Kauai & Oahu (Dec 28 - 2nd Jan 09).

We got to Lihue (Kauai) at 10:20pm and the car rental office closed at 10:30pm. Roberto had never driven an automatic before and the lady who was in charge of showing us the basics didn't seem to have much time to spare. She gave him a quick briefing and brief directions on how to get out of the airport and off she was…

However, the car rental area for EuropCar was about 3 miles away from the airport and we were in a depot type of area with no street name and we kept getting lost trying to get out.

Once we eventually found the main highway, trying to keep track of where we were, in pitch dark, was equally bad. I'd forgotten how badly sign posted the roads were. Small green signs with white letters (not the best of contrasts) and hardly any warning that your turning point is coming up. As a result, we often missed vital turns and trying to get back on track was a nightmare. At night, it was harder to spot landmarks from our map too and we were also starting to be really tired. It was supposed to be a 30 min drive from the airport to the Sheraton but we checked in at 1am. It had taken us more like 2H30 (paperwork included).

We were told to park our car near our allocated flat in 'block 5' but by night, all blocks looked the same and trying to find the right block and the right room was not as obvious as we'd have liked. We got in the elevator and realised that '1st floor' actually meant ground floor, etc. etc. We were not impressed. For a 4* hotel they could have had someone escort us at least.

We eventually 'hit the sack' at 1:30am and woke up at 9:30am to catch the last hour of breakfast. We'd hardly had any food on the plane so were feeling ravenous. We managed to secure a table overlooking the sea and the buffet was quite nice (gorgeous French toasts with blueberries and whipped cream). Roberto loved the view but I felt our balcony in Palau was more special – more private for a start.

We had decided to 'go with the flow' on our first day and just take it easy as the previous day had been a 24H journey (from 2am to 2am – pretty much). We were based on the Southern shore of Kauai and headed for the Waiema Canyon. We missed our turn (the 550 road) and ended up 8 miles out of our way where the road ends. Hum. We turned round, found the 550 and endeavoured to go up & up… However, we couldn't get the knack for making the car work properly uphill and seemed stuck at 10mph. We had to ask for advice when we stopped at the first look-out point as pressing on the gas pedal seemed to make the car over-heat.

The canyon itself ('the Great Canyon of the Pacific') was quite spectacular, granted, but not really my type of scenery (too barren for my taste). It was weird to go up this road, 15 years later and realise I'd forgotten most of it. In fact, I only remembered a few look-out spots where I'd taken photos. I guess we'd only driven ¼ of that road before and must have turned round as we only had 8H in Kauai last time (a day trip from Honolulu). But we'd missed out on the best bit… the end of the road was the most impressive, with the beautiful Valley of the Lost Tribe seen from the Kalalau look-out platform It is a classic Kauai shot and has been reproduced in many post cards. Picture perfect. Chiselled cliffs in the background, exotic plants in the foreground and a bit of mist (of a LOT of mist if you were unlucky) to add a touch of mystery. Very atmospheric place. Roberto wanted to go for a hike there but the clay treks were very slippery and I didn't feel comfortable with nothing to hold onto.

We headed back to a picnic spot area about 5 miles further down (Kokee) but the little coffee shop we wanted to use was shut by then. Our back-up plan was to stop at a supermarket on the way back to our hotel. Back at the Sheraton we enjoyed the facilities (Roberto went to the fitness room, I went on the computer!), but we never saw the beautiful pool… it was too dark by the time we got back (it got dark at 6pm which was way too early for my taste). But at least it'd been a beautifully sunny day with not a spot of rain, which made such a change from Palau where you could not go anywhere without an umbrella, just in case. The rain in Palau was so warm though, and we spent so much time in the water, we didn't mind getting rained on as such, but the cameras were too expensive to take a gamble.

The next day, we'd decided to "kayak & hike" along the beautiful Wailua River as we had so enjoyed our kayaking in Palau. However, it was a far cry from what we'd expected. In fact, we pretty much wished we hadn't bothered because it was 95% hard work and 5% fun. The kind of thing you'd recommend to your enemies but not to your friends. The kayaking was tough as we were going against the current and the paddle were much shorter too and I just lost all my confidence. Roberto had to sweat twice as hard trying to correct my mistakes and I was sooo deflated and frustrated (well, we were both frustrated in fact). When we eventually got the jungle trail, it was SO muddy that you risked twisting an ankle at every corner. Roberto felt it was my 'punishment' for not having been daring enough on the slippery track the day before, ah.
We first had to cross a river (thigh deep) which wasn't too bad except that the water was brown and COLD, unlike Palau's, and the treks felt quite dangerous. A lot of people slipped on the way and children were crying as it seemed endless. It took us a good 50 mins to get a waterfall that was very secluded and nice enough (25m high) but really not worth that kind of hassle. It felt like SAS training, really. They didn't even provide lunch. $40 NOT well spent. We refused to swim in the water hole (too cold, too dirty – and I doubt my hair would have smelt of conditioner after a dip in that).

The main attraction for me was the many beautiful white birds with a long white tail that circled around the top of the falls looking for mosquitoes. Too far away for us to take any decent shots though, but they looked like birds of paradise and I was mesmerised by them.

We only had a 30 min break for lunch before it was time to turn round. The mere thought of doing that horrible trek all over again was really daunting. We were also getting bitten by mosquitoes like crazy.

I ended up with about 15 bites in one hour – big ones. Thankfully Roberto had had mercy on me and bought me some anti-itching cream the day before that worked wonders. He didn't get bitten once! When we got back to our canoe (we had marched well ahead of the crowds to avoid hearing the screaming children) we had to sit around for about 15 mins for people to catch up (suffering yet more mosquitoe attacks) and then had to face the gruelling 1H kayaking back… though it was a bit easier going with the current (but against the wind).

The trek had been so muddy and slippery that we were delayed by 90 mins, this was seriously upsetting as we really wanted to explore the North Shore that afternoon (it was our only chance to do so) and instead of setting off at 1:30pm, we left Wailua town at 3:00pm.

