The Beauty of Palau
This is a beautiful place, whose bloody past is all but erased. However the residents are still grateful for the US's assistance in returning Palau to independence. Before our liberation, it was basically occupied by the Japanese for 30 years and prior to that, by the Germans - the natives had no input into it's governance or commerce. This year will be the first year that an Emperor of Japan will visit. He will arrive in March to pay tribute to Japanese forces who died here. They have built him a special house just for his visit.
Hotel from an old Japanese Seaplane Observation site nearby.
Seaplane Observation site historical record:
Lobby with wood carved whales
Hotel - view from room. Very quiet cove and you can see the boat dock where Sam's tours picked us up for our tours.
And Pool
And very tough waiting area!
Especially at Sunset - Most calming.
Some of the most beautiful water we have ever seen
Notice below dark blue water on left is DEEP and turquoise water on Right of Boat is Shallower - "Bacon" our captain, was driving the boat down the German Channel (built by the Germans to move the Boxite they were mining off Peleliu), between the two types of water.
Now a few snorkeling pictures:
Forgot the name of these fish:
This is a sea anemone living on the coral
Coral in so many shapes and sizes
Lots of colors in this coral, and so many shapes
And more coral than I have never seen before
And more fish everywhere:
Lunch with "Bacon" and Ludy. "Bacon" was our ship's Captain and Ludy our guide. "Bacon" advised us that he only ate "bacon" - bacon everything. Everyone called him "bacon." At lunch he had bacon rice! A very happy fellow. Could we learn something here?
Jelly fish Lake.
Below are the steps, very steep in places, to a saltwater lake which is populated with jelly fish who have lost their stingers. It is said that they have been isolated in this lake for so long without predators, that they finally evolved without stingers - as they did not need them any more. So it is said that we can swim with them! I am hopeful. Thankfully we have a guide.
The steps "up" look just like the steps on the other side - but down to the lake. Sorry too frightened to get that picture! Three more flights "up" past this picture.
Our water guide - Ludy -
Our first jelly fish and while they floated into our faces, we were unharmed!
End view - where there were once stingers!
Gaggle of jelly fish all around us  |
Pier we left from and returned to along with 500 other visitors! This was a relatively quiet moment, but there is only one ladder into the lake just to the left of the picture. It was pretty crazy at times.
And a final shot of the Orchids and other flowers being raised on the hotel property
Trip soon over. It was sad and beautiful at the same time.
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