One last beautiful day

Today was a busy road trip kind of day - with a little heavy shopping to kick it all off.  Wayne had not been able to make the Babeldaob road tour the last time we were in Palau, so this was a new experience for him, as well as Matt and Jodi.  There was enough new in the travel that made it really worthwhile for me as well!

We started out at the prison gift shop after making a stop at the Bank of Hawaii teller machine.  Let me clue you in about that machine - you can take up to $300 out if you are not a BOH customer, BUT you can take the $300 out twice in succession.  Just in case you think you’re going to buy a lot at the prison gift shop.  I wound up getting a manta ray storyboard with sea life, no story, and Matt and Jodi got a turtle of the same persuasion.  Auntie was particularly helpful in negotiating sales.  I did find out that when prisoners leave, they have the option to leave their carvings there or take them along with.  If they are sold, the prison notifies them, and they can come pick up their cash.  It is a cash and carry business.

(BTW, I am writing this page a few days after being home, so my remembrance of site names where we visited will likely be sketchy).

From here, we took off over the Friendship Bridge, and hit the Compact Road that circles Babeldaob, which now seats the capitol building.  Our first stop was a traditional Bai, which had been badly damaged by Typhoon Bopha.  It remains in disrepair as the village chiefs continue to argue over how to fix it.  I had forgotten about the pee holes and spit holes in the floors...but they are still there!  Hopefully the Chiefs will come to agreement soon, or the women who appoint them may have to choose new ones!                                                                    

From here it was off to the terraces - you can see how they were built in order to defend against invaders based upon the surrounding steep slopes.  We got to see a newly discovered gun as well as the terraced farming areas.

Back on the road, we hit two more WWII sites where we saw defensive positions originally manned by the Japanese (I think it was them and not the Germans), with intact weaponry.  Some things still remain! 

One main location on our agenda was the Ngardmau Waterfall, where we saw a baby crocodile, and went down to the Waterfall itself.  Jodi and Matt hiked down and back up, and Wayne and I took the tram -- next time, better shoes for the redhead is a requirement.

Yes, there were zip lines!  The train ran along a bauxite mining rail line, which was mined by the Japanese for construction of their wartime materiels.  No mining happens any more, as it is not safe.           

The waterfall was spectacular, the tram ride a little freaky as it wobbled from side to side. 

After the waterfall, we were off to another WWII observation/defense site, and a bombed out lighthouse.  I will have to do a little more research on that at some point in the future.  It was well constructed, and utterly destroyed by the bombing.  There are still bullets in the surrounding area.

From here it was off to Badrulchau to see the monoliths.  Auntie surmised that people brought the basalt figures and faces on rafts, and that is how they were deployed around the Pacific (think Ponape, Kosrae and Easter Island).  I’m sure that there are plenty of theories.

Then a quick jaunt around the Capitol (and Auntie’s opinion of the folly of that investment has not changed since 2006!), and we were headed to the Taj for our final dinner.  Matt and Jodi got to enjoy the Chilli Crab (Mangrove crab), and the evening was deemed successful.  Our local cab driver (Len? Lou? I have his card somewhere!) picked us up and brought us back to the hotel where we napped before heading to the airport.

We went through the same problem at the Palau airport as we did coming in because of the separate reservations.  Because Matt and Jodi had three legs, their baggage ticket had to be hand written.  We kept our fingers crossed for their bags.

We were delayed by the late arrival of the flight from Manila.  I found out that the flight from Guam was being held for us, so I felt better about that.  We arrived one gate away from the departing flight, but we unfortunately had to process through customs and wait to be allowed to re-enter the airport (did you know that means going through security screening again?).

We dashed to the plane, boarded, and headed back to Honolulu.  This time, the flight was without event.  And Matt and Jodi’s bags made it!  They had plenty of time for their connecting flight to Houston, so we were all on our way.

Looking forward to the next dive trip with Matt & Jodi (BVI, here we come), good diving companions!

