Day 13 – Island Tour
We took our test at 8:30 am and were done with the questions and grading by 11:30. That was a long test. Mike read the questions and we had to write down the answers. Good thing spelling did not count. As long as we were close it counted. There were eight people taking the test I ranked 3rd. Liz took 2nd and Kevin Casey from Aqua Dive Academy, Portland, Maine took first. The test was a bit stressful, but then again I really did not study like Liz did. She is a good student.
After lunch, we took the island tour. We went to the north side of the island to visit the place where they are building outrigger canoes like they did before power tools. The cool thing is that they really use these canoes to paddle to Palau, about 300 miles to the southwest. They also sail it the old fashion way with the water, stars, moon and the sun to navigate.
We checked out a Bai (men’s meeting house) which has old style architecture that was interesting to see. They have some stone money lying around and use stone slabs as backboards. We then went to an old village. To get there we had to walk down a stone walk way. Both the village and walkway have been in the area for close to two hundred years. After a brief rest and photo op at the main meeting house, we boarded the minibus and headed to the south side of the island. The driver, Richard, wanted to show us one of the main stone money banks on the island. But to get there he took a dirt road that cut over one of the highest points in Yap. We could see both coast lines from there. The money bank has stone money that is several hundred years old. They are currently trying to record the stories about the money and have that in a central location for reference. The interesting thing about the money is that the harder or more dangerous it was to make, transfer, or acquire the stone, the more value it has. Some of these stones are taller than I am, it is remarkable to think they would sail to Palau, mine the stone, carve them and then sail them back to Yap in outrigger canoes.
Our next stop was the old runway. This was the original landing strip used by the Japanese in WWII. In fact there are still some shot up planes in the area. Due to time issues, we did not get to see the foundation of the old Spanish Fort, which is where the Yap Governor’s office sits today.
It is now 5:30 pm and I still have to pack. We are leaving Yap in the morning at 4am. The airport shuttle is picking us up at 2am. It is going to be a long day tomorrow, but all in all, it is just a hop, skip, and a jump to get home. And I would just love to take you on this trip. We are going to be planning a trip out here again in Jan of 2011. I really think you should join us. If you have never been to Palau, then you owe it to yourself to visit it at least once in your life.
We will be having an information and photo party after we get back. We will let everyone know when it will be by the end of the week. I will have one more report to make once I get back home, but now it is time for me to pack up everything. Good night and I will be seeing you soon.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
Day 12: Shark Dive
Day 12 – Shark Dive
Dive 1 – Yap Caverns: We departed the dock at a little after 8am, today’s dive destination for the first dive was Yap Caverns. It was the clearest dive to date in Yap. It reminds me of a maze, you start at an opening in the wall and you just follow the path, with walls on both sides. There were a couple of places where it would fork off, but we just followed the guide. If you did not want to be in the maze then you could just go up to get out then spend your time along the wall. The caverns depth was only about 30 feet, but there were plenty of things to see. There were only a couple of places where you would need a light, otherwise there was plenty of daylight to swim by. The boat was moored on the edge, so we spent the whole time, 70 minutes, in the general area. I did see more nudibranchs which I have not seen before. Overall it was a great dive.
The boat slowly moved north, during our surface interval, toward our next dive site. During this time Mike Musto, our leader from Caradonna Dive Travel, gave us a little review for tomorrow’s exam. We also, had some fresh banana bread to eat.
Dive 2 – Cabbage Patch: I did this dive last time I was here in 2006. It was still a great dive, the only difference this time is we went north with the current whereas last time the current took us south. I found more nudibranchs and four crown of thorns. At the end of the dive we found some popcorn shrimp and an anemone crab. I hope my pictures turn out. Again we had a 70 minute dive, with warm blue water.
For our surface interval this time we anchored at SILAS (surface interval lunch and snorkel) lagoon. We had lunch and I took a small nap. Then we were off for our final dive of the day, the last dive in Yap and on this trip.
