Palau - Week 2

During the second week in Palau, we did another four dives, and saw more turtles, sharks, giant clams, corals, and this amazing pair of Mantas (click here to see them fly right over my head). In case you are wondering about these pictures, we received a waterproof housing for Eileen's camera from Amazon the day before leaving on the trip, so we're still learning how to use it under water (movies and stills).

After a couple of dives one day, we got to stop at the famous Jellyfish Lake. Apparently, changes to sea level trapped jellyfish in this marine lake and without predators for generations and generations, they lost the ability to sting. So we splash in with our snorkel and mask and kick out in to the lake, passing an occasional jellyfish pulsing along. Then, in perhaps the most surreal experience of my life, we are floating among jellyfish so dense I can't see Eileen if she is more than a few feet away. The official count is over 20 million jellyfish, and it felt like we brushed up against thousands of them – very smooth, soft, and gelatinous (obviously).

We also spent a few days kayaking around the “Rock Islands” (the name for the 300 tiny islands of Palau). Their entire perimeter at the water is an overhang – like a giant mushroom rising out of the ocean. The kayaking here is great – weaving around the inlets and islands. And excellent snorkeling is everywhere – just slip overboard into the water at almost any time. Some of the most amazing corals were present in the sheltered shallows rather than the deep scuba diving sites.

Aside from the glorious sites, there are the unique experiences of international travel. Palau has been quite easy in that regard, as the US dollar is the official currency here, and just about everyone speaks English (as a second language). But some things are just a little unusual. For example, we had a breakfast of french toast and eggs, only there was no syrup and inside the french toast was peanut butter – strange. Oh, yeah, and it included a green salad – for breakfast.

And I still don't understand the bed in one of our hotels: There is no top sheet – just a comforter inside a duvet. This means the minimum you can cover yourself with is a down comforter! In the tropics!? What are they thinking? We extracted the down comforter and used the empty duvet as a top sheet. If anyone knows how this system is supposed to work, please tell us. Seems like the hotel caters to Japanese and Taiwanese customers so, perhaps it is done for them.

And finally, there's the red juice everyone is constantly spitting on the streets. The locals chew something called a Betel nut for a buzz. But the nut alone is unpalatable, so they add lime (the mineral, not the fruit!), and for an extra buzz, they break off the end of a normal cigarette and chew that with it. It is very addicting, and it seems like all the locals do it – some have completely destroyed their teeth as a result – yuck! (mercifully, no pictures).

Back at home, we struggled with the decision to bring folding bikes: Would the burden of travel with an extra bag be worth the freedom of bicycle exploration? So far, we've been enjoying them greatly. Not only because of the places they take us, but also from the wonderful feeling one gets by pedaling a bike. And wherever we go, local kids (and sometimes adults) always shout: “nice bikes!”

We spent one afternoon pedaling around the island of Peleliu. It was the sight of a bloody battle between the Americans and Japanese during WWII. The bikes allowed us to circumnavigate the island (14 miles) and see all the rusting tanks, crumbling military buildings and war memorials scattered around.

It is hard to imagine this is still just the very beginning of our trip. Already it feels like quite a fulfilling vacation. The biggest challenges undoubtedly lay ahead – with language, currency, food, water, transportation, etc. It is not the same as living in the van (12 weeks to Alaska), where we always had our home with us. Now we need to find a clean inexpensive place to stay each night. And we can't drink the water (or ice, so no pina coladas – damn). Next stop, Singapore for a few days, then on to Thailand.

Here is a slideshow of some of our best shots in Palau.