Our other concern that day is that when we tried to pay for the kayak tours his credit card was 'declined'... we could not work out why as he knew he still had about £1,000 left in his account before he was 'in the red'. This meant he had to resort to using his debit card and transfer more money from his savings account to be able to keep on funding enough for two. I felt so bad. We found out later that his bank had 'blocked' the card as they feared fraud since he had not warned them that he was going to be in the USA... but I felt we were clutching at straws at this point. It's amazing how very vulnerable you feel with NO money... I have learnt my lesson I tell you. The irony is that I always travel with TWO cards (in separate bags) but on this occasion, I forgot to put my spare one in. And Roberto always travels with 3 cards but he keeps them all together - he too learnt a valuable lesson. From now on, he will ensure they are all in different places and will give his bank prior warning (I'd advised him to call them but he was SO busy before we set off that it slipped his mind). But some things one just *has* to make time for...

Anyway, back to Kauai... the weather on the East shore is notoriously worse in the winter in Kauai (but usually always dry on the West coast – where the Waimea Canyon is) and sure enough, true to itself, it rained a lot more. In fact, it rained so much that they had some 'flash floods' that night. We were so disappointed by the weather as the North was so much lusher (naturally – since it rained a lot more) and we saw some beautiful scenery.

The Hanalei Valley was the highlight for me but it was impossible to try and take any decent shots in the rain – the light was too low and we didn't want to ruin our cameras. We had seen pictures of it at its best in local brochures and it looked incredible in the right light. Roberto wanted to drive ALL the way up the road, right to the Na Pali Coast National Park and it looked gorgeous, even in the rain.

Earlier on, we had also wanted to go to the Kilauea Lighthouse & National Wildlife Refuge which is a bird sanctuary with red footed boobies and albatross and frigates (the ones with a red 'ball' on they chest as they inflate it to impress the females) but we got there at 4:07pm and it had shut at 4:00pm. We were SO disappointed. The brochures had said that it was a 'must see' area that would not fail to impress. I'm sure we'd have enjoyed it far more than walking in the mud for some 2 hours!

We also didn't have time to hike the many beautiful paths in the many National Parks. They have stunning botanical gardens too that we missed out on too (I know they are stunning for having seen reports on them in the airline magazines!).

So, to make up for all these frustrations, we viewed this 3 day stop-over as a taster, and decided we would definitely go back one day. If we do, we will endeavour to spend at least 8 days there and change our base to Princeville (there's also an airport there) instead of Lihue. From Lihue to Princeville it's about a 90 min drive – too long.

We got back to our hotel at about 8pm that day and as we had such an early wake up call next day we decided to check out that evening to save time. We then were told that we had not paid for 2 nights in advance as we'd assumed, but only one. This meant an extra $300 to fork out when we were already running thin. Being very French I managed to argue our case over the 'resort fee' @ $17 per day and said it wasn't fair to impose it as we checked in at 1am on the first day and were checking out now and had had no time to use the facilities much in between. The guy at reception was thankfully very kind and agreed to waive off the fee as I explained we were in this pretty unusual financial situation because of my forgetfulness. Moral of today's lesson: 'nothing ventured, nothing gained'. If it's justified, argue your case. What have you got to lose? We saved over $50 -it all helps. The Caroline Resorts had also kindly agreed to write off the last night ($160 worth) as we had checked out at 11pm. They didn't have to, but felt sorry that I'd been so stupid ! :) [well, Zenie didn't *say* that, but I cannot explain it in any other way].

The next day, in Kauai, we'd booked a whale watching tour with Na Pali Riders. $79 for 4 hours. Not bad. It was a 6:45am start to unsure the sea wouldn't be too rough. And it was New Year's eve as well so a 5am start was pretty painful considering we had to stay up till midnight that day but we really wanted to make the most of our last day.

Roberto just loves whales and had never seen one. I prefer dolphins myself (I find that to look at a whale is like watching an iceberg where you only see the top 10% - and they just don't look 'pretty' enough J). We both got what we hoped for. He got to see the humpback whales jump up in the air to impress their females (it was the mating season – with peak time for whale watching in Hawaii being in Jan & Feb) and we also saw a shoal of about 200 Spinner dolphins. They are called 'spinner' because they love to show off by jumping out of the water and spinning around in the air. They'll do it a few times in a row which is great for taking photos… however, not having a stabiliser on my camera I felt safer just filming a movie to guarantee a sharper outcome. There were lots of babies around. Priceless. It would have been magical to swim with them – another thing we'll have to try and do next time.

We then reached the Na Pali coast (which National Geographic voted the 12nd natural wonder of the world) but as it was a bit overcast, it didn't look quite as beautiful as it does in the brochures. However, it still looked dramatic and most unusual. But being on a speed boat I didn't feel too comfortable risking my SLR camera out and held onto the boat rope tightly instead. This actually was a big mistake as every time we'd ride a wave it created extra friction on my finger and I ended up damaging the tendon a bit. My finger was to remain swollen for a while (I cannot really bend it anymore, 6 days on, but Dr Roberto is hopeful that it will be better in two weeks' time). We'll see.

As soon as we got back to the shore we decided we should try our luck for an helicopter tour as one last treat before our flight back to Honolulu at 6:40pm. A bit of trivia: 70% of tourists who come to Kauai do an helicopter tour - a higher % than on any other island in the world. A definite 'must do' basically. I called Island Helicopter at 12:45pm (they were the cheapest out of the 5-6 helicopter companies) and they said 'we have 2 seats left for today at 2:15pm. Can you be at Lihue airport for 1:30pm?' I said 'No chance, we are about an hour away'. She said that 1:45pm would still be ok.

However, we still hadn't quite mastered the art of navigating our way around the island and kept getting lost on the way to the airport. You take just one wrong turn and it's impossible to get back on track. You'd think that the 'airport' would be sign posted on every road within a 3 mile radius, but no… you should be so lucky. If I had had time for a nervous break down, I think I'd have had one… I called the lady back at 2pm to say 'we are on the way, and still hope to make it for 2:15pm' we just keep getting lost….