Dive 3 – Vertigo: This dive was a shark feed dive. They set us up on the edge of the reef then dropped a milk crate with fish. The sharks were all over it. Once the frenzy was over I got a little closer to take some pictures. I was right in their path, I had some of them get so close to me, that I used the camera strobe to push them off. They were not big sharks; most of them were gray reef sharks and a couple of black tips. On this dive I used Liz’s camera being it had a wide angle lens and a video mode. We spent a little more than an hour on this dive. Toward the end we all swam around looking for other things to see, I took this time to try and find some shark teeth. No luck, but I did find a large moray eel out looking for a meal. It was interesting doing our safety stop with a bunch of sharks swimming around us.
This was a great trio of dives to conclude our diving. The only thing that would have made it better would have been Liz joining me. She was tired and took the day off from diving. Time to get rest we have our big test in the morning then after lunch we are headed out for our island tour. Good night or I guess good day or morning to some of you. Happy bubbles.
Dive 1 – Yap Caverns: We departed the dock at a little after 8am, today’s dive destination for the first dive was Yap Caverns. It was the clearest dive to date in Yap. It reminds me of a maze, you start at an opening in the wall and you just follow the path, with walls on both sides. There were a couple of places where it would fork off, but we just followed the guide. If you did not want to be in the maze then you could just go up to get out then spend your time along the wall. The caverns depth was only about 30 feet, but there were plenty of things to see. There were only a couple of places where you would need a light, otherwise there was plenty of daylight to swim by. The boat was moored on the edge, so we spent the whole time, 70 minutes, in the general area. I did see more nudibranchs which I have not seen before. Overall it was a great dive.
The boat slowly moved north, during our surface interval, toward our next dive site. During this time Mike Musto, our leader from Caradonna Dive Travel, gave us a little review for tomorrow’s exam. We also, had some fresh banana bread to eat.
Dive 2 – Cabbage Patch: I did this dive last time I was here in 2006. It was still a great dive, the only difference this time is we went north with the current whereas last time the current took us south. I found more nudibranchs and four crown of thorns. At the end of the dive we found some popcorn shrimp and an anemone crab. I hope my pictures turn out. Again we had a 70 minute dive, with warm blue water.
For our surface interval this time we anchored at SILAS (surface interval lunch and snorkel) lagoon. We had lunch and I took a small nap. Then we were off for our final dive of the day, the last dive in Yap and on this trip.
Dive 3 – Vertigo: This dive was a shark feed dive. They set us up on the edge of the reef then dropped a milk crate with fish. The sharks were all over it. Once the frenzy was over I got a little closer to take some pictures. I was right in their path, I had some of them get so close to me, that I used the camera strobe to push them off. They were not big sharks; most of them were gray reef sharks and a couple of black tips. On this dive I used Liz’s camera being it had a wide angle lens and a video mode. We spent a little more than an hour on this dive. Toward the end we all swam around looking for other things to see, I took this time to try and find some shark teeth. No luck, but I did find a large moray eel out looking for a meal. It was interesting doing our safety stop with a bunch of sharks swimming around us.
This was a great trio of dives to conclude our diving. The only thing that would have made it better would have been Liz joining me. She was tired and took the day off from diving. Time to get rest we have our big test in the morning then after lunch we are headed out for our island tour. Good night or I guess good day or morning to some of you. Happy bubbles.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Day 11: Mandarin Fish Dive
Again our boat departed at 8:30am so we are going to have class after lunch today. We ate a cinnamon roll we bought yesterday for breakfast then went to the dive boat. They put us in the smaller boat again. The ride was fine but the ease of donning and doffing the gear was not there. The boats in Palau are better suited for diving. They took us to the northeast side of the island to a dive site right next to the Valley of the Rays. It was raining pretty hard when we got up, but once we were underway there was no more rain. That is one thing I have noticed here. Most of the time it rains for five to ten minutes then stops and will not rain again for several hours. A peaceful ride to our dive, but no dolphins today.
