New Photos

Babeldaob Airport

We arrived at about 8:40pm on the 24th of December.

Babeldaob Airport

The air was too warm for these clothes, but we did just come from winter in Japan.

Babeldaob Airport

A woman from our hotel greeted us at the airport with real flower leis. They smelled wonderful!

The Rock Islands

The next morning (Christmas!) we went on a kayak tour all day. We took 3 of these tours so the pics are all combined together.

The Rock Islands

The water was so calm and clear.

The Rock Islands

There are hundreds of these mushroom like islands here. They are old coral beds that have eroded away and left lots of pockets for jungle growth to thrive.

The Rock Islands

They are also riddled with limestone caves both above and below water.

The Rock Islands

our guide, Jake, showing off :)

The Rock Islands

Trev taking a break from all that rigorous paddling.

The Rock Islands

Some places like this were so clear that you didn't need to put on a snorkel in order to appreciate it.

The Rock Islands

This is a Mangrove. They grow all over, but they can't live in salt water so the roots have special filters that remove the salt. They grow out, not up and send roots from the bottom to connect with the tree to support its outward growth.

The Rock Islands

Examples of the roots.

The Rock Islands

A pillbox created by the Japanese for defense of the islands in WWII.

The Rock Islands

Chandelier cave.

The Rock Islands

Nikko Bay.

The Rock Islands

lots of corals.

The Rock Islands

A lunch stop up in a wall bunker on the side of one of the islands. Beautiful view.

The Rock Islands

We were invited to jump off the egde for a quicker way down, but at 50 feet, none of us were brave enough. Our guide did it though.

The Rock Islands

One of the many wrecks left to rot from WWII.

The Rock Islands

Now that's fashion :P

The Rock Islands

This is an enclosed lake. The only way in or out is during the right tide when you can snorkel through a low cave with a couple inches of breathing space. Very cool.

The Rock Islands

That's a clam.

The Rock Islands

So is this. You have to wait a few minutes cause they are sensitive and hide away at the slightest water movement.

The Rock Islands

Mohawk fish...well that's what I call them anyway.

The Rock Islands

no idea.

The Rock Islands

Corals are very terrtorial and warlike. They take over each other if they can. If they can't, they create DMZ's or "this is my side, that's your side. If you cross it you die!

The Rock Islands

I think this is a parrot fish. It was hard to capture the whole thing, but they were by far the most colorful fish we saw.

The Rock Islands

This was in Nikko Bay. Lots of cool brain corals.

The Rock Islands

These table top style corals gain the upper hand by cutting off light to other corals and starving them to death.

The Rock Islands

They look like flowers.

The Rock Islands

inside chandelier cave.

The Rock Islands

Preparing to jump 15 feet. Trev was too scared so he played camera man.

The Rock Islands

It's a monkey!....named Trevor

The Rock Islands

more cool cave stuff.

The Rock Islands

This was a cave that collapsed so it looks like a sink hole with no water inside. These giant vines were growing down from the top in search of water. Thery're huge. Trev turns out to be quite the climber.

The Rock Islands

Another lunch spot on a secluded beach. There are a lot of secluded beaches here. Every day we went out, we were often the only people to be seen for the whole day.

The Rock Islands

searching for seahorses after lunch. No such luck, but it was cool all the same.

The Rock Islands

This was another WWII wreck we got to snorkel around. Very creepy and fascinating at the same time.

The Rock Islands

Different boat spotted on the way back. Supposedly a lot of the wrecks were cleaned up after the war, but they left a lot of them behind too. It's quite an eerie reminder.

Koror

Sunset from our balcony at the Carolines. We had a little bungalow to ourselves with this amazing view.

Koror

The next morning.

The Rock Islands

This was a trip through Long lake. It was very shallow in parts and the water was like glass. Very easy kyaking. Tons of birdlife too. You could just lie back and listen.

The Rock Islands

Different style Mangroves.

The Rock Islands

Cool moss.

The Rock Islands

The end of the lake we did a little snorkeling around a buoy. Saw some giant clams, but they were too deep to get a good picture.

The Rock Islands

The rope attached to the buoy.

The Rock Islands

Trev and Signe doing the kyak thing.

The Rock Islands

Trev posing it up.

The Rock Islands

Trev stranded on a desert isle with nothing but the coconuts for company.

The Rock Islands

It's a hard life...

The Rock Islands

more cool underwater life.

The Rock Islands

Jellyfish Lake

This was the MOST amazing place! A lake that you have to hike into and contains thousand of jellyfish that have lost the ability to sting since they have no natural enemies to bother them here.

Jellyfish Lake

first you see a couple of them here or there....

Jellyfish Lake

then a bunch start to appear...

Jellyfish Lake

and just when you think you've seen them all...

Jellyfish Lake

you find yourself enveloped. They are so beautiful. You have to swim gently so you don't hurt them, but it is incredible.

Koror

This pit and gun was right behind our bungalow on the hill. Left by the Japanese.

Koror

Our Bungalow Balcony.

Koror

Northern Babaldaob Island

We decided to Trek North to the biggest island to get away from the "city" and get a feel for various parts of Palau. This is the stone monoliths that seem to predate the Palauans. No one really knows who brought them or why. Kind of similar to the Easter island Head mysteries.

