Morning starts early in Kalaupapa

I was a little sore in the right hip last night from playing volleyball, so getting comfortable in a twin bed as a bit of a problem.  Nevertheless, slept well.  I was out of bed and looking at the last wisps of sunrise by 5:30.  Maria was already gone and her bed very neatly made.  A most considerate roommate, she was in the kitchen dealing with the first crisis of the day -- coffee machine plugged in but not percolating.  We relocated it to a new outlet, and proceeded onward.  It looks like the outlet died overnight, and no one could point me to a breaker box.

Slightly before 7, we both headed out.  Maria to walk and search for shells, and me to snorkel.  We encountered a  weaner on the beach from the northwest Hawaiian islands (red tag and a tattooed number).  It was playing and eating in the shallows.

I headed out for past the reef break to snorkel.  Wading out was like at the trench - walk and walk and walk and walk.  I saw Christmas wrasses, moorish idols, tons and tons of chubs, and 3 black tip reef sharks who appeared to be searching for breakfast.  I decided that it was appropriate to respect their hunt and head back inside the reef.  I took a bit of a tumble thanks to some waves, but emerged relatively unscathed.  Then it was time to get breakfast and clean off.  I had a taro malasada and mochi as part of my breakfast this morning, Filipino treats apparently, which were quite tasty!

The Kalaupapa peninsula used to be a sacred gathering place for ali`i, where they would come to meditate and gather in preparation for large decision making or meetings.  Then, in 1865, things changed.  King Kamehameha V signed the "Act to Prevent the Spread of Leprosy," a disease to which 95% of humanity has a natural immunity.  Not so native Hawaiians, Asians and other Pacific Islanders.  On January 26, 1886, the first 12 of what would become thousands were exiled to the peninsula here.  The "separating disease," Ma`i Ho`oka`awala, splintered apart families. leaving many of the residents here rejected by their families and needing to leave their bones in Kalaupapa. 

Leprosy is a devastating disease - affecting the nerves, skin, upper respiratory tract and eyes.  Patients frequently became scarred, disfigured.  In the beginning of the colonies here, being sent to the peninsula was tantamount to a death sentence.  To be here and shunned by one's family is unimaginable.

Forced isolation in Kalaupapa for sufferers of Hansen's Disease continued until 1949, after a cure was discovered.  Nonetheless, most of the patients chose to reside here.  They travelled globally, contributed to world causes, and gave of themselves, but still called this peninsula their home.  Today, only 7 patients remain, and Kalaupapa is taken care of by a combination of the Hawaii State Health Department and the National Park Service.

A large side headed to the back side of the island this morning for services.  They have come back now, and we are prepping for lunch and departure to gather salt.

Break, break

So when I heard that we were going to gather salt, I had visions of Gandhi marching down to the sea with denizens to gather gallons of water to evaporate for salt.  Not so much.  Instead, we headed down to the lava rocks (fishers came too), where we looked for pockets of salt and water. You then scoop the top layer of salt off of the water pocket and put it in your bag.  You are supposed to try to avoid getting any dirt or rocks in the salt.  I was not quite so talented as that, and got both dirt and rocks into my salt.  Not to worry, I was told, you can clean it up after you dry the salt.  So clean it up I will.

On our way we stopped at the graves of two original sponsors, Uncle Naia and Aunty Gertrude.                 

After I tired out from salt gathering, I was hanging out near the top. Maria called me over to see if I could ID a cowrie.  She had found it wedged between the dry rocks, and thought it was dead.   I knew it, but not the name. And its mantle was coming out!  Maria went back to throw it into the ocean, but it landed in the rocks. After a bit of maneuvering, I got down the side of the wall and threw it back into the water.  I wonder what tako now has a good meal...                                

We spent 3 1/2 hours out there gathering the salt!  In the meantime, a lot of fish for future meals was gathered.  A lot of people were asking me if I fished, to which I responded that I couldn't fish, especially not if they were pretty fish!  Everyone laughed.  And then tagged me to lead snorkeling tomorrow because I wasn't scared away by the three black tip sharks ...  this should be fun, I will be the sacrificial lamb.  They want me on the outside near the dropoff!