We got there just on time. I had asked for window seats but she offered no guarantee saying the seat allocation was according to weight, but "every couple was guaranteed at least one seat". So when we were teamed up with a family of 4 I had great hope that we'd both get a window seat (2 seats for them, 2 seats for us as Roberto & I were not related and not even dating). But for some gutting reason the little girl and her (wide) mother were on the front seat and her son by the window, husband next to Roberto (in the middle) and I had the window seat on the back. I could have cried with frustration. It was quite expensive for us @ $179 each with taxes and I'd been dreaming of doing that particular flight for about 10 years… Ever since I saw the (first) Jurassic Park movie opening, that was that: I fell madly in love with that scenery. I thought 'wow, wow, wow'… and wished upon a star 'wherever that may be, let me go and see it for myself'… and so, here I was, at looong last…. And when we got to the 'Jurassic Falls' as they call that particular lush valley along the Na Pali coast, full of waterfalls (more than usual due to the recent flash floods), the helicopter just twisted & turned so that we could all take good photos and my head started to spin.

I had not banked on that AT ALL. The pilot turned on the A/C full blast to give me some fresh air as colours started to drain from my (sun-tanned) cheeks. But I could only feel ok if I took deep breaths and if I kept my eyes on the horizon or a fixed point. It was gutting because I really wanted to look down at the landscape below. I believe that if I'd sat at the front I'd have been much happier in more ways than one... but I can't turn the clock back. I managed to do a few movies as a momento which is great as I can view these backs quite comfortably from home...

After that, we had 1h10 to spare so headed to a McDo so that Roberto could get an iced coffee. I was too queasy myself to eat or drink much - I felt the ground was still moving when I was standing kind of feeling. We stayed there about 30 mins reviewing our photos (one of R's fav past times). We also had to re-fuel the car so that we'd give it back with a full tank to avoid a penalty fee. But do you think we could work out how to use a petrol station 'pistol' ??? Boy. It's amazing how little things can make such a difference. We had to ask for help as we could not work it out - more time ticking away. We then went to the car rental point at the airport to 'check out' and they directed us to the car drop off point about 3 miles away. We assumed (oh, how naïve we were!) that we'd be there in 10 mins... but due to dire sign posting, yet again, we went round and round in circles for about 45 mins. 45 MINUTES to drive 3 miles... it seemed insane and I was trying not to dwell on the fact that we had a flight to catch at 6:40pm. When we eventually were able to hand the keys of the car back I felt so relieved. A kind of 'good riddance' kind of feeling almost. Thankfully the shuttle bus left immediately to take us straight back to the airport and GO! Airline were not massively busy so we made it through check-in ($10 per bag checked in) and security with 20 mins to spare before boarding.

We got to Honlulu 30 mins later (a breeze !) and got a cab back the Quest Resort on Waikiki ($39 when renting a car is $50 a day – sigh). We checked in and I freshened up whilst Roberto went out to buy us some food (another fish burger for me from Burger King). OK, not a gourmet meal but it was all I needed really. We then tried to sleep for about an hour or so (in vain) and got up at 11:30pm so that we could take a stroll down Waikiki Beach before the fireworks started.

It was a lovely 24C outside and everybody was wearing short sleeves. All the girls had fake local flowers in their hair (a popular hair clip over there) and it was just so relaxed and so different from London where it's SO packed with people that you simply cannot move. We found a spot on Waikiki beach, just inches from the waves and at midnight the fireworks started right in front of where we were, for a good 15 mins. Roberto had bought a mini bottle of champagne and some guava juice so that we could toast the New Year. It felt fantastic to be so warm on 31st December and to be surrounded by many happy and sensible people (we only saw one drunk woman whereas in the UK I'm sure we'd have seen dozens --- depressing sight). We then strolled back to our hotel (again, lots of room to move on the pavement -- in London you have to shuffle your feet back to the tube station really) and Roberto then went off to explore a gay club whilst I went to bed early... However, I couldn't quite get to sleep until he got back ok.

The next day we got up at 10am and tried to get a 22 bus to Hanauma Bay (the popular bay for snorkellers) but because it was 1st January the bus driver told us that the beach was shut. It seemed really crazy to me... how can anyone shut a beach??? why ??? He said that staff had the day off so there'd be no facilities, no one to sell entrance tickets either. He said that it's a natural reserve that's been sheltered from the bigger waves to make it easier to snorkel. We therefore aimed for the very next bay, thinking that the fish wouldn't be able to tell which bay was which anyway, but Sandy Beach was quite disappointing. It was more like 'Rocky Beach' than Sandy Beach, with lots of big waves, making it quite difficult to swim, let alone snorkel. No shade either (not ONE tree) and NO vans that sold drinks. We had set off with no water and got there at noon (as it was a good 40 min bus drive from Waikiki) and I knew we would not be able to stay there long because it was the hottest part of the day and even with factor 50 sun block on my skin, I could still feel the sun bite. I therefore resorted to using my umbrella to protect my face from becoming more wrinkly (I've really noticed the difference in the last 12 months, sigh) and covered my legs too as I was already quite sun-burnt from Palau (almost 1st degree burn on one ankle). So, I wasn't prepared to look worse... or feel worse (sun strokes being no fun at all). Roberto was brought up by the seaside so was quite used to it all, but I never even saw the sea before I was 18.

We bused back to Diamond Head next, and the 23 bus route was really beautiful... great villas and little harbours with boats in the foreground and beautiful mountains in the background... we were very impressed. Roberto was starting to dream of retiring there I think... When we got to DH we were thinking we could hike all the way to the top but as the park was also closed so there was no option to buy water at the very top. We were advised by a local to hike around the mountain instead but it took us a good 4 miles to get back to Waikiki that away and though we were promised stunning views ('some of the best in America'), I didn't find them that amazing. It was good exercise but not something I'd necessarily want to repeat. We only found one water fountain on the way (a God sent!).

Once back at Waikiki we sat in a park with some cold drinks and admired a couple of wild green parakeets. I tried to take some nice shots but zooming in, hand-held, made them too blurred. Roberto's were much crisper because of his built-in stabiliser. I really wanted to buy one such lens on my return as I love taking photos so much, but they are currently beyond my budget (£680 for a 28-200mm) and are quite heavy too (560gr) which I find off-putting (his whole rucksack was a camera bag, he even needed a special handle to hold it properly). So I guess I'm going to have to stick to my tripod for a while longer I reckon...

