ABSTRACT
Three times a week the “Island Hopper” jet operated by Continental Air Micronesia leaves Guam, and using a different form of navigation than the star compass of Carolinian palu, touches down at Chuuk, Pohnpei, Kosrae, Kwajalein, and Majuro, before arriving on the reef runway at Honolulu International Airport at 2:30 AM. Although Honolulu is a very busy airport, with planes landing at all hours from many different time zones, there isn’t much happening at 2:30 AM, and hardly anyone is around. But on the nights that the Island Hopper comes in, the baggage claim area outside the international immigration desks is alive with people. The first hint that these might not be typical foreign tourists is given by the baggage that begins to tumble out of the conveyor belt tunnel. It includes suitcases to be sure, but as much as half of it is composed of large plastic ice chests and heavy-duty cardboard boxes, taped tightly, with people’s names written on them with Magic Markers. As these items drop onto the baggage
carousel, they are quickly grabbed up by muscular young men clad in slacks or jeans, T-shirts, and zori (thonged sandals).
