I hadn't been that keen on going to see the catamaran, I knew we would be getting it unless it was full of holes as Petes so keen and it is the only living-in Hong Kong-Island option we could afford, etc. Plus I hate sailing & am ALWAYS sick. Etc. I had visions of us seeing it for 1 day then being stuck in some grotty motel room for a week - in rain, as Pete showed me the weather maps before we left and it was not looking good - he brought his storm gear from work & borrowed some for me!!!!
Anyway, we woke up in our hotel in the middle of Manila and had a look out the window - not great view, all shanty houses, gas stations and hig-hrise hotels surrounded by rubbish coated roads and river banks - YIK. Breakfast I had been dribbling about thick USA style pancakes with maple syrup (yum lived on them when we were in Belize), but we got offered unidentifiable things in meaty sauces with garlic rice. I blame high sugars (and Petes excuse was he realised how cheap the mini-bar beers were when we arrived at 2 a.m.) but my usually adventurous appetite fled and I stuck to the pancakes. (on the trip back we did have it in a cafe - galic rice was mouldy but the deep fried 'milkfish' was gorgeous, sweet as anything, and the cured pig stew was nice). We left in a hurry as the small airline flying us out to the islands would not take payments over the phone/ internet, and would only save our ticket reservation until 11 am the day of our flight. Again, scary tax ride (this time again with a comfy posh car taxi linked to the hotel) clutching our bags, doors locked, with our small suitcase strapped into the passenger seat and covered by a blanket. Not inspiring tourist-friendly thoughts!
We passed long rows of people making/ selling Xmas decorations at the roadside; mainly with double-sided star-inside-circles that were made out of that horny shell stuff we used to have as lampshades a lot. You know, the ceiling shades that were a bit like stained glass out of circles of pale pink or beige shell? Also lots of the mexican-style 3D stars with tassels hanging off the bottom 2 points, like at fiestas. And I am not sure what KD (I think) TV stood for, but every bar/ building/ club we passed advertised that along with paintings of women so I'm pretty sure it was stripshows or the like! Plus a lot had boxing competition adverts. All in it looked like a HUGE but pretty run-down city, with occasional posh hotels inserted randomly and a major traffic problem. Like in Africa all crossings/ roundabouts were nerve-wracking free for alls, with 100s of jeepneys battling with taxis. Taxis are always white with hand-painted signs usually extolling their ACs (which don't always work!). Jeepneys are like a cross between a USA school bus and a jeep with a bit of 1920's posh cars thrown in - all gleaming aluminium with running boards/ spare wheels at the front sides and then mad painted/ decorated long sides to the open back. You bang on the side to stop it, jump in to squeeze into one of the benches along the inside sides, and off you go.
Lots of hawkers walk between the continual traffic jams, selling unidentifiable foods, bottled water, ciggies and sweets.
Got to the ticket office with 10 minutes to spare and spent over an hour having tickets issued, no idea why! The domestic airport was much smaller & tattier than the international one, but still madly decorated for christmas with the afore-mentioned stars. HUGE queues to even enter the building, with much checking of tickets/ luggage by armed guards. Through the 'please leave your fire-arms here' booth and we finally found our check-in. Again, shades of Belize with massive taped boxes that definitely cost excess luggage being wheeled around by all but us. (Not as bad as the flight to Kenya leaving Hong Kong that we queued beside - each person had 3 baggage trolleys with what looked like entire wrapped camels in them). There were many scary signs about how jokes about bombs in bags/ fluids in luggage could get you arrested, and at least 4 security checks where you had to remove all shoes etc too. Not impressed by it as each check something different in my bag set off an alarm, & when we got into the 1 departure lounge Pete found they had all missed a drink he had forgotten in his bag. (Actually, at Hong Kong for the 1st time EVER the 3rd security check spotted my diabetic stuff and wanted me to count all the sharp objects. Umm....half empty box of finger lancets & full box of needle tips - how long do you have???). The 1 good thing is that all the airports (except HK) actually check at the exit that you have the sticker on your ticket matching the luggae you are taking away, so it can't be nicked. Sadly all around the room were TVs playing diffferent shows but ALL were Phillipinos on talent singing competitions, YUK. And we were on the row of seats with the nervous guy who couldn't stop jittering his leg the whole 2 hours - was already feeling quite seasick by the time we boarded!
