Rota: Day 1

Last weekend was a first. It was the first time we had been to the small island of Rota and the first time we took our bikes on a plane.
First, since anywhere we go I like to find out as much as I can about the culture/people/geography/etc, here’s a little background.
Here are a couple of maps of the area for your reference:


Rota is one of 3 inhabited islands (there are 14 total islands) that make up the Commonwealth of Northern Marianas Islands (CNMI). Rota is the closest island to Guam at 40 nautical miles. Saipan (the largest island) is about 120 miles from Guam. In fact, on clear days you can see Rota from the northern side of Guam.
Here’s the flag of the CNMI:

The latte stone in the middle is one of the significant cultural symbols for the Chamorro people indigenous to the region. It was used as a foundation for building structures. We visited a latte stone quarry later in the trip.
The people of Rota were very friendly. In fact, it had the feel of a small town in the US. Everyone waves at each other as they pass on the roads. There are less than 5,000 people living on the island and it’s about 32 square miles (about 10.5 miles long by 3 miles wide). For comparison, Guam is about 7 times larger with a population of 160,000. So, suffice it to say, Rota does not have the same infrastructure as it’s larger neighbor. However, we found it very endearing. There were 8 of us from Guam that went, so we had our own fun.
The economy of Rota is based on tourism (as is the rest of the CNMI and Guam). Agriculture is also important and the most significant products are sweet potato (a purple variety), breadfruit, coconut and cattle. That said, Rota and the rest of the CNMI benefit from a substantial infusion of money from the federal US government (on the order of hundreds of millions year).
The CNMI is a commonwealth in political union with the US. As such, it enjoys certain benefits, such as financial assistance and US citizenship for its local residents. However, since it is not a territory of the US, it is allowed more freedom to govern itself in areas like immigration, taxation (no federal income tax), and labor laws. Basically though, the government is modeled after the US.
We thought the pace of life was laid back in Guam…its hectic chaos compared to Rota though! There is very little to rush for….there is no movie theater, a handful of restaurants, and no fast food. There are plenty of beaches, crystal clear water, spectacular terrain, and perfect weather (most of the time).
So, with all that said, let me get on to the trip.
We took off Friday afternoon for the 15 minute flight up to Rota. We found out that even though a box for a bike is less than 50 pounds and slightly larger than a normal suitcase, it costs an extra $30 each way. Since we had 2 bikes, for the privilege of riding, Anna and I had to pay an extra $120. Oh well, just frustrating I suppose to pay for this “handling” that got us nothing special. I know, I sound bitter, but Continental has a stranglehold on the airline market out of Guam.
The eight of us were: Anna and me, Mark and Lorena, Mary, Dennis, Robbie and another Jim. Robbie was the only one brave enough to attempt the Half-Ironman distance. Mark, Jim and I each did the Olympic distance. The girls teamed up for the Olympic distance: Lorena swam, Anna biked and Mary ran. Dennis was our group photographer. 🙂
Here’s our first close look at the island.


You can see here just how clear the water was…

Mary proclaims, “We have arrived!”

Here’s our Guam contingent.

Welcome to Rota.

That evening, we went to sign up for the race, checked into the hotel, inspected our gear and prepped the bikes for the ride. We headed to bed pretty early to get a good night’s sleep….
Tomorrow will be the race.
–Jim