Dive1 – Goofnuw Channel: This channel with reefs on either side connects to the Valley of the Rays. There was a slight current which made it a relaxing dive. I spotted a nudibranch floating in the water as soon as I got to depth, about 60 feet. There was a medium sized school of bumphead wrasse, an octopus, and some small whitetip sharks. I turned over a sea cucumber and found a small shrimp living on its belly. I like to find the small animals and take pictures of them. There is just something about finding the tiny critters that makes the diving more enjoyable to me then always looking for the big animals. Even though we blended into the Valley of theRays, we again did not see any manta rays.
During our surface interval, they toured us around the island continuing north until they found the waterway that flows between the main island and the smaller north Island. It was shallow here and we were able to see some fish jumping out of the water, a small black tip shark, and a ray trying to get away from the boat. We continued moving along looking at the shoreline until we got to Mi’l channel. This is the other main site for Manta Rays, and the next location for our second dive.
Dive 2 – Mi’l channel: The visibility here was nothing like the first dive. For a moment I thought I was back in San Diego. We sat at a cleaning station for 5 minutes then moved on. During that time we did see two manta rays, I did not get a picture because I had my macro lens on and the water was not clear enough for the camera to focus on it. Once we left that spot, we traveled west through the channel stopping at different locations looking for the mantas, which never showed up again during this dive. I did get a nice picture of a pufferfish though and a camelback shrimp under an anemone. I was attacked by the local pink clownfish for getting a little to close but I got the shot. Not a bad dive, I just wish the visibility was better.
I had the cajun fish sandwich for lunch today and it was good. Today at class we went over some more marketing ideas and a review for the test. We were told the test usually takes about 3 hours. I am not looking forward to this part. Like Marc Sr., I do not like taking tests. I feel your pain Sr.
Dive 3 – Rainbow Reef: This site is right off O’Keefe’s Island. I can give you more history on the Irish-American when I get home. This reef is the home of the mandarin fish. It is almost 6pm and the fish are getting ready to come out to find mates. I took some pictures of red-eyed cardinal fish. They are cool looking. I did find a couple of mandarins and just watched. I did not get to see any courting, but I did get a picture or two of them and was going to take more but my battery died on me. I also spotted two banded pipefish, a large cowry, some crabs, and cucumbers. This dive was a very shallow one, I think I maxed out at 20 feet, but spent most of my time at 10 feet. It is now time to go back to the hotel and get some dinner. I am hungry and tired. Have a great day and I will see you tomorrow. We only have 2 days left on this adventure and I am already looking forward to being able to bring you all back here.
Dive1 – Goofnuw Channel: This channel with reefs on either side connects to the Valley of the Rays. There was a slight current which made it a relaxing dive. I spotted a nudibranch floating in the water as soon as I got to depth, about 60 feet. There was a medium sized school of bumphead wrasse, an octopus, and some small whitetip sharks. I turned over a sea cucumber and found a small shrimp living on its belly. I like to find the small animals and take pictures of them. There is just something about finding the tiny critters that makes the diving more enjoyable to me then always looking for the big animals. Even though we blended into the Valley of theRays, we again did not see any manta rays.
During our surface interval, they toured us around the island continuing north until they found the waterway that flows between the main island and the smaller north Island. It was shallow here and we were able to see some fish jumping out of the water, a small black tip shark, and a ray trying to get away from the boat. We continued moving along looking at the shoreline until we got to Mi’l channel. This is the other main site for Manta Rays, and the next location for our second dive.
Dive 2 – Mi’l channel: The visibility here was nothing like the first dive. For a moment I thought I was back in San Diego. We sat at a cleaning station for 5 minutes then moved on. During that time we did see two manta rays, I did not get a picture because I had my macro lens on and the water was not clear enough for the camera to focus on it. Once we left that spot, we traveled west through the channel stopping at different locations looking for the mantas, which never showed up again during this dive. I did get a nice picture of a pufferfish though and a camelback shrimp under an anemone. I was attacked by the local pink clownfish for getting a little to close but I got the shot. Not a bad dive, I just wish the visibility was better.