Or 1st flight took us to Devau, capital of another island down in the south Phillipines. We walked accross sweltering concrete, through asstd customs etc, collected luggage, left the airport, in the front of the airport and checked in again; payed more airport fees then waited and boarded the exact same plane again. Same seats even. Huh? Lovely new airport and the sweets made of the stinky durian looked interesting but the point was purely to make us pay fees I think!!!
We arrived at Kuror, capital of the Republic of Pelau (locals call it Belau) in the dark. It is a bunch of 300 islands in Micronesia, north of Java/ Indonesia, directly north of Darwin/ Australia's Northern Territories (hi Lochie! nearly made it your way!). As Pete had done the arrangements it was all very un-arranged, I had no idea if the poor seller was meeting us, if we were staying with them, if he knew our flight, etc! Luckily Jason and his lovely Pelaun girlfriend Virian were waiting to meet us (had met all the evening planes just incase!); she greeted us with beautiful traditional sort of shell garlandsof millions of tiny white shells. They had borrowed her mums jeep, so drove us south to Sam's Dive Tours & Bar (also the Royal Palau Yacht Club) where they moored. We showered & ate in the bar, and Jason introduced Pete to chewing betel nut. Its greenish like a small plum/ huge acorn; you split it in half and scoop out a certain amount of the bitter innards, then sprinkle one half with powder (lye or slaked lime - caustic anyway!), stick it in & chew!
Petes 1st betel nut with corrosive slaked lime topping chew - stimulant we realised when Pete was wide awake all night! Palau, Micronesia
Originally uploaded by wildcatfin.
Occasionally you spit out red slime. Pete finished his but wasn't keen on more and ended up staying up half the night, like he'd had a caffeine overdose; locals love it and Jason says that even though he's been there for years they all became far friendlier when he got that habit. We then climbed into their little canvas dinghy and zoomed slowly over black water (with phosphoresence) surrounded by what looked like jungled hills and Scooby-Doo style swamp thing wrecked WW11 ships (the islands had a pretty horriffic time with US/ Japan forces during the ear), over to the catamaran, watching shooting stars. They had the 'tent' up, a special awning that uses the sail's boom as its peak and covers the wooden decking at the back of the boat as well as the two cockpit/ entrance to hull areas. After chatting and listening to the odd wet-finger-on wine-glass-rim single note singing tones of wild birds, we went to bed.
We were in the right hand (starboard?) hull of the Sherliee. You step off the wooden deck into the cockpit (has moulded seating benches to each side) then down to the cockpit floor from the bench.
Sherilee from wooden deck down into starboars cockpit - hatch to left.jpg
Originally uploaded by wildcatfin.
Bend down to the hatch, grip and either swing/ jump or carefully walk forwards down the tiny wooden detachable ladder into the hull. On the left are 2 sinks filled by foot pump, then a lid that has the ice-box under it. Right side has a 2 burner gas stove with oven & grill, then a tiny work surface, both sides with storeage above & below, and tall enough to stand in.
Sherilees kitchen looking back out the hatch; storeage: other berth under ladder.jpg
Originally uploaded by wildcatfin.
Then there is a seating/ eating area, padded benches big enough for several each side, with space in the middle for a table that fits down holes (not there when we were); floor is all white sort of lino stuff.
The benches end level with the bed, about 1&1/2 single sized narrowing as it goes to the bow, with 2 fans and a big dark glass hatch that can be propped open above it. Watching stars & satellites in bed was cool, but need mozzy screens fitted as we both woke up being bitten in the night, itchy feet, yik!
