Inarajan

I’m very fond of a particular village in the south, Inarajan. It reminds me a bit of the old style European houses and I love the little street in the village going to the church.

The Guam Visitor's Bureau has been working with the villages of Guam to create murals with hopes for people to understand what each village has to offer.

Unlike the murals in the other villages, which are painted on concrete walls along roadsides, those of Inarajan are painted on wooden canvases attached to the windows of pre- and post-World War II homes and stores once occupied by the Flores, San Nicolas, Paulino and Mantanona families. The murals were designed by historian Dr. Judy Flores with assistance from volunteers. They depict the life in the village during the old times.

Indeed, they are very beautiful. I do love the house with the big bugainvillia. The colors are wonderful. Claudia and her twins joined me and the kids. After we walked trough the street we did a little historical tour in some huts. My boys got their first candy ever: a coconut candy (it is just sugar and coconut, so nothing unhealthy really). We had a great time and picknicked along the beach side under a pevillian.

We also saw the satue of Chief Gadao. Bas was very impressed to see this big, strong chief.

In het zuiden is ere en prachtig, klein dorpje. Het is mijn favoriet in Guam, misschien omdat het mij een beetje aan Europa doet denken. I hou vooral van het kleine straatje dat naar de kerk oploopt.

Het Guam Visitor’s Bureau werkt met alle dorpen van Guam samen om muurschilderingen op de grote betonnen muren in de dorpen aan te brengen om zo de mensen te laten zien wat hun dorp te bieden heeft.

Anders dan de andere dorpen, waar de muurschilderijen zijn aangebracht op grote cementen muren langs de wegen, zijn die van Inarajan geschilderd op houten borden die aangebracht zijn op vooroorlogse en naoorlogse World War II huizen en winkelen die ooit waren bewoond door de Flores, San Nicolas, Paulino en Mantanona families. De schilderijen zijn ontworpen door Dr. Judy Flores met de samenwerking van enkele vrijwilligers. Ze stellen Guam voor in de oude tijd.

Inderdaad, ze zijn prachtig! I hou vooral van het huis met de grote Bugainvillia. De kleuren zijn wondermooi. Claudia en haar tweeling vergezelde me met de kindjes. Nadat we door de straat wandelden deden we nog een kleine toer in de hutten. Mijn jongens kregen daar hun eerste snoepje ooit: een kokosnoot snoepje (gewoon suiker met kokos, dus eigenlijk niets ongezond). We hadden veel plezier en aten wat aan de zeezijde onder een paviljoen.

We zagen ook het standbeeld van Chief Gadao, Bas was danig onder de indruk van het verhaal.

Chief Gadao Legend

Once long ago on the island of Guahan there lived a mighty chief. His name was Chief Gadao. Gadao was from a southern village called Inalahan.

Now back in those days, villagers took great pride in their chiefs and would often sing songs of them and their great strengths. One day, a singing messenger was traveling through one of the northern villages singing his song of Chief Gadao. A chief named Mataquana happened to hear the messenger's song of his chief and became very angry. Mataquana believed that he was the strongest chief on the island of Guahan and he could beat any chief that he challenges. He got into his galaide' and headed for Inalahan so that he could meet this mighty chief.

After a while of traveling, he finally reached a placed he believed to be Inalahan. He saw a hut close to the beach side. He decided to stop and ask the owner where he could find Gadao. The owner of the hut was a bit surprised and asked the chief why he was looking for Gadao. When Mataquana explained why, the man chuckled, because the man Mataquana was talking to was Gadao himself.

Gadao then said, "I will take you to my chief but first you must sit and be my guest a while."

The chief agreed. After all, he did travel a distance and needed to rest before his battle. Mataquana sat by a rock while his host was preparing something to eat.

"Would you like something to drink?" Gadao asked as he shook a coconut tree and all the coconuts fell to the ground.

He then took a coconut and squeezed it with his bare hands. Mataquana seeing this, thought to himself, 'If this man is this strong, his chief must be ten times as strong.'

This scared Mataquana. He no longer wanted to battle Chief Gadao and decided to head home instead. He jumped into his galaide' and started to paddle for north. Gadao could not resist and jumped into the galaide' and began to paddle the opposite direction. The two chiefs were so strong the galaide' split in half sending Chief Gadao into a mountain indenting it creating a cave. Today, that cave is known as Chief Gadao's Cave.

Guahan- Guam

Inalahan- Inarajan

Galaide'- Canoe