On the walk back to our hotel I asked Roberto to take a photo of me in front of fountain where my sister & I posed back 15 years earlier to the day (!) and then I went in to freshen up whilst he went out again for a jog (I wish I had half of his energy level !!).

At 8:00pm we went out for a stroll looking for a nice place to eat, as we were getting bored with junk food. We ended up at Keno's in one of the back streets in a very nice Asian/American place and were seated on a balcony outside. Just as we walked in 'Don't Give Up on Us' started playing… it was just the weirdest feeling - to hear a voice that was SO familiar to me a million miles away from home. I just told Roberto 'can you believe that this singer is a friend of mine?'. On the way back we passed a nice hotel that looked quite decent and half the price of what we paid at the Quest Resort so, being true to myself and my forward planning skills (!), I walked in and asked for a price list (in case we can go back in 2010). Details as follows for future ref. The Aqua Continental, 2426 Kuhio Ave, HI 96815. Tel. 808.922.2232. http://www.aquaresorts.com/, 2009 rates: $100 for a double room with lots of facilities, 2 streets away from Waikiki. Great area. $25 extra for an extra guest. Ocean view room available too. We paid $210 at the Quest and it didn't look that much better... you live & learn (expensive mistake though).

The next day we had to get up at 5:00am again to catch our 8:00 flight to San Francisco. As my finger was getting worse (I still could not bend it) Roberto gave me some Aulin medication (anti-inflammatory) to ease the pain and it really knocked me out... so the 5 hour flight 'flew by' nicely as I was 'gone' for 4 hours. Then in San Fransciso we hooked up with my good friends again which was the best way to spend the time... playing with the dogs, playing games and having the best meal of the last 2 weeks at the Westin Hotel near the airport. It just went toooo fast. But stop overs are really a great way to hook up with friends from distant lands. I should organise my trips accordingly more often…

We got to the airport with 2 hours to spare and went to the United desk to get our seat allocation. We were then informed that "because the plane was over booked [yet again], we had been upgraded to business class". We were deliriously happy. I had not flown 'business' since 1993 (freebie again, back then, as there's no way I can afford to pay £860 extra).

It meant we could use the Red Carpet lounge too (though I couldn't find ONE computer in there, only 20+ desks for wireless access – I guess that the people who usually fly 'business' are expected to have their own laptop).

Champagne started flowing pretty much as soon as we'd seated down (wasted on me - a tea total). They did not have any greater selection of movies though (and their selection was seriously boring and limited to just 5 movies, a far cry from other airlines with up to 40-45 on offer) but the best feature was the reclining seats that had you almost horizontal. It was so much easier to fall asleep. You also had a choice of menu, proper plates and napkins… a completely different experience - but one I simply cannot afford to get used to. I felt that Roberto had been rewarded for helping me out (as in: 'whatever you do comes back to you' since he had advanced me more than £860 worth of money by then)… I'm still not sure about United's selection process… they only upgraded 5 couples, so why us? I guess it's because I am a Silver Member on Star Alliance?? Or maybe because our flight was delayed 4 hours on the way in (a kind of 'compensation' in disguise?). Or maybe God simply smiled on us, hey! (my preferred option). Whatever, it was most enjoyable. Roberto, who stresses more easily than I do when it comes to airport hassle, was most relieved. He said he could have never done all this on his own and that it'd take him one year to recover, ah.

We landed back at Heathrow on time and thankfully it was a beautifully sunny day in London. I'm not sure my brain could have handled a dull snowy or rainy day – too much of a shock. Roberto had to lend me money again so that I could get back home ok as I'd also lost my Oyster card on the way the airport too and all my English cash in the purse I'd misplaced… He kindly gave me enough so that I could grab some food on the way back home too. It was only 5C when we flew in, so a 20C difference was tough but I could not have afforded to stay in the USA for much longer. This trip ruined me but at least I felt it had been money well spent as it was breathtakingly beautiful. I didn't buy any souvenir (no post cards even) but Roberto & I took 1,000 photos each in 2 weeks, and Impac had given me, for Xmas, a little bottle with some white sand and tiny shells from Palau. I keep it in my bathroom as a reminder that I didn't dream it all. Since I can't go to Palau daily, it's the only way I can have Palau come to me ! :)

I spent the next 5 days in a daze (thankfully work was very quiet) and am now counting the days till New Zealand (just 5 weeks away as I'm writing this). It'll be another 20 hours in the air, but it doesn't phase me too much… it's the necessary 'price to pay' for outstanding rewards and as I won't see affordable 'space travel' in my lifetime, I might as well look forward to it.

Actually, sitting on a plane for 11 hours gave me the chance to read some magazines for instance, which I never ever have time for in London, and to watch some real interesting documentaries I may never have watched either otherwise. I learnt the art of enjoying 'doing nothing' – no calls to make, no emails to send, no deadlines to meet… and this was a great mental exercise. So, I personally choose to see these long flights as something I can use for good to teach me that 'just relaxing' is something I shouldn't feel guilty about.

I was reading in a magazine on the plane 'if you could swap something you have, for something you want, what would it be?'… It was a very thought provoking question I found, because, in truth, I could not think of anything I've currently got that I'd want to give up. I have great support from my family, I have lots of great friends, I love my job and looked forward to going back to it, I have my faith, I can't remember the last time I was sick, I rent a compact but cosy home… and I am so blessed to earn just enough to see the world's greatest wonders on a regular basis… which fulfils my need for intense visual excitement, refreshes my mind and soothes my soul. What could I possibly give up?

I wish you all the very best for 2009 and a renewed sense of awe and wonder for the incredible world God has created to delight us.

PALAU - 22nd to 29th December 2008

As I’m writing this, I’m now back in London. Trying to find internet access in Palau was pretty much mission impossible due to their painfully slow dial up system. If you managed to log on, you were unable to send much as you’d get an ‘error’ msg. Our mobile phones were not working either, regardless of how sophisticated they might be, because one needed a local SIM card for the calls to connect. Using a hotel phone to call anyone was an average of $3 per minute. This is one thing I did not expect. I’d never quite felt so cut off from the rest of the world.