Thar she blows!!!! 'our' (nearly!) catamaran moored at Sam's Diving, Palau, Micronesia
Originally uploaded by wildcatfin.
Monday morning we went for supplies - on the way to the bar we stopped to look at some very rare orchids, that open & flower for 1 day, hanging over the water - another boat has a lady artist on it who studies them. Jason & Virian wanted to really show us the boat lifestyle so had arranged a 4 day sail for us! So, provisions...... they got sensible stuff, like powedered milk and squash, loacal veg (I couldn't ID it) and loo roll, we bought peanut butter, crackers, apples......and cookies & rum! Gorgeous drive there & back, sort of Hawaiin looking islands with hills, greenery, flowers & palms all over. Palau has a special relationship with the USA - uses dollars, speaks mainly English etc. Seems to be over-organised politician-wise, she said it has about 12 'states' each with a senator etc! We also met Virians' 6 year old son Kemo who is living with his Granny (who had an amazing plant nursery) until they leave for the USA, so she sees as much of him as possible. He's cute, but Pete had thought he was a girl so all the prezzies I brought for him (except a few non-gender ones) were girly pretty things, oops! Virian was telling us that although she and her (7!! - brothers & sisters) were brought up in a modern way, her tribe still carries out many of the traditions (women keep the traditions going).
They all have to do a week-long ceremony the month after having their 1st baby, where they sit in a special hut & have oil & really hot water splashed at them round the clock. She said it was torture, she was tired enough looking after the baby without that, and I think there was some kind of fasting, I forget. Anyway, the father/ his family have to donate stuff (including the ancient ceremonial 'bead' money which is like beads or angular tubes and worn as jewellery) and on the last day she had to appear, oiled and stark naked apart from a few ceremonial flowers,hot and oily in front of practically the entire nation. Not what I'd fancy at all!
Back to the Sherilee, we took down the awning and set off. Pete was 'steering' - as there are 2 rudders, 1 for each hull, it had a pole connecting them accross the back of the deck, so you could either sit on it (it had wood so you could) or against it, or use a tiller in the starboard cockpit. Pete opted for the bum-method and had a beer.
Preparing to sail & Pete's 1st beer on 'our' (nearly!) catamaran, Palau, Micronesia
Originally uploaded by wildcatfin.
Jason is a total expert, been living on and working as a sailor on luxury catamarans for years. (Tales of millionaires installing swimming pools on catamarans - huh??? as well as jacuzzis).
Jason & Virian - from back of port cockpit accross to him steering in starboard cockpit
Originally uploaded by wildcatfin.
He's really a screen printer by trade, and is selling Sherilee so that he, Virian & Kemo can move back to Las Vegas (flat above the warehouse his business is in), work without breaks for a year to raise cash, and then build their dream catamaran in Australia for the next year! He was trying to pass on tips/ tricks/ locations etc to us both but really needs to publish several books, all the other boat people we met said he's the best but its all in his amazing brain!
Looking forward towards Virian on 'our' (nearly!) catamaran, Palau, Micronesia
Originally uploaded by wildcatfin.
We passed a dolphin park where imported dolphins 'meet' public at a price. Apparantly the original idea was to train them to swim round to a resort and charge a fortune for guests there to swim with 'wild' dolphins but the foreign business guy found it didn't work! I spent most of the time chasing the shadow the big main sail left, as even with hat & sunscreen it was scorching. Every now & then we had to tack, or the boys changed the front sails (there was a choice of 2, 1 screamer 1 ???, depending on the wind), but apart from closing the hatches over the beds if it got splashy there was not much to do except watch the clouds/ fish/ sea and chat - was really lovely! Pete had been grinning like a loon from the second we got on the boat and by then I was too! He'd said the night before he was worried that he seemed too shy as he was so excited/ overcome he'd not said a word really but I think they could tell they had sold it to us!
Virian & lighthouse, on 'our' (nearly!) catamaran, Palau, Micronesia
Originally uploaded by wildcatfin.
