Off the coast of Africa in the Atlantic Ocean, the Azores are a group of Portuguese islands that are very green and absolutely beautiful. Every hedge, rock and stone home is well kept.
There are some large fortresses that date back to the time of Columbus, when the island was a stopping-off point on the way to the Americas. It still is, and the people are friendly to Americans.
My first trip to open up European countries to 50 MHz was done in early January-too late for proper propagation. We made only one contact. On my second trip, I had many successes.
Pohnpei: Ruins with a Surprise
Pohnpei is an unspoiled island paradise. The people are delightful and the food is delicious. I operated from Pohnpei in 1983 as V63JT.
A part of the Caroline Islands in the north Pacific, Pohnpei is very lush, very beautiful and very surprising. For example, Pohnpei has large Mayan-like ruins. I knew they were elsewhere, but I didn't expect to find them in the Pacific.
There's an impressive ruin between the island and the reef. It's miles long, built of five-sided rock. When I was there, much of the structure was overgrown but was being restored. They also used to use rock for money-round stones with holes in the center, like stone coins. This ancient money system is reportedly still common on Yap.
Pohnpei is a friendly island that's virtually untouched by tourism. At least not much. The women still go about topless, but now they wear two grass skirts so they can pull one up to a more "modest" position when they come to work at the hotel. No wonder my code sounded shaky!
Our hotel was charming, with thatched roofs and natural architecture. While taking a shower one morning I noticed that I had a large, dark companion-a bat. No reason to panic. I completed my shower in leisurely fashion while the bat snoozed. The way I see it, the bat was just part of the island ambiance.
Belize: Ruins and a Magnificent Reef
Previously known as British Honduras, Belize is a Central American country just south of Mexico that's covered with Mayan ruins and surrounded by sparkling water. I visited it six times-a strong vote of confidence!
The reef is 200 miles long-the second largest in the world after the Great Barrier Reef in Australia-which makes it one of the best diving places anywhere. In fact, there could be an entire tour for diving expeditions the Cayman Islands, Pohnpei, Cocos and Belize.
Belize combines ruins with romance. And if that wasn't enough, they actually like Amateur Radio operators. Even though my signals were interfering with the hotel telephones, they didn't ask me to stop. Instead, they volunteered to help solve the problem! When I said that what I needed was a good ground, they immediately drilled a hole in the floor.
Six-meter TEP from Central America to the South Pacific is very common even when the US has no propagation whatsoever. This is a great place for the ARRL June VHF QSO Party!