The happy people of Peleliu

Today is the day I tend to hate in Palau - the last day of diving.  It always makes me sad, and it generally strengthens our resolve to return here.  This time, the return will be more quickly, I believe.

I had the strangest dream last night.  I got off of a flight, and was down two levels to pick up my baggage, when I realized I’d left my wallet and passport on the plane.  I made my way back to the plane, where I was not allowed to go back on, and was told to call customer service.  The person on the other end of the phone told me that my call was expected, they had the items, and they thought I would have called much sooner.  When I expressed concern since I had just arrived, I was placed on hold.  About five minutes later, the agent came back on the line and asked how he could help me.  When I said that he had been helping me reunite with my items, he replied that he was sorry, he couldn’t help me now, he was planning a party for his house.  And he hung up.  I woke up after this, dumbfounded, and told Wayne about my dream.  Wayne said that he thought the dream made perfect sense.  After all, “You’re in Palau.”

Who’d a thunk that?

The sky was grey this morning, reflecting a somber mood, and we got on the boat headed to Peleliu for two dives.  The trip is somewhat longer than the others, 1:15, and we rode it pelted with rain.  As we arrived at Peleliu, however, sunlight began to stream from behind the clouds.

Our first dive was at Peleliu Wall, where we made our way through the cut to the corner.  It is obvious how much the typhoon devastated Peleliu when you look both at the eastern side of the island (stripped of trees and boulders flung around), and at the reef beneath.  The teeming pelagic life just wasn’t there, and the coral was virtually stripped from the top of the reef.  Still, it was beautiful, and we enjoyed ourselves for a little under an hour as there was no ripping current.  One sad loss on the dive, though.  At the very end of the safety stop, Wayne’s computer band fragmented, and sped down to the top of Peleliu Corner.  The Peleliu gods of the corner had previously acted and flooded my beloved Sony camera back in 2006.  Looks like we’ve now both sacrificed to the gods.  All I can say is thank goodness for insurance.

We had a brief pause between dives where we got to see the wreckage caused on land by Typhoon Bopha.  Boulders were strewn across the eastern side of the island, and houses were gone.  The treeline had also receded from the beach. 

In November 2012, the typhoon started as a tropical storm, and the National Weather Service in Guam issued a tropical storm warning.  The Palau National Emergency Office issued an announcement requesting the public to stock up with emergency supplies (food for 3 days, battery powered radios, first aid kits, flashlights, etc).  The typhoon passed to the south side of Palau, disrupting communications.  Koror had slight damage in the form of uprooted trees.  Coastal villages on the main islands were subjected to strong winds and heavy rain, causing flooding, similar to Peleliu.  Both Peleliu and Babeldaob had homes destroyed, and perhaps half the monkey population of Angaur was lost.  :(

We avoided snorkeling with the crocodiles in the mangroves around the rest area, shared our lunch with a local dog (she seemed pretty hungry, and got good at catching scraps of fish tossed her way) and headed back out for our second dive.  Again, no ripping current, and a pleasant, hour long dive.

After this, we went on a land tour of Peleliu, where we saw the old airfield (the main reason for securing the island), viewed the invasion beaches, saw the cemetery for the US troops, toured the museum, and walked along the jungle trail up to the viewing point where we got to see a panorama of the whole island.  On our way back to the north harbor, we stopped for ice cream, and then to tour the 1000 man cave.    Peleliu itself is one of sixteen states in Palau, and has a total area of five square miles.  It’s population is under 1000, but it is the third most populous state of Palau.  There are four villages, Kloulklubed, Imelchol, Lademisang (where we typically dock between dives), and Onegeudil.  The island was the center of a battle in the Pacific during WWII, and many Marines and Japanese soldiers died on the beaches and in the caves there.  The battle was a brutal one - the Japanese engaged in endurance tactics, deploying in caves and dug-in positions that had to be taken individually. 

I think this has been the favorite day of Matt by far!!  I can see visiting the Peleliu Battlefield fits in with his enjoyment of military history.

Then it was back to Sam’s to pack up dive gear, grab some dinner, and head back to the hotel for the evening.  It is sad to say goodbye to the diving, but Palau will be here when we return.