The sea birds are mainly white with a long sreamer of a tail, elegant; Jason says their fledgelings are forced by hunger out of the nests and flop onto the water, to float for days with black sea-birds pecking their heads, until they get up and fly. The Rock Islands we were sailing through looked so exotic - they are remnants of volcanic activity now topped with sheer-sided lumps of white limestone, covered in greenery and palm trees. The sea undercuts them so they are sort of routed out along the edges, some looking like mushrooms on stalks, or with great arches through them - and against the aqua water, stunning!
Jason had sealed his stereo speakers cleverly into tupperware, with long leads, so we had great music on deck all day too. Funnily most of it was a mix of UK artists who I have/ know, so I was trying to name them so I can burn more CDs for them when I get home.
Passing scenery. Tropical paradise limestone mushroom jungle islands, Rock Islands, Palau, Micronesia
Originally uploaded by wildcatfin.
Just after lunch we reached the first island we were going to stop at. After giggling at Pete & I trying to squidge into the tiny shade of the furled sail/ masts, we put up the awnings.
Cat on 'our' (nearly!) catamaran, Palau, Micronesia - 2nd nights mooring
Originally uploaded by wildcatfin.
Pete & I swam to shore (water hotter than our showers at home, with a few cold currents) and walked along a deserted white beach which had palms and sort of wispy long needled pine trees mixed in with the usual jungly stuff growing right down to the tideline. Some fish were chasing shoals of tiny ones right up onto the beach, if we had had a net that wold have been tea! Then we all got in the dinghy and motored round to an almost enclosed cove with a tiny island in it, called the Milky Way.
Gap enters the 'Milk Way' limestone mushroom jungle islands, Rock Islands, Palau, Micronesia
Originally uploaded by wildcatfin.
Postcard - Rock Islands, Palau - our 1st night sailing we moored where I drew the arrow, top left, our 1st evening, and went swimming in the 'Milky Way' of white mud in the middle.
Originally uploaded by wildcatfin.
It was like being in a volcano - floating on our backs in water so clear the white bottom made it glow neon blue, looking up at mountain/ cliffs forming an almost perfect circle against the sky with huge fruit bats flapping accross the sun! Very Indiana Jones! You can coat yourself in the white mud (from the limestone) that makes the seabed there, its supposed to be great for skin. I wanted to but when we squeezed into the tiny island's mini lagoon it stank and I managed to slice my foot open on the razor-sharp rocks and started bleeding everywhere, so we went back. (Rats). Plus Virian hates bats and was a bit freaked by them. On the short motor back, we went close to the islands edges and the water was so clear you could see all the coral, fish and giant clams lips!
1,300 fish species and 700 coral types, richest reefs in the world, apparently. Oh, and the cleanest air anywhere. Was SO GOOD to see the sky again - forgotten it isn't always grey/ misty clouded/ pollution like in HK! They went off spear fishing on the reef while we 'showered' from a bucket on deck. The port hull has an identical cockpit/ entrance but both sides are small work-surfaces/ storage with all the radio etc equipment above. Then a curtain can be pulled to hide the 'loo' on the right side
Inside the port hull looking past the 'loo' towards the 'double' (purple) berth
Originally uploaded by wildcatfin.
- a tiny seat (sunk between the end of the right side storage cabinets and a tiny sink) I could only just get my butt onto, with a very erratic pumping system.
Then a tiny sink; opposite that is a rack and the idea is a shower hose can be foot pumped from the sink so the whole area gets wet - bit like my hated loo in HK really - but they never use it, preferring on deck or the dive bars showers. (We should be the same, with Petes club next door!) Then a small storage/ shelf area ending in the bed like ours. Both hulls have a stern space you get into by removing the ladder and crawling under it - quite a long space but better used as stores than single berths! We sat and watched an amazing sunset, then Virian cooked us a lovely local meal and we made rum cocktails until we ran out of pineapple juice.
