Northern islands

August 19, 2014 – Tuesday

Island, Northern Islands
The Colors of Maug, Northern Mariana Islands.

The Colors of Maug, Northern Mariana Islands.

I recently returned from a trip up to Maug, an island apart of the Northern Mariana Islands chain. It is roughly around 330 miles North of Saipan, surrounded by Uracas (North of Maug) and Asuncion (South of Maug). Years ago, the island used to resemble a cone-shaped volcanoe that can be found through out the Northern Mariana Islands chain. After an obvious violent eruption, the remote island transformed into the three islands that can be seen to this day. The topography of the island is very rugged. Steep hills and sheering volcanic ridges pattern all the islands. There are certain areas where vertical ridges protrude outward from the islands.

May 7th, 2014 – Wednesday

Tinian
Chopped up Lemai

Chopped up Lemai

Pre Cybuk Le’mai (Breadfruit) preparation on the island of Tinian. This type of tree was crucial for the existence of the Chamorro people because it was their “carbohydrate” to fuel and nourish their bodies every single day. There are different ways to prepare this specific stable crop. One way is to simply put it into a fire and let it cook on the outside. Once cooked, its almost like a baked potato but much more tasty. Another way to prepare Le’mai is by cutting off the exposed skin of the crop then chopping it into cubes (as shown in the picture). Boil it in water and coconut milk and then you’ll end up with cybuk. Stay tuned for the finished product!

May 6th, 2014 – Tuesday

Tinian
Fire Preparation

Fire Preparation

I recently made a trip to the island of Tinian to hang out with some friends during the 2014 Tinian Fiesta. Immediately upon arriving at the dock (took my cousin’s boat which was an hour boat ride), we went straight up to the ranch to begin preparing for the evenings feast. This was the fire that was prepared to roast a small-medium sized pig. One of the “local” delicacies is roasted pig. Once the fire is prepared, it is spread around in a circle, surrounding the pig on a spick. The pig is then evenly roasted by turing the spic for several hours. Stay tuned for more pictures!