Can I get four more?

We headed out early again this  morning for three tanks.  Today we were joined by Martin, the duly proclaimed “Mayor” since he has been here 7 times in the last 6 years, and has accrued over 300 dives in Palau.  Not hard when you stay here four weeks at a clip!

Our first dive was Virgin Blue Corner, whose exit is at about 103 feet.  Not a lot of life within, but the cathedral effects are stunning.  We drifted to the right after exiting, the opposite direction that we took when Dexter was our guide.  A very pleasant drift for an hour along a busy wall.

Then it was Blue Corner for a third dive.  It was amazing.  We came up the incoming side, and there were some aggressively circling sharks.  It turns out they were attacking and killing a smaller shark - Joedyn seems to think there was something already wrong with it.  The natural circle of life.

We then hooked in and watched the show, which was very active.  Jacks, sharks, barracuda, snapper.  Three very attentive Napoleon wrasse.  And we migrated over to the outgoing side, where Joedyn was searching in the distance for the chevron barracuda. I am proud to say that I am the one who spotted them, and I got a big “OK” from Joedyn as we swam out.

Dive three was Barnum’s Wall.  Pleasant, quiet, and I finally saw a hawkfish in the coral.  Quite a few honu, too!  We were joking with Joedyn about getting  a ping pong specialty during the dive briefing, as the currents have been so variable during the dives on this trip.

After a scenic ride home through the Rock Islands, we geared up for dive four.  I went through five tanks before we got an 80 with a DIN for me.  That, and we had to replace my air pressure gauge, which cracked after 10 years of use (bought it here at Sam’s when my Vytec transmitter died years ago).  Oh well.  Down to Sam’s Wall we went, and we saw tons and tons of mandarin fish, and even a few successful matings.  We ascended after a little over an hour as it really started to darken.  I guess that marks the last muck dive of the trip!

I would have inserted a picture of the mandarin fish here, but there has been a challenge with this web design program.  I’m definitely noticing some serious limitations here with regards to iWeb. I have taken quite a number of photos, and not all of them are showing up in the media bar.  And the pages aren’t very fun, and inserting a new style for each trip is painful, so everything stays the same.  Plus, you can’t create templates that copy over to the headings/footers of every page.

Looks like I really need to be serious about watching Don’s lesson on migrating from iWeb when I get home.

Dinner tonight was the two of us solo at the Taj, where I had their incomparable chilli crab.  It was magnificent, and the largest medium order of mangrove crab I have ever had!  They brought out appropriately sized bibs to wear for me as well, so I didn’t ruin my shirt this time.  =]

Alas, only one more trip to the Taj this time, but we are thinking about December.

June Day!

Yesterday Joedyn told us to plan our future trips to coincide with the half to full moon (force me to have to spend two weeks here).  Wayne woke up early and started plotting out the next trip.  5 years between visits is far too long for Palau, it is so very much like coming home.  And even though we have been gone for quite a while, it feels like slipping into a comfortable pair of slippers custom designed for your feet.

It is very unpleasant to realize we only have 2 diving days left, and then we return to Hawaii.  Admittedly, it isn’t the mainland, but the shoe there sometimes doesn’t fit quite as comfortably...I checked things out, and they have a need for both social workers and lawyers here.  Hmmm.

It was an early start this morning, unintentionally and intentionally both.  Today we were headed to Ulong Island for two out of three dives, and then to Helmet Wreck, a wreck of unidentified origin (we think a European vessel commandeered by the Japanese for use as a Maru).

The ride out was only 30 minutes, but as Joedyn checked the current, and it was going a bit wonky, so we did our first dive at Siaes Tunnel.  Looks like no new dives for Wayne and me on this trip, but again, this is an extremely comfortable, custom made pair of slippers!

There were no Jacks to greet us at the mouth of the tunnel, it may have been too early, but they showed up a bit later.  The mouth of the tunnel was considerably deeper than I had remembered, and it was far too easy to slip down to 120 feet to go see our buddies.