Pete helping Jason & Virian unload the dinghy after fishing, on 'our' (nearly!) catamaran, Palau, Micronesia. Jason's making betel nut chews
Originally uploaded by wildcatfin.
The guys played guitar & Virian sang - she is an accountant for Continental Airways, but is also the top-selling singer in the islands, and she really is good!
Pete, Sunset , island hills, Clouds, sea & sky, Rock Islands, , Palau, Micronesia
Originally uploaded by wildcatfin.
Tuesday we were woken by a small shower in the night which meant losing the nice breeze as we shut the hatch, but still got up early as the sun & heat are roasting before 8 am. Pete made porridge which was lovely (not what I would have thought I'd like in heat!) but Vriran tried a mouthful from the pot and hated it - hope it was just as it had no sugar! We sailed to the islands containing a lake they said we should see, being passed by several dive speed-boats and seeing all the tours stop at one particular beach to swim. Why, I wonder, crowds when you have all these amazing deserted places??? Pete got a bit energetic (all that surpressed excitement I think), and wearing the fetching flowery hat I had, decided to try to climb the rigging which scared the pants off me. There are footholds but no safety ropes.
Pete scaling rigging, catamaran in Rock Islands, Palau, Micronesia
Originally uploaded by wildcatfin.
Still not satisified he then explored the cooling off/ surfing possiblities in the dinghy which gets towed behind (with its heavy outboard engine stowed in one of the cockpits) during short passages. Which was fun until he tried to pull the boat back in - Jason in fits of giggles wouldn't let me help, so Pete was knackered!
Pete trying to cool off/ surf between islands in the catamaran's tender, Rock Islands, Palau, Micronesia
Originally uploaded by wildcatfin.
As I said, it felt like we shouldn't be living like this, it should be costing a fortune and only flim-stars or someone would have this lifestyle...I'm definitely being converted to the live-aboard way of life! It is affordable; 2 solar panels on the back of each hull and a (Rutland! we looked at them for our eco-house) wind generator give enough to the batteries to run lights, music, fans and even the top-notch water-maker; would hopefully cope with my laptop or a small fridge too.
Water they collect mainly from rain (each side of the tent has a sort of valve that can have a hose attached to it and be arranged to collect rain - fills tanks quickly) but I don't think we'll risk that in HK. Pete was coming down with a cold so spent the morning mainly snoozing on the 'trampoline' bits of the decks (1 either side if the strip of wood deck that leads to the front) which seems to be another good idea!
Pete getting a cold so snoozing on catamaran deck. Rock Islands, Palau, Micronesia
Originally uploaded by wildcatfin.
Virian had one of her Cds on (great!) and gave me one which I'm looking forward to hearing at home, but today as the water looked quite shallow in patches and it wasn't an area Jason knew as well, we were stood on the bows with polarised sunglasses trying to spot shallow patches & coral heads to steer the boat through the sort of 'valley' of islands. Reminded me of the 100 Island cabin place In Canada Uncle Dougie took us too - with extra bright fish and corals though! We all cooled off in the sea under the boat (nice shade & you can hang on to struts under the deck when you are tired) while Pete planned where he would add bits to store his rigged-up windsurf kit between the hulls!
I swam over to the small dock where the dive boats were, and waited for Pete to be dropped off by Virian with our gear. It was weird, the minute he landed one of the (Japanese?) tour boats sort of grabbed him and were all wanting photos posed with him....was it the blonde hair, the tan, or did they think he was a millionaire coming off that boat??? Anyway, we climbed a steep, slippery jagged path through the foresty jungle, and the scarier descent on the other side - I was hanging onto the rope for all it was worth, the rocks were so sharp! It ended on a tiny wood platform surrounded by trees, opening onto a lake. We got our snorkels on and dropped into shaded water full of 'pyjama cardinal fish' sort of big angular striped goldfish, who were quite indignant at us being in their territory and nibbled up or legs if we held onto the dock at their particular patch! We then started swimming off, bit freaky as the water was cloudy with rays of sun lancing though, and quickly got so deep you couldn't see the bottom. Then out of the gloom came a tiny orange dot, a 1p sized jellyfish flapping along.
