Old Japan Thread
No longer Japan... Now it's Guam... And this time they're not threatening to send me, it's pretty well confirmed. I said I want to go Seattle, and they said 'too bad, choose from Japan, Guam, or Hawaii'. As stated in the old thread, I thought Guam was the least worst choice of the 3 given my circumstances (want to be home often, want to enjoy my job, want to be around americans without being around americans :P).

So I applied for Guam with some incentive pay (extra 2 Benjamins a month), and was selected. I called my handlers today to ask why I didn't recieve orders if I was selected, and long story short they said the orders are written, but the funding wouldn't be approved until Jan/Feb. They also said my departure date would be April and my arrival date would be no later than May.

More on the Mini side of the topic, has anyone been to Guam? BMW on Guam? I've heard there are Mini's there, but I'd believe it more if I heard it from a Mini owner. Anyone know how much it is to ship a vehicle to/from there? Guam insurance more expensive? Is taking a Mini to Guam a good idea (dirt roads, bad roads, prone to damage?)?

So hopefully I'll be able to make MOTD07 this year, and am going to start making arrangements and hope they'll be feasable once I get the actual approved orders in my hands.

 

Two years on Guam, as I mentioned in your Japan thread.

Shipping costs ? You telling me the DoD budget has slipped so much they're no longer shipping vehicles for service members ? Or maybe you're shipping another vehicle and paying this one yourself ? Can't help you with this one because I shipped a vehicle on Uncle Sam.

Insurance... you'd think it would be cheaper given the slow speed limits but it's not. Very similar to what you pay in most CONUS places.

BMW on Guam ? Yep, I remember there being a dealership there.

MINIs on Guam ? Can't help you much there, I was stationed there in 1999-2001.

Good/Bad idea ? Roads suck, they are a little slippery when it starts to rain because they use coral in their road material, but yes, most are paved.

 

I do have two vehicles, and am wondering what a normal car/Mini would cost, because the other vehicle weighs about 6000 lbs I think, and I'd have that one shipped free first.

Guam insurance was as much as you're paying for MD insurance?

 

Gotchya... thank Goodness the military is still paying for one vehicle shipment.

Yep, very similar insurance rates to Maryland. There's a fair number of accidents on Guam even with the low speed limits. Reasons: Slippery roads when it rains, as mentioned above. And the locals are generally poor drivers (be warned, a good portion of them are uninsured).

 

I hope I can find a better price. From shipmyvehicle.com:

From: Tacoma, Wa, Long Beach or Oakland, Ca. To: Guam $2,160
From: Baltimore MD To: Guam $3,650

That quote is for the Mini. The truck is the same price or cheaper, because the Mini requires a special crate for shipping because it's so small supposedly.

 

How long do you plan on staying there? I spent 2 yrs there from 94.A lot has changed since then Im sure. I wouldnt take your MINI if I were you. MO of course. Between it being the rust capital of the world and the roads made of cruched corral,you MINI will get miles of road rash in a short time. Most Chamorro's cannot afford to buy a new car so they are dependent on the Navy and AF to sell their cars. That being said,the resale rate of any car is usually higher than stateside. I am not positive about MINI's on Guam,but would imagine there are some there. When I was there it was basically like being in the US. All American resturants and stores.(biggest KMart in the world,with parking on the roof!)Getting items shipped to you can be a PITA!
But that was long before the enet was mainstream......

 

Yeah, there are a lot of cars with rust on them on Guam. You have a tiny island surrounded by salt water and you can smell the salt air from anywhere on the island, so there's no wonder.

But then again, if you wash the car regularly and keep a nice coat of wax on it, rust won't be a problem for you. I had a little "beater" Nissan Sentra when I was there and I never had a speck of rust on it. And I didn't wash it weekly like I do my MINI... maybe once every two weeks.

Those shipping rates don't surprise me. When you realize how far Guam is from the West Coast... wow.

 

I heard xbox 360's play well in Guam

 

Just curious why you didn't choose Hawaii, which has an active group of MINI enthusiasts like minihune there?

 

from OP: (want to be home often, want to enjoy my job, want to be around americans without being around americans)

I have a feeling the Hawaii choice involved some cruises away form family.

 

I saw that, but still think he'd enjoy being with his MINI brethren and sistren in Hawaii!

 

sounds to me like if the salt air doesn't get your car, the bad drivers will. I wouldn't take the Batmini there.

and Guam's just as bad as Japan or Hawaii...cuz yer leaving!

 

Guam is not very large, about 30 miles by about 9 miles at best. The roads go around the shoreline, but some are restricted to military. Beautiful views but not the best MINI roads (bumpy). Speed limit is just that, "limited".

 

Where ever you go, good luck and keep safe.

 

crazy man... good luck... I don't know much about guam... so all the more reason for you to go... and tell us all about it!