I also didn’t expect the prices to be so astronomically expensive, be it for excursions (diving here costs about 50% more than in the Red Sea or Borneo) and even food as simple as rice could be up to $8 for a plain bowl whereas we’d pay $5 in London.

We soon learnt that the cheapest places were actually Japanese restaurants. I’m not keen on Japanese food at all but soon had to learn to like it. However, it was better than I expected. The Japanese influence in Palau is huge. You cannot escape from it. There seems to be Japanese tourists en masse everywhere you turned (Tokyo is only 4H away by air, lucky them!) and as the country was under Japanese occupation for some 40 years, you have many ship wrecks and plane wrecks as a reminder of a more violent past. Just on the small path leading up to our resort (The Carolines) you could see 3 big holes that had been caused by old bombs. Palauan people are therefore pretty much all fluent in Japanese, it’s the 2nd language they learn at school with English. The best hotels are Japanese owned (the PPR – Palau Pacific Resort) and one of the best tour companies, Impac, was also pretty much exclusively for the Japanese market.

We also didn’t realise that December was still the rainy season. A google search had led me to believe that the rains ended in November, but not so... The ‘dry’ season is as of mid-Jan up to mid-May. OOps. And when it rains in Palau, it rains hard. You cannot fail to notice. It even wakes you up at night as it’s a downpour more than a drizzle. However, though it meant we could never go anywhere without an umbrella, such spectacular downpour had made for spectacular scenery. It was incredibly lush and the Rock Islands are a marvel to behold. It never ceased to amaze me that these limestone (?) rocks could hold so much vegetation and it was a true testimony of nature’s resilience through the ages. I mean, how could any seed even withstand the power of the sea waves and winds and manage to hold on long enough to spout roots onto these rocks at all? It seemed incredible. But each rock was covered in dense, rich vegetation and it made every boating experience quite beautiful as a result.

However, the star of the show, in my eyes, was the water colour. I simply do not recall having seen such an intense green anywhere else. The waters were also crystal clear in most parts and very shallow which made you feel like you were floating more than boating. You could see the reefs straight through. It’s this water quality that made Palau quite a magical place and matched my expectations. The coral reefs, however, were not as brillant as I’d hoped. Yes, they do have a huge diversity of fish and some neat coral gardens, but, to be honest, I’d need better coral gardens in Sipadan (Borneo) or on the Great Barrier Reef. We found a couple of great sites, but some were disappointing because you could see that people had not taken care of protecting the corals. We even witnessed people stand on them and some tour guides told us that the Taiwanese are the worst offenders who simply have NO clue about respecting these fragile organisms. They will break off branches as souvenirs, or pick up star fish or cumcumber fish and take them out of the water to take photos. Their lack of education, understanding or sheer selfishness (whatever it may be) had already left a sad impact on some reef. I also saw many plastic bags floating around The Big Drop Off (the most popular dive site) and in any other countries the dive instructors would pick them up as they go along but not here it seemed.

But, aside from this, the people of Palau were extremely gracious and welcoming. One tour guide even told us that children are taught very early on that ‘tourists are kings’ and that they owe us their jobs and livelihood as tourism is the biggest industry by far. Many operators went the extra mile to help out and our main contact at The Carolines, Zenie, was as attentive as a mother almost! A lot of people wear flowers in their hair, if it’s on the left handside it means you’re married, if it’s on the right, it means you’re single.

I’ll sum up below what we did as a way to refresh my memory later and as a way of advising fellow tourists to Palau of what to expect.

Currency is all in USD – which was not great for us as the exchange rate was a lot worse in Dec 08 than it had been in May 08 when we first booked the trip... but at least travellers cheques were widelyl accepted.

Helicopter Tours + Kayaking around Sam’s

On Tues 23 Dec we were picked up by the (only?) helicopter company on the island for our 15 mins flight. $79 no less. Up to $345 for 90 mins or $1,000 for tailor made. Hum. Needless to say, we could only afford the $79 each. NOW, I really wanted to fly over THE photo that’s advertised in all tourist boards and brochures but was told that this particular area was called ‘the 70 islands’ and was a fully protected area. No one was allowed to go within 1 mile of the shores and no one could enter the waters without a special permit – and that was only granted to marine biologists or people who were going to respect this unspoilt jewel. So, in effect, I’d call this the big Palau con.... the one photo that makes everybody drool is the one place that is off limits and forbidden access to all ! So it could well be that the ‘number one underwater wonder of the world’ label is fully justified in these protected waters... but not in what is accessible to us, common mortals.

The helicopter tour was still great though as we flew over the Rock Islands nevertheless (just not the 70 Islands area, which is further away - that was an extra $200 !). There were still beautiful beaches to admire and we thoroughly enjoyed it all the same. It was a lovely sunny morning too so we were really lucky there. You really need the sun to see all the different shades of blue in the waters. I let Roberto sit at the front as he had the better camera (his is about 3 times the price of mine). Also, he had a built in stabiliser, whereas I don’t and the difference was painfully obvious when we landed as there are many shakes in the helicopter and a few of my shots were blurred as a result.

Afterwards we went to Sam’s (across the road) so that Roberto could check out his diving equipment before D-day (he had to allow 24H before diving for the standard safety gap). It’d just gone 11am and I was starting to feel quite tired. We just ate a lovely tuna burger and I drank a coke to perk me up (though, oddly, the coca cola in the US and Palau taste quite different from the UK version – I really didn’t like the US version, so opted for Pepsi as a slightly more UK like alternative). After I had my ‘2nd wind’ and perked up a bit, we rented a double kayak for the afternoon and just stopped off where we could to have a swim and enjoy the secluded lagoons. I’d never kayaked before but managed to get the knack of it eventually. They also lent us a waterproof box for our camera gear which was so useful, and a dry bag so that we could keep our bare essentials safe in case we flipped over.

