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conbon78
Joined: 05 Jun 2008
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 Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2009 11:30 pm Post subject: Guam |
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| Hey everyone - I just wanted to recommend Guam if people are looking for a weekend getaway. I'm American and I've been in Korea for a year and 4 months. Korea was really starting to bug me - just everything about it. I think part of it was that I was homesick, but I went to the Guam for the weekend and that really helped. It was beautiful, fun, and felt like home. So if you are looking for a weekend trip - its 4 hours away. Just a suggestion. |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2009 11:44 pm Post subject: Re: Guam |
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| conbon78 wrote: |
| ... for a weekend getaway... |
Absolutely! I spent nine days over Christmas and New Year's there last year and it was a real boost in the arm. The sand is whiter and water bluer than even Thailand. I highly recommend Guam for a WINTER getaway. January or February for 3 or 4 days is ideal. Nine days was a bit long but I really needed to chill out on a beach and read novels, swim, laze many a day away. But 3-4 days is ideal. The Jamaican food was cool!  I arrived at 2am in the morning and it was a warm 24 C and drizzling (but EVERY day cleared up... the rains come, dump, then disappear) and the locals thought it was chilly! Every afternoon 29-33 C, every night 24-27 C.
It's only three (3) hours from Busan. 
Hint: there are cheaper hotels if you avoid the Japanese-Korean honeymoon curcuit tourist trolley bus route. No need to pay over $50 u.s. a night. I didn't mind the 20-minute commute to the beach. Though if you're going for only 3 or 4 nights (instead of 9 like I did) you may want to splurge on a beachside resort.
It certainly was a REFRESHING trip! (I can't imagine wanting to go there in July though; half the appeal is that gorgeous sea and sand and weather in winter). The air was CLEAN too! (except for the diesel tour buses with the most foul of exhaust pipes smelling up the air for over a minute after one passes! but that's only when one is on a major road - the air at the beaches was wonderful to breathe deeply).
Next time I go I'm going to tent it at one of the northern beaches I hear allows camping (didn't make it up there). There are supposedly a lot of snakes and fiesty lizards but I didn't see any (but I didn't go to the less populated coastal parks areas either, nor the grassy hill hike areas where stories of them often come from).
It is totally English and part of the US of A, definitely. As a Canadian, it was like visiting a neighbour.
Oh, and the shopping was nice. Filled up two suitcases with stuff. |
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Kikomom
Joined: 24 Jun 2008
Location: them thar hills--Penna, USA--Zippy is my kid, the teacher in ROK. You can call me Kiko
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| Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 9:50 am Post subject: |
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| Zippy was there last summer and called it his "American" vacation. |
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Drew345
Joined: 24 May 2005
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| Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 2:15 pm Post subject: |
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In Guam, do they have:
- Wal-mart i.e. huge US style (sorry to be politically incorrect, but they have everything I need under one roof).
- Target (for the couple of things not at Wal-mart).
- JC Penney (cause my size doesn't exist in Korea except in hip-hop fashion)
- Sports Authority (above reason for shoes)
- Taco Bell (gotta have it soon, man)
I have to make a trip back to America once a year for those 5 stores (and to see family). Are they in Guam (the stores, not my family)?
(Do I overuse parenthetical remarks?)
Thanks,
Drew |
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Kikomom
Joined: 24 Jun 2008
Location: them thar hills--Penna, USA--Zippy is my kid, the teacher in ROK. You can call me Kiko
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| Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 3:21 pm Post subject: |
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| I'm not sure if it was Ross' or TJ Maxx, but Zippy did tell me that his gf got to shop in one of those while they were there. A favorite of ours back home with values better than Penney's. |
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conbon78
Joined: 05 Jun 2008
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| Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 4:12 pm Post subject: stores |
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Taco Bell = yes!
Sports Authority = no, but they did have sports stores. Lots of shoe places like Famous Footwear where you could find your size.
Ross = Yes! (just like TJ Maxx)
Walmart = No and no Target either, but the Kmart was HUGE and had everything you can find at Walmart.
JCPenney = I don't think so, but they do have Macy's.
I was able to find my size in everything, which is next to impossible in Korea. I agree though about staying away from the Japanese/Korea area. That's why I enjoyed staying at the Hilton - got a good deal, wasn't crowded, more Americans than any other nationality, and a little off the beaten path.
BTW...November is the rainy season and we didn't have any clouds or rain the entire time.  |
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Brooks
Joined: 08 Apr 2003
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| Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2009 3:58 am Post subject: |
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sounds good.
You can relax and do some shopping. Going back to the mainland is far.
Guam is in the same time zone.
A 3 hour flight sure beats the 13 hour flight to New York.
If only I could convince my Japanese wife to go, but she thinks Guam is boring compared to Hawaii.
She says that there is nothing to do except play golf, snorkel or go to a beach. |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2009 4:28 am Post subject: |
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| Brooks wrote: |
If only I could convince my Japanese wife to go, but she thinks Guam is boring compared to Hawaii.
She says that there is nothing to do except play golf, snorkel or go to a beach. |
TONS of Japanese go to Guam for honeymoons~!!!!
idea  treat her to a second honeymoon by splurging on a top suite for three nights, eat at some great restaurants and there's some great shopping (the Japanese who go there think so, carry many bags about with fancy designer names) |
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Brooks
Joined: 08 Apr 2003
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| Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2009 5:13 am Post subject: |
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Yeah I agree.
I guess she thinks that she has "been there, done that".
I think she wants to go to every state. Been to Guam, Honolulu, Arkansas, and the Northeast.
She wants to go to Arizona again. Loves the Grand Canyon.
I guess Guam is too small, with not much to do, in her opinion.
She wakes up early and wants to get the most out of every day. Like in San Francisco: I got up at 11:00 a.m. and she was out the door before 7:30. California is more interesting, yes, but Guam is close.
But in the winter, yes, it sounds good. Beats the snow.
My wife thinks 10 C is cold, yet she likes Quebec. Go figure.
Lots of Japanese like Australia. They want to go to the opposite of Japan.
She does like shopping though. And I think Guam has decent shopping.
Her sister went there in September and had a good time.
Believe it or not, my wife would rather go shopping in Busan, at Lotte. |
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warmachinenkorea
Joined: 12 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Sun Nov 15, 2009 11:53 pm Post subject: |
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| How and where in Korea is the best way to get there? Someone said 3 hours. All the flights I found are through Japan and they say 6 or 7 hrs with a 1 hr or so layover. |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2009 5:27 am Post subject: |
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| warmachinenkorea wrote: |
| How and where in Korea is the best way to get there? Someone said 3 hours. All the flights I found are through Japan and they say 6 or 7 hrs with a 1 hr or so layover. |
I took a DIRECT flight from Busan. It runs regularly. There were three flights DAILY from Korea when I was there earlier in the year. |
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warmachinenkorea
Joined: 12 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2009 3:22 pm Post subject: |
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| What airline did you use and how much was it? Thanks |
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stoned
Joined: 03 Nov 2009
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| Posted: Wed Nov 18, 2009 12:02 am Post subject: |
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| What about visa issues for non-americans ? Can we get visa-on-arrival for Guam ? |
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PIGFACESOUPWITHRICE
Joined: 17 Nov 2009
Location: Electron Cloud
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| Posted: Wed Nov 18, 2009 3:54 pm Post subject: |
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| Wow wish I could go there, sounds so great! |
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Brooks
Joined: 08 Apr 2003
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| Posted: Wed Nov 18, 2009 8:12 pm Post subject: |
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| which country are you from? The US has a visa waiver agreement with many countries. |
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