Page 377 - Micronesia
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Sightseeing & Historical Landmarks                                          Sightseeing & Historical Landmarks

                                Bear Rock    Inarajan Pools                     housed within the church was      statue depicts a powerful and
                                Just south   A natural system of swimming       originally intended for the       well-respected leader in the
                                of the       holes just off the main road       church in Umatac. Because of      village’s history. According
                                village of   near the village’s Catholic        rough waters, the ship carry-     to Guam legend, Chief Gadao
                                Inarajan, a  Church, Inarajan Pools is a        ing the statue as it arrived on   challenged the chief of Tumon
                                large rock   popular spot for both visitors     Guam could not sail all the       in a contest of strength many
                                welcomes     and residents. Several on-site     way to its destination, and       years ago. The two powerful
                                passersby    barbecue pits and picnic shel-     instead stopped in Inarajan.      leaders rowed a canoe in op-
    to Agfayan Bay. Due to its re-           ters, as well as an old diving                                       posite directions, breaking it
    semblance to the animal, it is           board that serves as a jump-       Gef Pa’go Chamorro                in half. The statue in Inarajan
    aptly named Bear Rock. A boat            ing off point for thrill seekers,  Cultural Village                  depicts Chief Gadao rowing
    ramp near the main road is a             has helped make the site a         Modeled after a traditional       his half of the canoe.
    great place for visitors to take         favorite hangout.                  Chamorro village in the 1940s
    photos of the landmark.                                                     and 1950s, Gef Pa’go takes                                       Gadao’s
                                                                                visitors back to a time when                                     Cave
56                                                                              bread was baked in ovens,                                        Located    57
                                                                                rope was hand woven, and the                                     near the
    Inarajan (Inalahan) Village                                                 women of Guam were frocked                                       entrance
                                                                                in bright-colored skirts. The                                    to Inara-
    Named to the National Histor-                                               village, which is open daily, is  jan Bay, Gadao’s cave depicts
                                                                                managed by the Historic In-       the ancient Guam legend
    ic Register in 1977, the village                                            alahan Foundation in an effort    about its powerful chief in pic-
                                                                                to preserve the local culture     tographs inside the cave walls.
    of Inarajan is experiencing a                                               and pass down traditions to       The drawings have made the
                                                                                younger generations. It is a      site one of the more famous
    revitalization effort to pro-                                               favorite spot for visitors and    caves on the island.
                                                                                local schoolchildren.
    tect several of its buildings.                                                                                                             Inarajan
                                                                                Chief Gadao Statue                                             Falls
    The Inalahan Foundation has                                                 Located near the entrance to                                   One of the
                                                                                Gef Pa’go, the Chief Gadao                                     island’s
    partnered with the American                                                                                                                many
                                                                                                                                               waterfalls,
    Institute of Architects Guam                                                                                                               this Inara-
                                                                                                                                               jan site is
    Chapter to breathe new life                                                                                                                a favorite
                                                                                                                                               among
    into the Inarajan Community                                                                                   hikers who often plan boonie
                                                                                                                  stomps to the falls from the
    Center, the Baptist church, the                                                                               southern mountains near
                                                                                                                  Cetti Bay Overlook. The site,
    Doris Flores Lujan House, and                                                                                 although difficult to get to,
                                                                                                                  offers a shallow swimming
    the Manibusan House. A com-                                                                                   pool to cool off and a beauti-
                                                                                                                  ful view.
    plete restoration of the Anna            St. Joseph Catholic Church

    Leon Guerrero House, built in            Named after the patron saint

    1901, has already been com-              of Inarajan, St. Joseph Catholic

    pleted. Inarajan, a village rich         Church remains the center of

    in cultural flair, is also home          many activities including fies-

    to the favorite visitor spot,            tas, weddings, and novenas.

    Gef Pa’go Chamorro Cultural              According to oral tradition,

    Village.                                 a large statue of St. Joseph
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