Then a minute later, 3 of up to muffin sizes.
Then we really hit them - all sizes up to dinner plate, all directions, swimming in all angles...... Jellyfish Lake.
I remember a BBC show on it (probably Life on Earth/ Attenborough); it got cut off from the sea milions of years ago, and not needing to hunt for food, the jellyfish lost their stings and instead have algae growing inside them, so they chase the sun.
As 1 guy said, it was like swimming through breast implants.... quite a nice smooth jelly sensation, like when I used to wrap myself in big kelps when I got cold teaching snorkelling in Dorset, but a bit disconcerting as its hard to believe they can't sting - and I was worried I'd hurt one or get it stuck down my cleavage or something.
We had a 'break', cruising the edge where they don't go as it's not sunny enough, looking at huge sunken trees now coated in odd sea anemones, then went to look at the 'Wall'. Thats where the shadow from the surrounding mountain slices through the water, and all the jellyfish just stop to stay in the sunlight, so there's a pulsating moving wall of them! (all these photos aren't mine, I blogged them from other Flikr members as I don't have a waterproof camera). They were so thick it was hard to see any water, major snow-globe/ blizzard time, got a bit too much, had to swim for clearer water.
We then left as we'd been in there for several hours and dusk was coming - had jelly legs hauling up and down the hill! Made it back to the Sherilee as rain started, so we showered (with 'Joy' washing up liquid as Virian said it was best at getting salt out of hair) in the warm rain then dried off under the tent while Jason cooked. AMAZING sunset, but we were intrigued by something (or 2 things) making tracks over the glass-calm water.
Catamaran in rain with Pete under the 'tent', near Jellyfish Lake, Palau, Micronesia
Originally uploaded by wildcatfin.
Cat showering on Catamaran in rain taken from under 'tent', near Jellyfish Lake, Palau, Micronesia
Originally uploaded by wildcatfin.
Pete fishing, before we spotted the shark, with nice symmetrical mozzie bites showing on his bum cleavage; Jellyfish Lake, Palau, Micronesia
Originally uploaded by wildcatfin.
I saw 1 as we showered which we think was a turtle up for air; it repeated that; but there was also a shark (blacktip Virian said) cruising all around us - put me off swimming again!
Virian exploring. Sunset , Clouds, sea & sky, Jellyfish Lake, Palau, Micronesia
Originally uploaded by wildcatfin.
I had expected it to be buggy as we moored in such a sheltered enclosed spot, and we got innundated by 1000s of off little beetles who were annoying - and then munched at night by mozzies, doh! Pete managed to start getting a cold so was snuffly too, great, how could he manage that??
Odd bugs that invaded catamaran cockpits at night, near Jellyfish Lake, Palau, Micronesia
Originally uploaded by wildcatfin.
Wednesday we sailed to Oolang Beach - I kept finding those brown bugs who mobbed us last night - some had hidden in shaded places and were miffed when we put up sails/ tent etc and shook them out of their hides. Hope they all get left in Palau and don't become illegal immigrants to HK!
Yup ain't nobody out here but us fishes & clouds, sea & sky, Palau. Bit of a change from Hong Kong but can you spot the differences????
Originally uploaded by wildcatfin.
It actually had a mini camp set up there with loos, as it is where they filmed 'Survivor, Palau', one of the first of those TV endurance shows. Civilisation! There was a german family camping there who had been kayaking round the islands for several weeks; the loos were being repainted by a bunch of rangers most of whom were related to Virian. She and Jason were very happy as they had run out of betel nut AND ciggies and managed to trade for some! I was feeling knackered so stretched out in the shade on deck and read, while they took Pete off spear-fishing on the reef. Apparantly halfway there they noticed they hadn't refilled the outboard's fuel so stopped where they were. Pete made them a bit jumpy (Virian was scared whenever he fired the spear) but did it all right - when she borrowed his gun to get a fish she couldn't get it to work as he'd put on the safety catch like he was supposed to! Pete says Virian is amazing, free-diving down and battling with an octopus that kept pulling out her knife whenever she tried to stab it. She also speared the most gorgeous freaky looking lobster
Lobster ranbow - aka tea if I can get it in the pot! Rock Islands, Palau, Micronesia
Originally uploaded by wildcatfin.
