Back After Six Months

It's Been Six Months 

Since the Last Blog 

Last February Linda and I celebrated our anniversary in Yo-semite. I was strung-out on chemo and looking at three more months of treatments. 

 Anchored in the Rock Islands

Today, we have returned to Koror, Palau and live aboard our sailboat, Creola. An appropriately busy style of life has returned: a combination of boat chores, cruiser socials, reading and writing, photography, scuba diving, and exploration.

Sam's Tours Headquarters

The Royal Belau Yacht Club is our hub; home to Sam's Tours. From this dock we load all we need to explore the Rock Islands, Ulong, German Channel and Peleliu. Their friendly watering hole, the Bottom Time  Bar and Grill is the site of many impromptu gatherings of cruisers.

Linda Ready to Go Deep at Ulong

Palau is one of the world's foremost diving locations. The barrier reef supports miles of healthy coral communities, attracts pelagic fish and reef fish and supports niches for macro-critters like nudibranchs. Divers come from around the globe to visit Palau.

Tear-Drop Butterflyfish

Typical reef fish include the butterflyfishes. At Cemetery Reef in the Rock Islands, we have identified and photographed close to 100 species of reef fish, including the huge Napoleon Wrasse, which we feed hard-boiled eggs.

Underwater Japanese Zero

The horrors of World War II were felt deeply throughout Palau. This Zero is preserved in about three feet of water and several others are easily explored. One still has an active bomb. Peleliu, an island in the Palau group, was site of one of the most prolonged and deadly battles in the south pacific. The HBO series, Pacific, highlights this battle.

Logo of a Demining Company

Bombs, hand grenades, anti-personnel mines, mortars, bullets of different calibre litter much of the landscape of Peleliu. The Palauan government, with the help of international donations, has begun the process of removing the ordinance. My mother always told me to "pick up after yourself." This does not appear to apply to countries and war. 

Don't believe it? Check this out!

Bill with "dud" bomb

This "dud" is laying in the jungle along Bloody Nose Ridge.

In our next blog from Palau we will describe the   exploration of the Japanese defensive cave system in Peleliu, scorpion spiders, Shinto shrines and memorials. It won't be six months from now. Stay tuned.