I had the cajun fish sandwich for lunch today and it was good. Today at class we went over some more marketing ideas and a review for the test. We were told the test usually takes about 3 hours. I am not looking forward to this part. Like Marc Sr., I do not like taking tests. I feel your pain Sr.
Dive 3 – Rainbow Reef: This site is right off O’Keefe’s Island. I can give you more history on the Irish-American when I get home. This reef is the home of the mandarin fish. It is almost 6pm and the fish are getting ready to come out to find mates. I took some pictures of red-eyed cardinal fish. They are cool looking. I did find a couple of mandarins and just watched. I did not get to see any courting, but I did get a picture or two of them and was going to take more but my battery died on me. I also spotted two banded pipefish, a large cowry, some crabs, and cucumbers. This dive was a very shallow one, I think I maxed out at 20 feet, but spent most of my time at 10 feet. It is now time to go back to the hotel and get some dinner. I am hungry and tired. Have a great day and I will see you tomorrow. We only have 2 days left on this adventure and I am already looking forward to being able to bring you all back here.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Day 10: Manta day
Day 10: Manta day
We started our day with breakfast and then diving. Not sure yet if I like it in that order. I am used to having a meal after my dive. My eating pattern is all messed up now. They put us in a smaller boat today and we headed out to Valley of the Rays. On the way out to the dive site we came across a pod of dolphins. It was nice to drive by them, watching them jumping around and playing with the wake of the boat.
Dive 1: Valley of the Rays: The only problem with this dive is we did not see any rays. There were some nudibranchs, angelfish, and some Bumphead wrasses. It was another long dive, most of our time in the same spot waiting for the mantas, but like I said they did not show.
Dive 2: Valley of the Rays: We saw a manta during our surface interval, so everyone decided to dive here again. This time we started at different cleaning station. We had one manta make 3 passes along the line of divers. I was able to get a couple of shots. I had my macro lens on so I was unable to get some full body shots of it. I also saw a couple of white, I guess more cream colored, pipefish. The dives were over for the day and it was time to head back to the hotel for lunch.
Instead of having lunch Liz and walked into town to try and find a store that had a prepaid internet access card. The internet at the hotel was very slow and expensive. While in town we went to a bakery to get some rolls for breakfast. And, yes, we were successful in finding a card. Now we can catch up posting our blogs on line.
Today in class we went over the hotel we are staying at. There are a few things that can be improved but overall it is a very nice place. Then we started talking about marketing and different locations to take people to for vacations. It was pretty informative and we came out with some good ideas that will help make our future group travels more fun and exciting.
Dinner was aboard the Mnuw again. I was not too hungry tonight so I just had some BBQ fish and a little rice. We did see an interesting story on the big screen tonight about the Mnuw and how they got it back into place after the big typhoon several years back. I will try to get a copy of that video clip to bring back home. Good night and happy bubbles.
We started our day with breakfast and then diving. Not sure yet if I like it in that order. I am used to having a meal after my dive. My eating pattern is all messed up now. They put us in a smaller boat today and we headed out to Valley of the Rays. On the way out to the dive site we came across a pod of dolphins. It was nice to drive by them, watching them jumping around and playing with the wake of the boat.
Dive 1: Valley of the Rays: The only problem with this dive is we did not see any rays. There were some nudibranchs, angelfish, and some Bumphead wrasses. It was another long dive, most of our time in the same spot waiting for the mantas, but like I said they did not show.
Dive 2: Valley of the Rays: We saw a manta during our surface interval, so everyone decided to dive here again. This time we started at different cleaning station. We had one manta make 3 passes along the line of divers. I was able to get a couple of shots. I had my macro lens on so I was unable to get some full body shots of it. I also saw a couple of white, I guess more cream colored, pipefish. The dives were over for the day and it was time to head back to the hotel for lunch.
