I just passed over Guam! Yay, my virtual cycling tour around the world began at the Statue of Liberty heading west and this week it passed over Guam.  The Pacific Ocean has been a long traverse that started with the passing of San Francisco on July 10, 2022.  Some 6,296 miles later I’m at the last set of islands before another 1,498 miles to finish off the Pacific and cross over Manila in the Philippines.  That’s a lot of ocean!  Guam was first visited by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan on March 6, 1521.  Though I too am Portuguese I don’t remember seeing his name way out on the branches of our family tree.  Would you believe that Guam does not have sand? Yes, this is true! What you see on the beaches is coral and paved roads in Guam are also made by mixing coral and cement together.  Tumon Bay is the most visited area of the island, see above. A population of about 168,000 lives on this volcanic island where the national symbol is the coconut tree and the favorite foods include red rice, barbecue, and you can’t forget Fina’denne’, shown above, as an absolute staple in Guamanian cuisine. It is a soy sauce-based condiment with vinegar, lemon juice, and chopped onions. I can even sample the great smells coming from the island….as I pass by just the right local restaurant!