Dear Family and friends,

Above you see a small photo representation of pristine Palau.  This very tropical island is beautiful on land and under the sea. The first two photos of the large reef sharks where the one to the left is being cleaned in a cleaning station by very brave small cleaner fish that even go inside the shark’s open mouth, and the right photo is of a black tipped reef shark resting or “sleeping”. Next the left photo taken at the famous Blue Corner dive site is of a large school of Jack fish and the photo to the left is Jim snorkeling next to a non-stinging jelly fish in a secluded lake in the rock islands. Below these photos, are a shot of a large clam and a very large anemone complete with clown fish.  The clams here on Palau get huge and some are over 100 years old. Next photo is of our kayak trip where we enjoyed paddling and snorkeling around the Rock Islands. We even paddled into a large cave to listen to the bats. Moving down the photos, you will see a turtle on the left and a school of barracuda on the right. Below the turtle is a very large table coral.  Since the Rock Islands are a UNESCO World Heritage site, the islands provide habitats for birds and the waters have such healthy coral and fish populations. The photo below the table coral is of some of the islands with the beautiful crystal clear blue water. Moving down the photos is what our dive master called  a fish condominium. Huge cabbage coral provide nesting grounds for several species of fish.  Jim is standing in the 86 degree F water on Two Dog Island, where we stopped on an empty beach for lunch. It was so beautiful it was  almost surreal.  Next to Jim is the Capitol complex which is located on the northern island.  Compared to the rest of the buildings on the island, this capitol didn’t fit. Plus we drove right up to it and around the buildings without being stopped or questioned. Imagine doing that at the US White House? Then the final 4 photos are more shots of the Rock Islands and the lovely sunsets we enjoyed from our hotel balcony.

Palau also has very friendly people.  The Islands are sparcely populated with only 20,000 people.  There are over 750 islands in the chain and the only “big" small city is Koror. McDonald’s and Starbucks are not here but instead the island still has a lot of local flavor.  We did have excellent Thai food and Japanese food and a very different Tuna melt with a fresh tuna steak instead of canned tuna.  All in all we enjoyed our stay on Palau. Consider adding this lovely destination to your travel lists. We know you will not be disappointed.

Our next destination is the island of Truk, today called Chuuk, pronounced “Chook”, in the Federation of Micronesia, the same country of islands where you will also find  the island of Yap, and of course many more.

Until our next post, remember to be good to yourselves.

Cheers,

Susan and Jim