- it was too pretty to cook (and my 1st ever go at cooking lobster!) Pete says it was instant karma as about then we both started feeling our sunburn.
Lobster face rainbow - aka tea if I can get it in the pot! Rock Islands, Palau, Micronesia
Originally uploaded by wildcatfin.
We also struggled with the odd noodles we brought as the instructions were all in Japanese - 700g and 6-7 being the only understandable bits! Still, managed passable additions to the yummy fish (big one was called 'sweet lips'). Lowering a light bar over the water to try and see what was splashing about, we found some amazing neon blue fish grabbing the 1000's of wriggly things that swarmed to the light along the surface - no idea what they were, insecty rather than fish. A big live-aboard dive boat moored nearby, obviously never using its sails as the entire rigging was lit up with fairy lights like a Christmas tree. Its boats were taking guests all over night diving until late. Jason & Vrian had a tent on shore that night, with a blazing fire; Pete sent some time asleep on deck as he was snuffling lots - there is a big airbed to put up there but I found the wind generator too noisey, and then a squall blew in.
So we were up and had the awnings down before 7 am on Thursday, and set off early when the others arrived, to get back to Koror. VERY wet & windy (looked like Loch Lomond sometimes!) but I was happy as I still didn't get sick! The others were cold enough to try big bowls of porridge too. I read the book that Sherilee was named after - means 'burden or baggage' in aboriginal australian! Depressing story about a drifter in the outback and his unwanted kid until he realises how he loves her when she nearly dies - very John Steinbeck.
Virians mates cool Palau tribal tattoo - dolphin, shark & turtle make up a manta ray! Sam's Diving & bar, Koror, Palau, Micronesia
Originally uploaded by wildcatfin.
Back at Sams we ate & showered, and Pete met a nice Japanese guy with a little boat he is too scared to cross to the Phillipines in. Sounds like he will crew with Pete on Sherilee form Palau to there, for the experience. Even better, a very experienced american couple (husband looks like a pirate, Ann the lovely wife has a pet cockatoo which goes everywhere with them in a rucksack cage - found half drowned after a storm in Palau - called invasive species so are hunted/ killed here) will be making the passage around then too.
Rocky the bird learning to say 'dude' and give high 5's. Sam's Diving & bar, Koror, Palau, Micronesia
Originally uploaded by wildcatfin.
They are taking over the teenage daughter of a single mum from another boat, to teach her how; then the husband is flying back and teaching the mum on her own boat as they sail over - so hopefully Pete will have company of some sort! Then Pete & I lounged on the boat until the others came back went to bed; after nipping in for dinner at the bar we tried to sleep (despite sunburns!) too. I was paranoid I'd sleep through the alram, so kept waking - then couldn't find the light to switch off the beeper which must have been waking ALL the ships when it did go off at 3 am! Less said about the trip back the better; knackered, burnt, stuck in horrible hot Manila from 9am with really uncomfortable stares form the locals when we attempted to visit the main park. Which had crews jack-hammering up the paving and tinned Xmas music blasting against it, ick. Another scary ride to the main airport to find NO facilities for waiting/ food until they let us (finally) into the airport at 4 pm then our plane left at 7 pm. Missed last ferry to our village so got last ferry to Sok Kwu Wan and walked in freezing (well, 10 degrees after 30+ in Palau made it feel that way!) back home after midnight!
So - go to Palau! Its a pig to get to but worth it. Most gorgeous place I have ever seen - hope we will go back with the boat at some point, was amazing.................and I am now up for the kids/ travelling round by catamaran idea!
