We returned the car at Saipan International Airport and then headed to the United Airlines check-in counters in the departure area. It didn’t look like there were any other flights at that time and the airport was empty. We got all our boarding passes through to Mumbai, but the gate agent was only able to tag our bags as far as Bangkok. We would have to collect them there and check them in again for Mumbai.
After clearing the security check, we visited the Hafa Adai Garden lounge at Saipan International Airport. The lounge was not very fancy but still nice.
There were not too many options for food and drinks. We picked up a little bit for breakfast before our flight.
After some time, we left the Hafa Adai Garden lounge and went to the gate area for boarding our flight, United Airlines 76, for the short hop to Guam.
The flight path took us south, and we got a nice view of Rota International Airport on the way.
We reached Guam airport, but there was no passport check since we were arriving from Saipan. We had reserved a car for the day through priceline.com, and the actual booking was with Budget Rent a Car. We picked up the car and drove out of the airport.
We drove to Governor Joseph Flores Beach Park for our first stop, Ypao Beach. There was ample parking, and it was not very crowded at this time of the day.
The weather was dull and gloomy, but the water still looked nice. It would have looked amazing in the bright sun. We saw the I❤️GUAM and I❤️YPAO signs.
We tried to get to the Mushroom Rock but were not able to find the way to get there. We got nice views of the Tanguisson Beach though.
We then drove to Hagåtña to see the Guam version of the Statue of Liberty.
Our next stop was Plaza de España. We saw Azotea, the elevated terrace which served as the back porch of the Governor’s Palace.
We also saw the Chocolate House, one of the most iconic surviving structures at the Plaza de España in Hagåtña.
What was left of the Almacen, was now three signature stone arches that served as the entrance to the royal warehouse.
The Governor’s Garden at Plaza de España had a fountain and gazebo.
The Guam Museum, across from Plaza de España, is a modern architectural landmark designed to look like a giant Latte Stone or an open book.
We also saw the Joannes Paulus P.P. II Shrine and the Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral-Basilica.
Located directly across from the Hagåtña Cathedral was the Guam Congress Building, also known as the Guam Legislature Building.
We walked back to Plaza de España to see the GUAM sign there before driving further.
Our next stop was the Latte of Freedom located at Adelup Point, within the Ricardo J. Bordallo Governor’s Complex. It was modeled after a latte stone and designed to welcome arriving visitors. We got a nice view of the ocrean from there.
A winding drive up Nimitz Hill on Route 6 brought us to the Asan Bay Overlook and War in The Pacific National Historical Park.
Our next stop was the Bay of Umatac, where Ferdinand Magellan anchored—the first contact between Europe and the Pacific Islands. The Magellan Monument, a tall stone obelisk, marked the spot. We also saw the Humåtak Guam sign at Fort Santo Angelo.
Perched on a cliffside overlooking Umatac Bay, Fort Nuestra Señora de la Soledad was the most famous and well-preserved of the Spanish fortifications on Guam. Looking down, we also saw the San Dionisio Church.
Our last stop was the Guam Veterans Memorial, honoring the Chamoru men who died in the Vietnam War.
It started to rain, and we began our drive back north towards the airport. We returned the rental car, which was a smooth and easy process. We cleared the security check and then boarded our flight, United Airlines 849, to Tokyo Haneda Airport.
After landing, we walked across the terminal to visit the Sky Lounge South at Tokyo Haneda Airport with our Priority Pass.
There was a decent buffet at Sky Lounge South—not extensive, but adequate. I also saw another automated beer dispenser. The first one I had seen was for Asahi at the United Club at Tokyo Narita Airport 🔗 many years ago; this time it was for Sapporo.
We had a quick dinner at Sky Lounge South and then headed to the gate for boarding our flight to Bangkok a little before midnight.