We’d just got on the kayak when it started to rain quite hard, but within 5 minutes, it had all stopped again and we were able to enjoy all this superb scenery at leisure. There aren’t many jelly fish at all but we did spot about 5 brown ones with thick short dark brown tentacules and it made us a bit nervous about swimming in that area. They can be quite toxic though not lethal we were told. You just don’t want to touch them if you can avoid it. We met a woman who had swum within the harbour and had not even seen them and got stung on the neck. She said it didn’t really hurt that much but she did look badly burnt on her neck and described the jelly fish she saw as totally transparent and quite small – hence she didn’t see them at all. But, as a rule of thumb it seemed that they were in deeper waters. Every time we were kayaking in 1-2m of water, there didn’t seem to be any. We would jump in the water and have a swim to ‘cool down’, but the water was a wonderful 27C temperature so it didn’t really feel cool. You’d go in and it was like bath water in some places. It was just blissful.

The tour operators would then drive tourists back to their respective hotels which was quite handy.

When I got to our hotel that night though I realised that I’d lost my little purse on the way to Palau. I still cannot figure out where, but my bank card, home keys and English cash to get home were all in there. I’d never lost my bank card on any previous trips before and it made me feel quite vulnerable. If I’d been travelling alone, I really don’t know what I’d have done. I had $1,000 worth of travellers cheques and that was that. Roberto, thankfully had two credit cards and was adamant he could advance me the money to pay for my excursions. If it wasn’t for his kind help, I would have taken 3 days to get to Palau and found I could not afford to enjoy the island at all... which would have been a great shame as it has a lot to offer.

We went to have dinner in a Thai restaurant up the road. It was tastefully decorated and it didn’t have any windows but it was a very popular choice and more expensive than we expected – so we knew we could not afford to go back basically. $18 for a noodle dish. I would pay half that amount in London... sigh.

Snorkelling & Diving

Wed 24 Dec. This was our worst day weather wise, we only had about 10 mins of sunshine all in all. We were gutted. But as a consolation, at least it rained on a day when we were going to be in the water all day anyway, so we were going to be wet regardless. But it felt quite chilly with the wind factor and this was quite miserable. We didn’t really have any dry clothes and the boat didn’t offer much shelter. Some people were even wearing towels over their faces as the rain was so hard that it almost hurt when it hit your face.

But outside this nuisance, it was great to snorkel again.... though sad to see so many bleached corals (another side effect of El Nino, 1997).

On that day we also stopped at the famous Jelly Fish Lake, which is unique to Palau (well, in fact, they have 5 lakes but only one is accessible by foot). The jelly fish gather in thousands in the middle of the lake and though you know they do not sting as there are no predators for them in there (evolution), I had this slight psychological barrier to overcome and found it hard to take in that touching a jelly fish there would not hurt. I therefore only stayed in the best part about 5 minutes. There were mainly moon jelly fish, no tentacules, all sizes. They did look quite pretty actually and I only wish I could have listened to some classical music as I snorkelled around them as they pulsate to move around and it looked like one big symphony. It was a surreal experience, like nothing I’d ever experienced and it was quite beautiful to watch – but I wasn’t as serene as I should have been really. We wish we’d had an underwater camera but there are so many clips on You Tube, you just need to look up ‘palau, jelly fish lake’ and you’ll have a fair idea of what we saw.

I was surprised to learn that in 1997, further to the El Nino effect again, all the jelly fish died due to the increase in water temperature. There used to be two types of jelly fish in there (50/50) but when they sensed they were dying they all dropped some sort of semen that would go to the bottom of the lake and ‘ressurect’ in due course. Marine biologists felt that the jelly fish were able to remember how to survive in harsh conditions and had obviously experienced a previous global warming era. They all got wiped out but the following year, when the temperature dropped again, the jelly fish came back.... though it was mainly the moon jelly fish this time (95% dominant). A jelly fish is so transparent, it makes one wonder how it can even think that far? But survival instinct is the greatest force in nature it seems.

For lunch we went to a stunning beach, whose name I simply cannot remember but which was one of our favourites. It was quite stormy and the skies were dark but the water colour seemed a peaceful soft turquoise blue and the contrast was striking. We just fell in love with this little spot. It looked so exquisite. It was very similar to The Beach on Phi Phi island (the famous one featured in the movie). It just had that kind of look and atmosphere. However, trying to take a decent shot in the rain was very difficult. We were both so worried about our cameras. We’d just dash in & out from our shelter every time it stopped raining for a few seconds. We could have spent the whole day there. It was the highlight really. Roberto described it best when he said ‘it leaves you speechless’. Yep. It did inspire awe, that’s for sure.

After our wet wet wet day we decided to try and warm up with an Indian restaurant (the Taj), but it was far too spicy for me and still far too expensive for our budget so decided not to go back there again either.

The Carolines had a shuttle bus running every hour to take guests into town and drop them off at various restaurants. They charged $2 pp for a return trip and we felt it was a great service as taxis were much more expensive.

South Island & Carp Island Tour

On Xmas day, Roberto & I split as we wanted to do different things. I’d seen a photo of Carp Island and it looked so idyllic that I just had to see it for myself. Roberto was already committed to two dives and so went to Sam’s. I joined the Impac tour instead (Jap - Sam's did not offer that particular tour) and so I was the only white person there but my guide still made an effort to speak some English with me so I wouldn’t be totally lost. There were only 5 of us all in all so it was great.

It was one of the most memorable Christmas days of my life. The weather was much better and though Carp Island was very pretty, my fondest memory of the whole day was to step onto Long Beach. It’s like a ‘virtual’ beach basically. It only shows a few minutes at a time each day, not always in the same place (depending on the tide and moon) but links up two islands. Like a sand bank that appears and disappears... and the water colour around there was such a lovely soft blue, it was breathtakingly beautiful. Another surreal type of experience and probably the most unusual ‘beach’ I had ever been on. I totally loved it. We were all going ‘wow’ when we saw it ‘appear’. In that sense, Palau has probably afforded me some of my most memorable beach experiences of my life. I love it when something / someone takes my breath away and it certainly had that kind of impact on me... and I’m not normally a ‘beach’ person, I’m more of a jungle person. But this looked almost too beautiful to be true. I thought of Roberto and knew he’d be thoroughly gutted at having missed out on such a magical experience as he could have taken such awesome pix with his camera.

