LEGEND OF TWO LOVERS POINT

During the Spanish rule in Guam, a proud family living in Agana, the capital city, had a beautiful daughter. A powerful Spanish captain asked for her hand in marriage and the father agreed.

The daughter, however, had fallen in love with a handsome man from a very modest Chamorro family. She ran from the house to meet him by the sea.

When the father found her missing, he told the Spanish captain that the Chamorro lad had kidnapped her. The father, the Captain and all the Spanish soldiers pursued the lovers up to a high cliff.

Knowing they were trapped, the two braided their hair together, kissed one last time and leaped down the long, deep cliff into the roaring waters below. Forever after, the high point on the cliff was known as "Two Lovers Point."

THE LEGEND OF THE
BEAUTIFUL RAINBOW BRIDGE

Long, long ago, there were many gods who lived on the island of Guam. The native people decided to get rid of, or to destroy, all of the gods. There was one girl named Veronica, however, who did not want the gods banned from the island because she strongly believed in their magical powers and wanted them to favor her.

When the gods heard of the plan of the people, they decided to destroy all of the people of the island, except Veronica. They decided that they would build a bridge of beautiful colors for Veronica to climb upon while they destroyed the others. Veronica climbed on the bridge to escape, and today you can see the bridge of beautiful colors made especially for Veronica. The bridge is called the rainbow.

LEGEND OF SIRENA
THE MERMAID

Guam's legendary mermaid, Sirena, lived in Agana during Spanish times near the Minondo River where fresh spring waters dividing the city of Agana met the ocean at the river's mouth (Bicana) not so far from the site of the statue above. She loved the water and was known to swim whenever she could steal a moment from her chores to satisfy her greatest pleasure.

One fateful day, Sirena's mother sent her to get coconut shells to be used as coal for the iron.

Oblivious to time and duty, Sirena couldn't resist the refreshing river. There she swam while her mother called impatiently. Sirena's mother angrily cursed her daughter with the words, "Since Sirena loves the water more than anything, she should become a fish." Unknown to mother, family and friends, Sirena was never to return home again, for feeling unusual sensations as she swam, she soon discovered that from the waist down she had become part fish. Her mother, regretful of her curse, could not undo the outcome of fate. Bidding her loved ones farewell, Sirena swam out into the Pacific. Since her disappearance, seafarers have reported seeing her in different parts of the world. According to legend, she can only be caught with a net of human hair.

THE LEGEND OF THE COCONUT

Long ago there was a Chamorro family belonging to the Achote tribe. The family had a beautiful young daughter who was admired by everyone in the tribe. One day the girl became very thirsty. She wanted to drink the juice from a special fruit. Everyone tried to find the fruit she described but to no avail. Soon the girl became very ill and died. The father buried the girl on a hill over looking the village. He placed a beautiful headstone on her grave and the people covered it with many beautiful flowers. One day the villagers noticed a strange plant growing on the girl's grave. They thought it was magic and built a shelter to protect it.

Five years after the plant appeared, it had grown 20 feet tall, strange looking fruits appeared. One of the fruits dropped to the ground and cracked open.

The chief called on the father of the dead girl to eat the strange fruit but he refused. He called his wife to eat the fruit. She said it was sweet and chewy and called it coconut. It remains one of the main foods eaten by the Chamorro people.

THE LEGEND OF THE SECRET
OF TWO LOVERS CAVE

Do you wonder what happened to the two lovers bodies after they leaped from Two Lovers Point? A decision was made by the elders of the village that their bodies be buried at sea. Since their deaths were not natural, the elders determined they should not have an honorable burial.

Their bodies were placed in a large canoe and sent to sea on a one-way voyage. However, a storm arose and washed the canoe and the bodies in a cave where the bodies crystalized into limestone.

There are so many more legends, but I think we'd better go check to see if the Chevy has recovered. By the way, on our home voyage, let's slip a few motion sickness pills into the Chevy's gas tank.

These legends are enough to set your head awhirl, aren't they? If you'll click on this animated couple, we'll go check on the Chevy and get on with our tour of beautiful Guam.