Instead of having lunch Liz and walked into town to try and find a store that had a prepaid internet access card. The internet at the hotel was very slow and expensive. While in town we went to a bakery to get some rolls for breakfast. And, yes, we were successful in finding a card. Now we can catch up posting our blogs on line.
Today in class we went over the hotel we are staying at. There are a few things that can be improved but overall it is a very nice place. Then we started talking about marketing and different locations to take people to for vacations. It was pretty informative and we came out with some good ideas that will help make our future group travels more fun and exciting.
Dinner was aboard the Mnuw again. I was not too hungry tonight so I just had some BBQ fish and a little rice. We did see an interesting story on the big screen tonight about the Mnuw and how they got it back into place after the big typhoon several years back. I will try to get a copy of that video clip to bring back home. Good night and happy bubbles.
Day 9 – We are in Yap
Day 9 – We are in Yap
We landed in Yap, one of four islands in the Federated States of Micronesia, at 3:00am and by the time we got to the Manta Ray Bay Hotel it was about 4:00am. It was time to get some sleep. We woke up at 8am and decided to just get up and put things away. We prepped our dive and camera gear then headed to the Mnuw for something to eat. We are had our breakfast on the Mnuw, a 100 year old Balinese schooner which was sailed into this harbor to start a new life as a restaurant and bar. Both Liz and I could not wait for lunch to eat and apparently we were not the only ones up and checking things out. We had a bit of a breakfast at 10:30 with Jim and Amber, then looked around. The place has changed since the last time I was here in 2006. They did a great job of remodeling the place after a typhoon.
Finally it was 2pm and time to go diving. Our first dive in Yap was to Slow and Easy. The water was only 82 degrees below the thermocline and 84 above it. This dive is just like it says, slow and easy. We had an 82 minute dive that allowed us to see several different nudibranchs, a couple of flat worms, yellow gobies, and a turtle that posed for me. There was a ghost pipefish, a first for me, and the largest mantis shrimp I have ever seen, this thing was gigantic. We got back to our rooms at 4:30 and had a meeting to go over history at 5pm, then straight to dinner. I was hungry! We ate dinner at the hotel again being that there seems to be only one other place to eat other than the hotel. We may try the other place tomorrow.
At 7pm they had movie time on the bow of the Mnuw. Tonight they were showing Jeff Dunham’s “Spark of Insanity”. After dinner we returned to our room, watched the movie from our balcony and I checked out my pictures for the day.
It’s now time to wind down and get ready for bed. Tomorrow will be a full day of diving and classroom. Not sure when yet, but we will be doing an island tour some day.
We landed in Yap, one of four islands in the Federated States of Micronesia, at 3:00am and by the time we got to the Manta Ray Bay Hotel it was about 4:00am. It was time to get some sleep. We woke up at 8am and decided to just get up and put things away. We prepped our dive and camera gear then headed to the Mnuw for something to eat. We are had our breakfast on the Mnuw, a 100 year old Balinese schooner which was sailed into this harbor to start a new life as a restaurant and bar. Both Liz and I could not wait for lunch to eat and apparently we were not the only ones up and checking things out. We had a bit of a breakfast at 10:30 with Jim and Amber, then looked around. The place has changed since the last time I was here in 2006. They did a great job of remodeling the place after a typhoon.
Finally it was 2pm and time to go diving. Our first dive in Yap was to Slow and Easy. The water was only 82 degrees below the thermocline and 84 above it. This dive is just like it says, slow and easy. We had an 82 minute dive that allowed us to see several different nudibranchs, a couple of flat worms, yellow gobies, and a turtle that posed for me. There was a ghost pipefish, a first for me, and the largest mantis shrimp I have ever seen, this thing was gigantic. We got back to our rooms at 4:30 and had a meeting to go over history at 5pm, then straight to dinner. I was hungry! We ate dinner at the hotel again being that there seems to be only one other place to eat other than the hotel. We may try the other place tomorrow.
At 7pm they had movie time on the bow of the Mnuw. Tonight they were showing Jeff Dunham’s “Spark of Insanity”. After dinner we returned to our room, watched the movie from our balcony and I checked out my pictures for the day.