He was having a good time too mind you, he’d seen a huge mantaray at a cleaning station and had stood just a few meters away from this 3 meter ‘beast’ and had also seen 5 sharks hunting together. He had totally enjoyed his day as well and ranked it as one of his best diving days ever (off the Blue Hole Drop off). Everybody talked about this particular dive spot being incredibly rich.

As for me, I snorkelled off the German Channel to see the giant clams (it was ok but nothing amazing) and then near the Big Drop Off again but the corals were poor. Though I did see black tip sharks and turtles, which was neat. I’d never seen a black tip shark before but they are very frequent in Palau. I didn’t feel scared as I knew that these guys were too small to hurt me (about the size of one of my two legs together pretty much).

I had lunch on Carp Island and though the water colour was amazing, as always, it was the back drop that makes Palau simply spectacular. The rock islands look like pirate hideaways, they are mysterious, inaccessible, lush and dense and it helps your imagination wander... it’s like reading Treasure Island or Robinson Crusoe all over again. I felt I could reconnect to all those feelings one has as a child reading these type of books.

Carp Island had nice facilities (you can rent cabins there) and it only rained when we were having lunch, so didn’t distract from our enjoyment at all. For more info on Carp, pls visit www.carpislandpalau.com The island has the shape of a star, which is quite neat too – though it’s only obvious from the air !

As it was Xmas day they had all sorts of Xmas decorations around (it’s a Catholic country) and it was sweet to see the difference in ornaments. They use sea shells and flowers to decorate their trees which looked quite unusual to me, as a European, but worked just the same!

We then went back to Koror (the capital) on the West Side of the Rock islands, zig zagging among them, looking out for secluded beaches (very few). Some mangrove channels or some other channels were so shallow that you felt you were just gliding over corals. I’ll probably say it more than once but the water colour is what gave this place its ‘wow’ factor. You could never get tired of looking at it. I made so many little video clips of such channels... you just wanted to capture every shade of green or blue forever more. Jaw dropping material really.

I was back at the Carolines Resort for 3:30pm and just enjoyed the resort’s view some more. It had limited facilities (they don’t even have a restaurant, you have to order your meals the day before and they deliver it to your room) but we had a charming wooden bungalow overlooking the island and ocean and we always had our breakfast on the balcony. They always put fresh flowers in a huge sea shell and it just looked quaint and homely. We had no direct access to a beach but they had a partnership with the PPR so that we could use their facilities just the same, which was a great perk (as they have a huge pool, spa, tennis court, internet centre etc). So you pay half the price staying at the Carolines and can have the best of both worlds!

It rained heavily that evening and it was wonderful to hear the sounds of frogs everywhere. It’s not often you hear so many at once. For Xmas we went to a Japanese restaurant (Fiji). It was ok, the best value for money so far anyway. And we made a point to call Italy & France though it didn't really feel like Christmas time at all for us. But it felt good to hear familiar voices.

Rock Island Tour

26 Dec, we went on Sam’s (the American operator tour) and our first stop was at the Milky Way. This was one of Palau’s highlights, the water was a gorgeous turquoise but because it had some white mud at the bottom (that could be used for face masks for its cleansing properties) every time someone ducked to pick up some mud it was as if someone had splashed some cream in the water. It was just like being in a little fairy tale, because you don’t see such phenomenons very often in ‘the real world’. We totally loved it and it definitely had the ‘wow’ factor too. We were spell bound. I spent more time on the deck looking out at this striking colour than in the water (I can’t duck dive so could not pick up any mud easily). Some people were having fun covering themselves up from head to toe. I was more interested in taking photos to remember this moment forever – and to share it too.

We went snorkelling to the Rainbow Corals site and it was the best snorkelling site I’d seen so I was glad that Roberto was around to enjoy it too. It had hundreds of fish, and endless coral gardens – mostly unspoilt as it was just deep enough so that the average person would not be able to stand on them. The diversity of fish shape and colour never ceases to amaze me. They also had a Napoleon wrass that seemed to follow us around and we were told that some are ‘super male’ that can change into female when the need arises. They are lovely colourful fish and some of the biggest you can find on the reef (beside the sharks).

For lunch, Roberto & I got dropped off on an island whilst the rest of the party went back to the Jelly Fish Lake. It was not the best island unfortunately. It didn’t look that great and there was almost nothing to do. In fact, it took me a long time to get used to the idea that doing ‘nothing’ is ok. We were both so stressed when we arrived from London that to suddenly make time for just sheer enjoyment and relaxation was almost hard to take in. It did take us a good 3-4 days to be able to ‘go with the flow’... and to enjoy having no watch to keep track of time either.

The only good thing about this island is that they had many black tip sharks and our guide soon found us about 15 of them, along with a smaller type of shark looking fish (flat head) that hangs around them a lot. It was quite odd to be surrounded by 15 sharks and yet to know they were not going to hurt you. Shark attacks are so hyped up in the media. And yet, as we saw in a documentary on our plane back, most are docile and usually only bite by mistake. People die of blood loss but not because they have been eaten as such. Every hour 15,000 sharks are killed around the world for their fins and yet they regulate the oceans and ruled them for 400 million years before we came along. In the last 100 years shark numbers have gone down by 90% and yet the ocean provides us with more oxygen to breathe than the rainforests. Sharks eat some of the planton that swallows this valuable oxygen, and so, by killing them, we are in effect killing our main defense for our oxygen supply. Strangely, though we know all that, many organisations who protect polar bears, pandas or seals, have no interest in sharks at all (they do not have the ‘cute’ factor). Even Costa Rica, one of the leading countries in eco-tourism was shown to make millions out of the illegal shark fin trade and the producer had managed to film secret videos showing hundreds of thousands of fins being dried on tin roofs. We are just decimating them and no one seems to care. It made very sad viewing. Chinese medicine is also to blame, as they attribue to sharks some anti-cancer properties when in fact it has never been proven to help humans. If anything, because we put so much mercury in our waters nowadays, eating sharks (and other fish) is likely to make us more ill than healthy. But shark fin soup is a sign of power and a multi million business industry. At a Chinese wedding everybody shark fin soup is a ‘must have’ to show power and wealth and if there are 450 guests, that’s a lot of sharks. Anyway, I disgress...

