January 16, 2018
A relaxing day around the pool after a short walk down the coast with Alison and Nancy.  Up at 5:30 am the day started out with a lot of cloud cover, but cleared up as the day progressed.  The featured photo is courtesy of Alison and the video is courtesy of Pete.

We found an interesting tree on our walk that has flowers and pods. Research identified it as a Barringtonia asiatica or fish poison tree.  The ocean currents carry the pods, much like coconuts, throughout the Pacific and India. The pod is very buoyant and can stay afloat for up to 15 years. All parts of the tree are poisonous.

Most of the people staying at the hotel are Asian, Korean and Japanese.  Lots of families with very little kids.  Thinking about all those diapers gave me pause about going in the pool, no matter how good the filtration system.  As dark skin is not culturally desirable, pool attire consists of board shorts, full skins, long sleeve shirts and hats in the water.

According to CBS News: “Last week, the Pacific Air Forces announced three B-2 “Spirit” stealth bombers with approximately 200 personnel have been deployed from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri to the Pacific island of Guam.  The deployment is intended to provide leaders with deterrent options to maintain regional stability.”

We were eating lunch at the poolside bar when what should roar overhead, not one but two stealth bombers. They move so fast that I could barely get a shot of the second one to fly over. The photo on the right is from CBSnews.com. These planes are stunning to see in person, so black, sleek, thin and fast.