It’s now time to wind down and get ready for bed. Tomorrow will be a full day of diving and classroom. Not sure when yet, but we will be doing an island tour some day.
Day 9 – We are in Yap
Day 9 – We are in Yap
We landed in Yap, one of four islands in the Federated States of Micronesia, at 3:00am and by the time we got to the Manta Ray Bay Hotel it was about 4:00am. It was time to get some sleep. We woke up at 8am and decided to just get up and put things away. We prepped our dive and camera gear then headed to the Mnuw for something to eat. We are had our breakfast on the Mnuw, a 100 year old Balinese schooner which was sailed into this harbor to start a new life as a restaurant and bar. Both Liz and I could not wait for lunch to eat and apparently we were not the only ones up and checking things out. We had a bit of a breakfast at 10:30 with Jim and Amber, then looked around. The place has changed since the last time I was here in 2006. They did a great job of remodeling the place after a typhoon.
Finally it was 2pm and time to go diving. Our first dive in Yap was to Slow and Easy. The water was only 82 degrees below the thermocline and 84 above it. This dive is just like it says, slow and easy. We had an 82 minute dive that allowed us to see several different nudibranchs, a couple of flat worms, yellow gobies, and a turtle that posed for me. There was a ghost pipefish, a first for me, and the largest mantis shrimp I have ever seen, this thing was gigantic. We got back to our rooms at 4:30 and had a meeting to go over history at 5pm, then straight to dinner. I was hungry! We ate dinner at the hotel again being that there seems to be only one other place to eat other than the hotel. We may try the other place tomorrow.
At 7pm they had movie time on the bow of the Mnuw. Tonight they were showing Jeff Dunham’s “Spark of Insanity”. After dinner we returned to our room, watched the movie from our balcony and I checked out my pictures for the day.
It’s now time to wind down and get ready for bed. Tomorrow will be a full day of diving and classroom. Not sure when yet, but we will be doing an island tour some day.
We landed in Yap, one of four islands in the Federated States of Micronesia, at 3:00am and by the time we got to the Manta Ray Bay Hotel it was about 4:00am. It was time to get some sleep. We woke up at 8am and decided to just get up and put things away. We prepped our dive and camera gear then headed to the Mnuw for something to eat. We are had our breakfast on the Mnuw, a 100 year old Balinese schooner which was sailed into this harbor to start a new life as a restaurant and bar. Both Liz and I could not wait for lunch to eat and apparently we were not the only ones up and checking things out. We had a bit of a breakfast at 10:30 with Jim and Amber, then looked around. The place has changed since the last time I was here in 2006. They did a great job of remodeling the place after a typhoon.
Finally it was 2pm and time to go diving. Our first dive in Yap was to Slow and Easy. The water was only 82 degrees below the thermocline and 84 above it. This dive is just like it says, slow and easy. We had an 82 minute dive that allowed us to see several different nudibranchs, a couple of flat worms, yellow gobies, and a turtle that posed for me. There was a ghost pipefish, a first for me, and the largest mantis shrimp I have ever seen, this thing was gigantic. We got back to our rooms at 4:30 and had a meeting to go over history at 5pm, then straight to dinner. I was hungry! We ate dinner at the hotel again being that there seems to be only one other place to eat other than the hotel. We may try the other place tomorrow.
At 7pm they had movie time on the bow of the Mnuw. Tonight they were showing Jeff Dunham’s “Spark of Insanity”. After dinner we returned to our room, watched the movie from our balcony and I checked out my pictures for the day.
