Many, many years ago (I really do hate to think just how long ago it was) I lived on the island of Guam in the Mariannas Islands. Guam is one of those places that causes polarizing opinions. It's a place you can love, or you can hate.
I was fortunate - and I really loved Guam. While it could be said that I didn't like being just on Guam for over two years, I didn't mind taking advantage of being there. I was single, into water sports, and ready for adventure.
Having spent much of my T.V. teen years watching Jacques Cousteau explore shipwreck after shipwreck, I just had to get in the water and do some exploring all on my own. This is something I dreamed of doing, and now it would actually be possible. So, I got my PADI certification and no one could stop me.
The accompanying picture of me was taken along a very steep wall - I am hanging between 80-100 feet below the surface, black fan coral can be seen near my feet. (This was a planned decompression dive.) Not far from here was an underwater grotto where we would dive into the cave and swim about 60 feet (horizontal) to emerge through a large hole in the side of the cave. All around us were beautiful corals and fishes. I was swimming and twirling 360 degrees, drinking in everything. My dive buddy had a camera; I was poor, and did not. Back in the days of film and plexiglas camera housings, I could not afford an under-water camera - Nikonos - or a housing for my Pentax. So, the precious few photos given from dive buddies are all I have from that time and serve to remind me of beauty and youth.
I need to find some warm waters -- anyone for a trip to Cozumel?
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