Northern Babaldaob Island

Hard to tell, but this was a carved face.

Northern Babaldaob Island

They are made of volanic rock, which is sinking into the soft soil and deteriorating. They will not last forever sadly, but they're very cool. These notches suggest that they were pillars of some sort for a building of some kind.

Northern Babaldaob Island

The Northern most tip of Babeldaob Island.

Northern Babaldaob Island

Secret watering hole, 30 minute walk from our bungalow.

Northern Babaldaob Island

There's actually a big one to the right, but this was more picture worthy.

Northern Babaldaob Island

mushroom.

Northern Babaldaob Island

Signe.

Northern Babaldaob Island

A giant clam! The palauans would find these and bring them closer to shore so that if they needed food, due to whatever reason, they would be easily found. One clam could feed a family of 5 for over a week.

Northern Babaldaob Island

We went out Kyaking and a huge storm blew in. We got completely soaked and decided to stop on a beach in case there was lightening. Under the top layer of sand was this grey,super soft mud. It felt like spa mud. We played in it till the rain cloud left.

Northern Babaldaob Island

The reef in Ngaraard State on the North Eastern shores of Babeldaob.

Northern Babaldaob Island

We thought these were corals that grew around something manmade because they are so circular, but now we are pretty sure that's just how they grow.

Northern Babaldaob Island

Relaxing on the beach.

Northern Babaldaob Island

Weird looking sea slug.

Northern Babaldaob Island

These blue fish came out of nowhere and just started smothering this coral.

Northern Babaldaob Island

Sunset near our beach bungalow.

Carp Island

For the last part of our trip we stayed on Carp island. It is a small resort that caters to japanese divers. The service was a little lacking, but the island was beautiful and almost deserted when the divers left for the day.

Carp Island

This is a big Banyan tree on the island.

Carp Island

More Mangrove roots. They're so cool.

Carp Island

Giant Stone Money from Yap Island (between Palau and Guam). Apparently, this was given to Palau as a gift so they could use palau's limestone to make them. They are less like money and more like markers that state "we own this now. If you use this place without permission, bad luck will befall you".

Carp Island

Twilight. At night, some of the best stargazing could be done on the pier. I only recognized Orion. Everything else looked completely different from home.

Carp Island

Sunset.

Peleliu Island

We took a WWII tour of Peleliu where a majority of the fighting took place. This is called Orange beach.

Peleliu Island

The Japanese expected the battle to last two or three days but it lasted 2 and 1/2 months and they fought to the last man. Minus the few who hid in the caves and didn't know it had ended when they were captured.

Peleliu Island

US memorial where US soldiers were buried and later retrieved and buried in Washington.

Peleliu Island

This is a "Zero" fighter plane. Built for one mission only...to fly into targets as a human bomb. It is so small, I find it hard to believe that a person could fit in it.

Peleliu Island

The Southern most tip of Peleliu.

Peleliu Island

I think these were US Tanks.

Peleliu Island

This is a MUCH smaller Japanese tank that supposedly held 3 people.

Peleliu Island

Japanese Headquarters.

Peleliu Island

The view from Bloody Nose Ridge where the battle ended.

Peleliu Island

Carp Island

At low tide all these little sand hills were revealed. I'm still not sure what makes them.

Carp Island

The view from the bungalow.

Turtle Cove

This day, we did a kayak trip to do some snorkeling by the reef's edge and circumnavigate Carp Island. Turtle cove was the first stop where we got to see the stark drop off from reef to deep ocean.

Turtle Cove

cool fishy.

Turtle Cove

Huge school of yellow fish.

Turtle Cove

Trev practicing his free diving abilities.

Carp Island

A huge sand bar that is exposed at low tide off of Carp.

Carp Island

In the distance the the famous 70 islands. We wanted to go, but were told it is a wildlife sanctuary and no one can go. We tried to catch a helicopter view, but it was too windy.

Carp Island

Trev's and my footsteps.

Carp Island

Carp Resort's pier.

Carp Island

Our last day. We decided take an introductory Scuba dive. I'm so glad we got to do it. It was harder than I expected, but once I got the hang of it it was fantastic. Trev picked it up naturally. What a pro!

Carp Island

Our instructor is the woman behind me. Everyone else were the real divers :)

Big Drop Off

Weird looking sea cucumber.

Big Drop Off

This is a Napolean. He was too far off to get a good shot, but they are huge, with big fat lips. Often they allow divers to feed them and touch them.

Big Drop Off

Blue Corner

We made it! 20.8 meters down!

Blue Corner

Carp Island

This tree requires a host in the beginning, but when the host dies it can continue on its own. It's huge!

Carp Island

Tokyo Airport

Back Home! This was taken at the cafe/deli counter in the airport baggage claim. Regular size shot is 450 yen and a large shot is 700yen. Only in Japan.

Tokyo Airport

We had a quick stopover in Yap on the way back and everyone getting on was wearing these beautiful flower crowns. They gave us a couple. The whole plane smelled fantastic the rest of the way!

Tokyo at Night

City lights. Just experimenting.

Tokyo at Night

Thanks for looking! :)

01/12/05

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