It’s now time to wind down and get ready for bed. Tomorrow will be a full day of diving and classroom. Not sure when yet, but we will be doing an island tour some day.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Day 8 – Classroom on Wheels, moving to Yap
Day 8 – Classroom on Wheels, moving to Yap
Today we are having classroom on wheels, what is that? Well, we get on a bus and tour around to different hotels and see what they have to offer. There were three all together which we visited today. First was a low budget hotel, Desekel. This hotel is downtown, it is close to several restaurants and Fish-n-Fins were also nearby. The dive company will pick people up here and transport them to the boats. This would not be a bad place if you did not want any amenities like a beach, a view, or quiet. The second place was called Carolina’s Resort; this was a very small place, no real lobby, and small office and has only 8 cottages. It is a very romantic place with great views, the downside is it is on a hill which means lots of outdoor walking. The last place we went to was Cliffside Hotel. We had dinner here the other night at the Under the Mango restaurant. Not a bad place at all, in fact, if I could not get into the Palau Pacific Resort I would stay here. They are currently doing some remodeling, but they are doing it smartly; not all at the same time. They are doing small areas at a time to make sure they do not interrupt the guests that are booked at the hotel. Downside again is no beach and not every room has a balcony. When you leave your room you enter a hallway. That leaves me with the Palau Pacific Resort. A little higher priced then the Cliffside, but I think it is all worth it.
Our next stop was the museum. This is a great place to get some Palauan history and some souvenirs. If artifacts and history is not your thing then go upstairs and do some shopping. We spent only 45 minutes here. They wanted us to get some free time today to look around on our own. Plus we have to pack for Yap today, our flight leaves at 1am. Yes, that’s right 1am. Not completely sure why, something about connecting flight somewhere.
We are having lunch at NECO marine; they want to thank us for diving with them and for us to come back and pay our tabs for the diving. I had the driver drop Liz and I off at the police station after lunch so we could visit the jail to check out the story boards. Liz found one she liked and talked the price down a bit. I did not buy one this trip, I did by one the first time I was here a couple of years ago.
Well, I guess I should stop here and finish packing. I will start up again tomorrow in Yap now that I am caught up on my reports. I am now going to read some of my book Lesley got me and do some studying for my test, maybe rewrite my notes from class so they make better sense to me or maybe I will just take a nap.
Today we are having classroom on wheels, what is that? Well, we get on a bus and tour around to different hotels and see what they have to offer. There were three all together which we visited today. First was a low budget hotel, Desekel. This hotel is downtown, it is close to several restaurants and Fish-n-Fins were also nearby. The dive company will pick people up here and transport them to the boats. This would not be a bad place if you did not want any amenities like a beach, a view, or quiet. The second place was called Carolina’s Resort; this was a very small place, no real lobby, and small office and has only 8 cottages. It is a very romantic place with great views, the downside is it is on a hill which means lots of outdoor walking. The last place we went to was Cliffside Hotel. We had dinner here the other night at the Under the Mango restaurant. Not a bad place at all, in fact, if I could not get into the Palau Pacific Resort I would stay here. They are currently doing some remodeling, but they are doing it smartly; not all at the same time. They are doing small areas at a time to make sure they do not interrupt the guests that are booked at the hotel. Downside again is no beach and not every room has a balcony. When you leave your room you enter a hallway. That leaves me with the Palau Pacific Resort. A little higher priced then the Cliffside, but I think it is all worth it.
Our next stop was the museum. This is a great place to get some Palauan history and some souvenirs. If artifacts and history is not your thing then go upstairs and do some shopping. We spent only 45 minutes here. They wanted us to get some free time today to look around on our own. Plus we have to pack for Yap today, our flight leaves at 1am. Yes, that’s right 1am. Not completely sure why, something about connecting flight somewhere.
We are having lunch at NECO marine; they want to thank us for diving with them and for us to come back and pay our tabs for the diving. I had the driver drop Liz and I off at the police station after lunch so we could visit the jail to check out the story boards. Liz found one she liked and talked the price down a bit. I did not buy one this trip, I did by one the first time I was here a couple of years ago.
Well, I guess I should stop here and finish packing. I will start up again tomorrow in Yap now that I am caught up on my reports. I am now going to read some of my book Lesley got me and do some studying for my test, maybe rewrite my notes from class so they make better sense to me or maybe I will just take a nap.
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