 

I was in Guam for 2 days when I was living in Micronesia. I lived on Yap island just south west of Guam for 6 months. You'll have a good time there as long as you don't mind the heat. It's so damn hot in the south pacific that at times you feel that you are going mad. This isn't an exageration. I needed sleeping pills and vodka just to sleep at night.
The island itself is pretty nice. You'll have most of the modern needs that you've grown used to here. Travel the south pacific as much as possible. Yap, Palau and Saipan are amazing.
I lived in Japan for 3 years as well (no, not military). I think I would choose Japan over Guam. It's just a much more convenient place to live. Also, it is VERY easy to get away from laud americans and europeans.

 

Damn hot is right. When I arrived on the island it was the middle of February. At was about 11:30 at night. I walked out of the terminal and it was like getting hit with a brick. The heat and humidity almost choked me. Of course, I came there from Germany so my body was not used to the heat.

Two years, never wore long pants (don't miss that word--LONG) except when I was in uniform. 93-100 for a high temp EVERY day and lows ranged from 73-80 at night. And the humidity... forget about it ! (sorry, just watched Donnie Brasco).

But yes, it has its good points, too. The beaches are gorgeous and the water is always very warm.... like taking a bath. Just don't do any reef walking. People die that way and do so at a rather frequent rate.

 

Plan to take a little time to visit other islands. Saipan has some really great beaches, white clean sand, almost like powdered sugar.

Truk Island has the famous Lagoon. It has some of the best diving in the world. The Lagoon is where the US and Japan had a large battle. There are many sunken fighter planes in the Lagoon. Some you can even see from the shore. Stay inside the reef to keep away from the sharks. Watchout in Truk, rumours have it that Canibalism is still practiced there

There is Palau, Ponape, Yap, Kosare and sevral other islands nearby. I think you can take an Island hopper plane to visit most of them.

Don't forget to where your "famous" hat.

 

Thanks for the info Mini Pooper, will do.

CR&PW, what's reef walking, and why's it so dangerous? I remember seeing on my ships website or the Guam Navy bases' website that it was forbidden to dive on the outside of the reef. I assume that's due to the currents which are probably pretty strong considering there are huge undersea trenches there.

I didn't choose Hawaii because I've been to Hawaii more times than I can count. I used to live there, and on a West Coast USA ship, we stopped there everytime we went out. There's too many tourists imo, the natives dont like the mainlanders, and there's like 7 military bases on that island. To top it off, I don't want to be stationed on a 'salvage' ship.

Some people have suggested I go to Japan instead. The only issue with Japan is the job as well. I've been stationed on a warship before. I spent about 400 out of 700 days at sea... And of those 300 days home, I had to work regular 9-5 hours, as well as remain on board ship once every 6 days for 24 hours. So take 1 of 6 days from the 300 I was already home, and you're left with 250 days home... So you only get to see your family about 1/3 of the time, and you still have to work daily. I'm not saying it's not rewarding or exctiting... I am saying I have a baby on the way, and how much time I'll be at home is an important factor.

Thanks for all the input for the Guam experienced so far. I'm taking it all into consideration. And my tour there should be 3 years.

 

Reef Walking: At many places around the island, there are coral reefs just off the beaches. At some places (on Andersen AFB, for one) the reefs are not only close to the shoreline but they are also just below the surface of the water, depending upon the tides. So....

Some people make an adventure out of going out and walking on top of the reefs. Problem is, if you get knocked off or fall off, the riptides come along and pound your body up against the reef. Coral is very sharp and jagged so you can get the picture. Yep, you end up resembling ground beef.

In my two years there, several people died each year from reef walking... a couple of military people among them.

 

Keep your tennis shoes on. Even walking out from the beach can be dangerous. The sand has a lot of sharp coral in it.

There was a big beach just below the hotel on the hill, on the bay. The sand looked magestic, but it would cut your bare feet up. Especially after a few coctails in the bar. This place had a big outdoor bar on the point and there was a big banyon tree in the center. Quite famous, but I now forget the name. Wonder if its still there.

That's why I mentioned Saipan. Sand is white, clean and powder soft. A good weekend get-away from Guam.

 

Reef walking bad. Roger that.

 

That sounds like "Gun" beach down past what we called hotel row.Almost got my truck stuck there once. There are still a lot of tourists on Guam. Mainly Japanese.
If I had the choice between these locations,after already having been to Guam,I would probably choose Japan. Guam is not bad.But if I decided to take my MINI there,I would sell it before I came back.

 

There are a few other things to watch out for. If you are a contact lense wearer, BE CAREFULL! Do to the high humidity, the South Pacific is ripe with bacteria. I almost lost my eye, and did lose 75% of my vision in it because of this. Good thing I have another eye to fall back on.

Also, if there are any serious medical emergencies, Guam is not the place to be. The fascilities there are...well...not the best. You would have to be flown to Hawaii for treatment.

If you love your MINI, I wouldn't take it to Guam. The humidity eats cars like Saltine crackers.

 

So $2K shipping each way and mucho wear and tear with limited repair shop opportunities for 3 years, you probably could store it professionally for less than that and they keep it charged and aired up and run it once a month. Most city garages do that now, come back to a nice car with low miles or just SELL it, I'll bet it'll be a pain to keep it down there with very few options to actually drive it much.