I simply remember my favorite things.....

Such a lovely day today on our beautiful little island! 

I have to say- today was one of those days where I felt like I just wanted to stay on Saipan forever....

of course I know we have to move on and I want to ...but today...today I was a little wistful....

I spent the day with my daughter and her two children at one of our beautiful beaches....Obyan Beach. Truth be told, I haven't been to Obyan for years.....why? I dunno...I really dunno....

The road going down to Obyan

We made a little "camp" under a shady pine

my daughter....going off -exploring

I guess even on this small island we get busy...and forget to enjoy life. There was hardly anyone there. We say a few dive groups going in and coming out of the water. 

There was a family that had set up three tents and looked like they had been there for the weekend. 

But that's about it....

My daughter told me that a friend of theirs just visited them from Pagan Island (pronounced with a short "a") . Pagan is a northern island in the Mariana Islands chain. He is the only person living on the island.

Seriously.

He's about 26 years old. 

He has a short-wave radio so he can contact Saipan Emergency Management and the Navy in Guam. The Navy stops by about every two weeks and he "trades" fish and other things for bullets (there are deer there) and some other supplies. 

I've included a map of the Northern Mariana Islands so you can kind-of understand what I am talking about. Pagan is a good day's boat ride from Saipan. If you leave at the crack of dawn you arrive in Pagan about sunset.

No- I have never been there...yet.

Here are a few pictures I scrounged up from the internet...

Because it's a volcanic island it has black sand beaches, unlike our white powder sand here in Saipan.

Mt. Pagan-an active volcano

Saipan, Rota and Tinian are the only islands that are inhabited. 

I heard there is a couple that lives on one of the other islands but I forget which one. I remember back in 1994 the volcano on Pagan erupted and the residents had to be evacuated. 

Yes, Pagan has an active volcano on it. 

Here is a very interesting website that has more pictures and narrative-

A friend of mine is a boat captain. SHE operates the supply boats that ferry scientists and the like to the northern islands. She has been up to the islands many times and she told me it is really paradise. 

I'd like to plan a trip back to Saipan so I can ride along on one of the expeditions-I've actually been invited to do that sometime. 

My daughter and her husband are planning a group trip next December to Pagan to visit their friend and have an adventure trip. 

As we were sitting on the beach today and talking about my daughter's friend ......I day-dreamed about living life carefree on an uninhabited island.....My favorite movie is Castaway you know....