Got to meet Jessica, Maria's daughter tonight, although I'm pretty sure I met her before.  She and Shannen, the chef here at Kalaupapa for 15 years, hiked down the hill today.  Very nice girl!

Dinner was another pork laden feast, with some ceviche, fish curry, and sashimi on the side.  This is not a week to come out to lose some weight...

Well, it's time for this salt collector to fall asleep - it's been an active, sun filled day.  Aloha!

Saturday in Kalaupapa

This morning was an early morning, after a fairly active day yesterday.  Yesterday morning, Maria picked me up to go to the airport to drop off bags for shipping to Kalaupapa.  We went down to the terminal, paid for the shipment (mostly snacks, wine and a bottle of vodka for my shipment, boxes of supplies for bingo, wine, gifts for Maria who is a key organizer of things for this annual trip), and then they day was off.  I had a home visit, went to the dive shop, went to Patagonia to get some stuff for packing for clothes for here in Kalaupapa, and then back home to write up a court report. 

I dashed out of the house 10 minutes past my planned DP, but made it to Makani Kai by 7:00 am.  I was immediately identified as "Marie's" friend, and the family (a large group that has been coming here for ages) absorbed me into its company.  Everyone at the airport was very excited, and they were talking about how relaxing and rewarding the trip here is.  Maria arrived being driven by Earl, and escorted by Nani, the Portuguese water dog who was not able to come with.  Maria wants to train her as a service dog.  She was quite adorable!

We were on the second chartered plane, which seated 10 total (the first plane went out early, 7:15!).  I got the co-pilot seat which was exhilarating!  The clouds were beautiful, and I got some good footage of landing at Kalaupapa.  Certainly a much different perspective than the last time I came down here via the switchback trail - 3 miles, 26 switchbacks, and lots of mule poop!  We were greeted at the airport, signed in, and got our visitor badges.  These are very important, since Kalaupapa is a closed community, and overnight visitors are strictly forbidden. 

We had to hurry up and wait, as the charter flight with all the main supplies had not yet arrived.  Maria and I are staying in the same room area with Aunty Erma.  Once supplies were here, we all worked to unpack them into the kitchen, move them into the hallways, and get ready.  The cabinet and the 3 refrigerators are stocked!

It was bloody hot all day here today - since there's no internet connection, and I haven't seen a thermometer, I don't know how hot - but we have been a puddle of sweat since 10 am. 

Maria and I took off for the beach after Aunty Erma had her briefing about the schedule for the week and the cooking schedule.  I'm pretty sure I forgot the schedule within 5 minutes of listening!  The cooking and menu schedule is up on the wall, so it's pretty self explanatory there.  Aunty Erma figures out how many people are coming, puts together a menu, and procures supplies.  She then charges based upon how much food, and lodging and the charter flight schedule.  I'm glad she did this, because I don't think I could plan a trip for that many people! 

The beach was nice, I'm looking forward to a snorkel tomorrow.  the water is quite clear, and there are monk seals (one of whom had pups recently).  They are apparently quite aggressive when they have pups.

After swimming and shell gathering, we went to the bookstore, which is open, in theory, Monday to Saturday from 10:30 - 2:30, but more like 11:00 - 1:45...I got to meet Uncle Boogie, who runs the bookstore, along with Ruth (Auntie Gloria's daughter).  Very nice man, he gave me one of the national park service flyers on Kalaupapa.

After we came back and ate lunch at about 2, it was siesta time until 4:00.  Saturday night is volleyball night, and the games begin at 6 sharp!  One of the few things on time in Molokai I have seen!!  I watched for a bit, and then got in on the last 20 minutes of play time.  I was a little rusty, but it was fun, and I got in a few good shots!

Dinner was pork guisantes, salad, sashimi (from fish caught fresh today - 46 pounds worth), and fried fish.  Fabulous!  The crowd gathered together over dinner and Geronimo and Mochi (works in the kitchen) and Jazz played ukulele and guitar while we all ate.  The day wound up with planning for tomorrow's events, church and gathering salt.  I will be looking forward to the day!

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.