Our last snorkelling stop was the ‘cemetry’... with many corals that looked like white cauliflowers. I assumed they were bleached or dead but Roberto seemed to think they were alive. We didn’t seem an awful lot of fish there though.

When we got back we went to the PPR for a dip in their spa and to enjoy the resort (it had lots of Xmas trees all around the ground and looked positively pretty at this time of the year).

We then went to town to try a Filipino restaurant... only to be put off my the smells and prices (not as cheap as we’d been led to believe), so ended up at Tototo, another Jap restaurant. Food was good, decor was very boring though. Definitely not one for ‘romance’. Talking of which, so many people assumed that Roberto & I were a couple, it was quite comical at times (as in ‘so, have you guys got kids?’)... yeah, right.

The Waterfall tour

The next day, we went to check out the famous Ngardmau Waterfall. The highest waterfall in Palau (25m). We were originally booked to go with Sam’s but when I realised they charged $150 pp whereas Impac, the Jap company charged only $90, we had no choice but to swap (no cancellation fee applied, thank God). With my having lost my bank card, I was really watching my pennies and why spend double for the same thing?

We thoroughly enjoyed our day. It was so different from being on the sea and gave us a totally different perspective into the island. We’d highly recommend this option to anyone. Most people just go to dive and ignore the rest and it seems a shame as they are such different experiences.

We first were issued with some marine boots to help us with crossing rivers. Our first stop was at a kind of botanical garden where a Jap couple had gathered a collection of Palauan plants and fruits – with some samples to taste. The nodi fruit for instance tastes nothing special but is supposedly full of anti oxidant and sells for $200 a liter in Japan.

We then drove to the start of the hike for the waterfall. Going down countless steps and then crossing a river (knee deep) to hike some more on some really muddy trails. And I mean, MUDDY. You would sink about 2 inches deep and I needed a stick to keep my balance as it was quite slippery. Thankfully, Palau has no leeches otherwise I’d not have been a happy bunny. But when we got to the waterfall, it was worth it. It wasn’t a big rush of water as you’d have in Niagarra Falls (!) but more like a thin curtain. To stand right under it felt thrilling and liberating at the same time.

We only stayed at the falls for an hour or so but it was the best picnic spot. I became very thankful for the heavy rain of the previous nights as it meant the fall could look as good as in the brochures. In the dry season it comes to a dribble with only one side ‘working’ properly but in December, it looked just perfect. AND it seemed to make my hair so soft, as if it had conditioner in it too.

On the way back, to avoid trekking through slippery mud paths we walked in the river. I loved it but we were just concerned about our cameras in case we’d slipped or stepped in a hole. Our guides knew the ‘shallow’ way though and we just followed them. I had seen a video of this water route on YouTube and couldn’t wait to do that for myself. I felt we were like Indiana Jones. Great fun.

Our guide told us that December was the best month for this waterfall. In the dry season there isn’t enough water, and at the peak of the rainy season it was almost impossible to walk to the falls as the treks were too muddy or slippery. Dec is just in between! He did worry that the waterfall area would be spoilt soon though. A main tarred road was completed two years ago and many companies are currently asking for building permits for hotels nearby. He said that the clearing area around the falls was not even there 5 years ago. Before you could hear the fall but not see it until you were right in front of it. They’d also built a couple of small huts with tin roofs and benches and tables so that people could sit somewhere dry on rainy days and this was only 2 years old too.

On the way back we made time to swim in some water holes that had been ‘created’ by the Japanese bombs. Some were quite deep – deep enough to dive it safely. We had tremendous fun sitting under the rush of water. I remember telling our guide ‘I could just eat a fresh coconut right now and it’d just match the scene perfectly’... and lo and behold, when we got back to our bus, there was a woman who was selling fresh coconut and our guide kindly gave me a straw so I could drink the juice and then scooped the flesh for me. He suggested I tried dipping the flesh in soy sauce – I did (I like trying new flavours) and it actually worked quite nicely.

We then headed back to Koror and Roberto & I went straight to the PPR for dinner as we realised that the prices to eat there were actually just as cheap as the Japanese restaurants in town but with the added bonus of having a gorgeous setting. If we’d realised this earlier, we would have gone there every night. As it’s a 4* resort, we assumed the dinners would be priced accordingly, but no... very reasonable indeed.

When we got back people who had gone to some sea excursions complained that the weather had been really terrible but as we were up North, inland, we didn’t really have much rain ourselves. In fact, it only rained at ‘convenient’ times – i.e. JUST after we got back to our bus (and it was a loooong trek up many stairs). So we had had real good flair to do the waterfall tour on that day. People who went kayaking had been quite distressed by how rough the sea had been. Even some guides had become sea sick.

Kayaking

On our last day in Palau we went for the kayaking tour with Sam’s. It was a glorious day and we totally loved it. Very relaxed pace, the lagoons were a striking green or blue, and kayaking seemed relatively easy – calm waters, etc.

We had lunch on a beautiful beach and though the lunch box at Sam’s were always the same and it got seriously boring by day 3, the exotic decor more than made up for it.

Early afternoon we headed to the Mandarin Fish Lake and it was like being in an aquarium. The water was so clear it was just like tap water. The sun was shining on the corals and we kept wishing we had had an underwater camera as it would have been so easy to take really clear shots. A turtle stayed in the lagoon for ages and we followed her around for 10 minutes at a fair distance. It’s so relaxing to watch a turtle swim around in slow motion... soothing for the soul almost.

We got back to the harbour by 3:30pm, Roberto ordered his usual cup of coffee, I had a hot chocolate and we felt so lucky to have seen so much beauty in just 6 days. It was the perfect ending to our week in Palau. We had got to experience most of the main attractions really.

We went back to our hotel to start packing and headed to PPR for our last meal. We then got back to the Caroline Resort for 8:00pm so that we could grab a couple of hours’ sleep before heading for the airport. We left at 11pm for a 2am departure. This was tough. We had 4 horribly long days out of 15 days and this was going to be one of them, as we didn’t check into our hotel in Kauai till 1am!

To be cont.