden and Noah play downstairs with some little girl who was about 6 years old. Then we hit the, actual play area. Then about 20 minutes before boarding, we sat near the gate. This is a pic of Branden and the little 5 year old who was also vacationing there at the exact time as us. His father works with Noboru. Branden and this little boy really clicked well and they played really well together. The father was nice but pretty shy and quiet. The mom was very friendly and nice! She said her son is in English classes right now. He didn't say anything to us in English though, which was fine. They stayed at a different hotel though. They didn't have a hotel reserved when they got there. They ended up staying at the Guam Plaza, I think and she said it was really convenient, which it really was. She also told us she bought 30 large boxes of chocolates for her neighbors and friends (she readily told us this and laughed). Omiyage is what it's called in Japan, or souvenirs is fine too! Noboru guessed she spent around $300 US on her omiyage.
The flight was half empty. Which is why we picked this day, the other days were overbooked! So we got great seats. And Noah honestly, and I swear this to you. He slept for the entire 3 hours. He only woke up once for a few minutes when the 2 youngish girls in the back kept kicking our seats. The parents never said a thing to them. They kicked mine and Noah's seat the entire flight (Branden and Noboru had the 3 seats in front,of my 3 seats). They were so loud. And I do have kids, I am very forgiving of fellow parents. But this was just rude! And the age of the girls? You won't believe it but they were not toddlers. They were like 14 and 12. So, either they shoulda known better by that age or the parents shoulda said something! Please undestand how you'd feel if someone kept kicking a seat your child was fast asleep in (for like 3 hours) But then again, the father shouted gambatte as the plane took off over and over like a chant. And the mother was no better! But despite the rude people behind us, the flight was great! We exited the airplane and flew through immigration. I know some of you have been to Guam. But some of you haven't and let me describe it the best I can. Again, I'm no expert but let me give it a go! When you hit immigration, it's hard to imagine you are anyplace but the USA (yes it's not a state but that's only because Guam always votes for it to not become one). The American flags sit nicely in their stands. The United States emblems all around. When we exit the airport, signs on the airport read "we support our troops" with American flag on there, just like in the picture up above. I've been going to Guam for the past 6 years and have been there about 14 times (okay don't bonk me or throw tomatoes for going that many times guys please, lol). I never get tired of this place though. It's really hard for me sometimes to believe this place exists just 3 hours away from Japan, it just always seems to amaze me.
We stayed at the Hilton, only because it's super cheap for us. We get an airline discount and we pay just $66 bucks each night and that's for all of us, not per person. Only once in a great while will we splurge on a great hotel like PIC Saipan or something but it's rare. : )
I think the coldest it gets in Guam is about 73 degrees. But the whole time we were there, it was 92 degrees. So it does get nice and tropical type hot.
Here's our basic room. Very clean room. King size bed. Choice is either two twin beds or 1 king. Forget the 2 twins because with 2 kids, we'd both be rolling off the bed. The king was plenty big for all 4 of us with room to spare. Little balcony for Noboru to smoke his brains out, yuck!
This TV we watched at the end of every night! My dad thought this was the same room we got from the last time, but it's just all the rooms look the same, lol. Which is okay they are nice rooms, not fancy, but nice enough. : )
The bed was freakishly tall/high. So high that to get on Branden had to take a running leap to get on or we had to put him on there. And Noah, couldn't get on if his life depended on it! However he loved sliding down it constantly though, ha ha ha. This pic was taken the second we arrived the room. And before we all changed clothes. They were wearing sweatshirts and jeans when we left Narita but I changed their clothes 30 minutes before we landed only so they wouldn't melt in the 92-96F degree humid type heat!
There was a tiny fridge underneath this too. Which is where I let my pepperoni and bologna and stuff stay chilled through our trip. We also bought a 12 pack of iced tea at the grocery store since it's cheaper then buying a drink at the expensive hotel store. The hotel coffee sucked! It was the worst. I don't know why, I never disliked a complimentary coffee before, not ever. So I was pretty surprised it was so gross and foul tasting! I didn't even drink it, Noboru did though, ha ha ha : )
Talk about, you get what you pay for, for our 66 bucks we got a nice view of the wonderful parking lot, ha ha ha! It wasn't so bad! I really like staying here actually, it saves us money! : )
Our first day/evening/night. Since our plane was supposed to arrive Guam around 2:45 pm-3:00 pm. But with the 2 hour delay. It sorta changed our first days plan. Usually first day, first thing we do is hit the pool right away without delay. but with it getting time for supper. We ended up changing our clothes and driving to Wendy's for our first dinner! I know how un-fancy huh? Man, our cheapness is showing, lol! But we were a bit tired to be honest. We had been up since really early, like 6:00 AM! And with waiting around Narita and the flight and all given the time, we figured let's go have a cheap, easy dinner, head to the grocery store pick up a 12 pack of Lipton Or Nestea in the can. Some fresh fruit, some chips and head back to the hotel. Shower, put jammies on and munch a mixed fruit bowl of a variety of different melons. At Wendy's each of the boy's had a cheeseburger kids meal. And I meanwhile had the very healthy turkey and swiss cheese sandwich on panini type crusty bread. No fries for me, just a nice small bowl of chili beans with some saltine crackers in there and I was stuffed and my chili was just 99 cents, lol and my sandwich was single, meaning no meal for me, because I shared drinks with Noboru. Noboru had a triple decker cheeseburger combo. And why is it men always try to have the most meat and most layers of meat in their burgers anyway? Ha ha ha! I wonder what Freud would say about that one! LOL! It was a good first day, and I was just glad we got there safe and sound! And yes, I did call my dad the second we arrived and we saw him the next day!
PS on the girls who kicked my seat. You know this is just my opinion here. But wee little babies who cry on airplanes don't bother me a single dot. It's so *totally* not their fault. They cry, either because the ear pressure they feel. Different scenery. If a baby cries and I'm on the airplane, I never get upset by it (why would I? it's nobody's fault really). I have had a kid throw a tantrum on a plane before or cry when they were tiny babes. I understand. And I know the mother is probably stressed to the utter max! And having people stare is NOT a help! I saw a very young mom one time when B was little, she was about in total tears because her baby had diaper blowout #1 and #2 the poop leaked on the poor mom's shirt. Even though I was holding my own baby, I offered her some wipes and my help! Cry away, I would never be annoyed by it. It just happens sometimes. And with toddlers. Sometimes, they just can't sit in the seat *that* long! Again, I understand that, I have totally been there. Having brought, everything onto an airplane from crayons, to DVD player, to puzzles, etc, I know! Again, crying or fussyness, doesn't even register for me, I feel for the mom and yes I will help but I won't be a gawker, having been gawked myself with a cranky kid, when your at wits end, only adds to the pain. I understand and feel for the parents. It's freaking frustrating and nerve racking for us as mom's. I won't even go into the story about when Branden was like age 2 and he vomited over his meal tray! Oh yeah and the dirty looks I got. As if my kid could control that! So, I am super zen about kids and planes or kids in general! Totally and believe me. But when you get a kid age 14 or so and they kick the seat for 3 hours straight! With a 19 month old fast asleep in front? Errrr, that is just plain old wrong wrong wrong! Even I was pissed and I rarely ever get pissed about anything! And yes I told Noboru, "the people behind me keep kicking our seats, it's been nonstop and it's so rude) Although they were a Japanese family, I somehow think the mom understood me and I really didn't care at that point!
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