There were no long nose hawkfish or white tip reef shark sleeping in the tunnel today, so it really does show how badly the typhoon hit this part of the islands.  We exited the tunnel and had a very pleasant wall dive to end it.

Our second dive was Ulong Channel.  The current was still a little iffy, but the life was unbelievable!  It is grouper spawning season, so it was like a little bit of grouper heaven, mixed in with all sorts of other fish, to include giant clams, those nasty titan triggerfish, and an incredible school of jacks.

Lunch was on Ulong Beach, where we were invaded by flies, snorkelers, and another boat full of divers.  We left there pretty early and headed out.                                                   

Our third dive, and last guided dive of the day, was on the helmet wreck, a wreck that the Japanese did not get to cleaning up after World War II.  A lot of the artifacts have been moved out of small spaces in order to prevent new divers from going in.  We saw a sink with an interesting logo.

We didn’t just penetrate the wreck for the wreck’s sake, there was a crocodilefish, a pair of batfish getting cleaned, and other little critters abounding.

Our final dive of the day was a muck dive - Sam’s Wall - which is literally the wall outside of Sam’s Tours.  We saw another crocodilefish, yellowspotted pipefish, short-bodied pipefish, ringed pipefish, large juvenile and juvenile many-spotted sweetlips, and, hold your breath, wait for it....

MANDARINFISH!

Not too crappy for a muck dive.  However, we terminated early when three out of four divers ran out of battery power for their cameras.

Oh well, tomorrow is another day.

Dinner was at the Palm Bistro Cafe, home of the Red Rooster brewing.  The food is much improved, and worth coming back.  Three out of four of us got the special Thai seafood curry, and one of us (um, ME) had the lamb burger.  Yum, yum, yum.

The streak ends here

It started like your average good day at Sam’s Tours - arrive early to get a head start and catch the tide in the most advantageous manner, get your gear assembled and on the boat, analyze the nitrox, get your second cup of coffee and some water, and head out.

We descended, went to the cleaning station, and waited.  At about 13 minutes into the dive, we turned to head out, and there it was, a black manta in the sky!  So further down to the cleaning station we went.                                         

It only got better from there.  We saw four mantas, and one of them did a drive by right overhead.  It was utterly magnificent.  We were astounded and thrilled!  Near the end of the dive there was also a stingray nestled in the sand.  We had to head out to do a safety stop, and we held our breath hoping for more, but four was our final number.  The only down side was this sort of shimmering that we began to see in the water in front of us, below us, and eventually encompassing us.  Thermal clines.  The water went from 85.2 degrees to 77.8.  Instantaneously.  It. Was. Freezing!

Ok, I know, not freezing, but you try warming up your thermal core back to 98.6 when you are completely surrounded by 77.8.  Not easy!

From there we had a surface interval over the always beautiful Ngemelis Coral Garden, and we then rolled over into the blue to drift from Fairy Wall to New Drop Off. 

The drift was filled with a lot of pelagics, teeming around us as we drifted on.  Lots of interesting stuff on the walls as well, to include a number of amorous nudibranches.  Plus quite a few juvenile sweetlips!                                                   

Lunch was again on the dogless Two Dog Island, where we stayed until the rains came back.  Then it was on to Jellyfish Lake, where we had not been since 2005.  It’s changed a bit - the fee for entry is now  $50, up from our last time in; and there is a check in stand where they take your permits until you exit the lake.  They are looking to up the fee to $200 to limit the numbers coming in fairly soon, so it was good to get in while the price was still relatively low.

Jellies still abound, but there is now no free diving allowed, as the majority of free divers hurt the jelly population by thrashing their legs to get down.  That was ok, we still had a ton of jellies to see teeming about us.

From there back to the shop (tide was too low to do Sam’s Wall), planning for tomorrow, and for Peleliu.  After we went back to the hotel, it was off to the aquarium (Palau has a small, but well kept aquarium), to Arirang for a most spectacular Korean dinner (I had the stir fried squid with spicy sauce, YUM), and then back home.  All this, and it was only 7:30!