Palau my Bali Ha’I
March 2, 2007
Most people live on a lonely island, Lost in the middle of a foggy sea.
From the song from South Pacific about Bali Ha’I the words echo all about the enchantment of the sea and the call of a paradise lost in the mists of the ocean. This is probably the dreamiest of all fantasies that has ever plagued modern man. In the Micronesian chain of islands lies what may well be the dream of living in this lonely island. Far from the typhoon belt where the balmy breezes of the tropics blow, we first visit Palau, in the West Carolinas islands, 1 and a half hours away by plane from Davao city, to find out what dreams it offers, what lonely walks we will take to find paradise.
The route to Palau that we’ve taken is via Asian Spirit originating from Manila. Courtesy of the British Aerospace BAE 146-200, it’s the most compact of all jets traversing the ASEAN route. Also called the whisper jet because of the reduced noise levels whilst onboard. We noticed that when we boarded and were shuffled right into the middle of the aircraft with a great view of the engine mounted on a high wing above the fuselage. The beauty of this jet is that needs barely 500 meters to take off or land so this aircraft is so popular in short city to city trips typical of the travel to and from Palau. You can hop on in Manila or even in Davao city where the recently opened Davao International Airport certainly meets world class standards. We found the Immigration and Customs counters at Davao less harried and daunting than Manila’s so it might be a good idea to try it out. Catch any of Asian spirit’s flights on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays and return back next day at 0530.
Kadoi Ruluked of the Palau Visitors Authority tells us of the Babadoab or the big island which is where the airport is leading into Koror and we learn that Palau is filled with day and night life that will offer activity for any persuasion. The attraction however, is the islands in all their natural glory. As with any city, there is a beehive of community life, basketball and baseball being the primary diversions of this island’s life.
The Palau Pacific sits on the Western shore of the Arakabesang island in Koror and is reputed to have one of the best sunsets on the island. Its 160 guest rooms offer both Ocean and Garden views and includes all the amenities you can expect from a first rate 5 star hotel. Its collection of suites allow families and couples or individuals to enjoy a vast expanse of space in a tropical inspired décor with a full kitchenette allowing food preparation for the long staying guests. The interiors are decked with along the walls with wallpaper inspired by Palauan décor reminiscent of the storyboards which are the typical handicraft here of scenes from daily life of fishing, boats, all manner of fish and tropical isles with palm trees waving in the breeze.
Bali Ha’i will whisper, In the wind of the sea . .
I awake the next morning to rustling bushes just outside our veranda and as I look out a couple of dogs, native variety are playing just outside in the manicured lawn under the coconut trees. It’s a crisp quiet morning in Palau, the gentle surf lapping up against the rocks. Off in the distance the boat pier has a 30 foot yacht sitting quietly as what appears to be a crew is loading crates of consumables onboard. The garden is clean and green and the breezes balmy. In the room, complimentary coffee is brewing in the bar and we get ready for our first full day in Palau.
If you try, you’ll find me Where the sky meets the sea.
Chef Kamoshida started out as a kitchen hand in one of the smaller restaurants in Japan, peeling onions and potatoes because of a specific need to be in and around the kitchen. He fondly recalls the blooming of the cherry blossoms as a special time during his stint at the world famous Hotel Okura until he opened his own restaurant, the Courtyard where he first let his French leanings take over. This is apparent in the sauces that are laid out with each buffet spread at the coconut terrace. The creamy reductions used for the fish, as well as the profusion of breads, croissants that accompany each spread. Soon after he was part of the pre opening of the Westin in Tokyo before finding himself in the catering operation for the Narita International. This will be his first time at a Pan Pacific property and he finds it one of the most satisfying of his stints what with the location and the relaxation and pace of life that is the custom in this part of the world.
"Here am I, your special island! Come to me, come to me!"
Another day in paradise greets us with an overcast sky, low clouds hanging overhead but the ocean clear as ever, with fish swimming in and around the pier as we make our way to our transport, a 15 foot fiberglass boat, quite unlike the banca common to Philippine waters. Our captain, a Cebuano, JR outfitted in a crimson red Dive Palau shirt, blonde streak hair welcomes us aboard. As we shove off, it isn’t a “put-put-put” motor but instead a Suzuki 250 cc outboard that roars to life and quickly picks up speed as head straight out into the open water, the many little coves whizzing by. The ocean air is cool and brisk as the speedboat cuts across the waves undulating with a steady flup flup. We enter an inlet that winds through some smaller islands and opens up into a small bay where a floating dock filled with other speedboats sits off in a distance. As we approach a large sign announcing Sam’s Tours is the indication that we have arrived at our jump off point to visit the number one attraction of Palau, the Rock Islands.
The mandatory snorkeling booties, mask and snorkel are issued off to one side of the facility where a mini warehouse is managed by Ramil (another Filipino) who give us just the right size equipment. The few early birds at the Bottom Time Bar and Grill wave us a quick bye-bye, as if knowing where we’re going and we just do a quick wave as we head to the floating dock onto our boat, a much bigger 20 footer where there awaits our captain JR and our tour guide Jason, native to North Yap, specifically Unithy island where he says there are a total of 30 inhabitants, Therese and Chris, band members of The Avatars out of Detroit, Trevor, an intrepid sailor (he literally sailed into Palau on his yacht) and Liz, petite Intel marketing associate from Mexico. This motley crew of travelers makes up our group and Jason, having established himself as pretty outgoing for a small islander keeps us thrilled as we leave the dock and head out to where the ocean meets the sea. You can’t miss it because the color of the water is different, this is where the emerald green sea meets the dark blue hue of the Pacific Ocean. The waves come in hard and fast as the boat bounces up and suddenly slams hard but the boat just keeps pace with the current as we head towards our first destination, the Milky Way.
If you try, you’ll find me, Where the sky meets the sea.
The Milky Way cove is tucked away in between a series of islands that shelter it from the outside. As we enter that cove, it’s clearly a hidden refuge concealed between high walls and sheer cliffs. The walls themselves have barely any vegetation and the sea bottom is an even white just clouded over by the clear emerald green sea. I can hear it as clearly as if it just happened yesterday, Jason says “OK everybody, dis our fuhst stop. Milky Way! I go down bring some mud up . . .” and he’s overboard. Before any of us have a chance to don our gear he’s back up with a handful of what appears to be a smooth paste almost white, but not quite, that feels smooth to the touch. Volcanic activity and the rain weathered the limestone at the top of these islands which slowly trickled down onto the sea bottom. The emerald green clarity of the water tends to deceive the 7 to 8 foot depth and as we jump off we’re told we don’t need our masks as there really is nothing but a vast expanse of white to see. We dutifully smear the paste all over our bodies as it cools us down and slowly we cover ourselves from head to foot in this mud. Although it has not been scientifically proven, we hear that the mud cleans out the skin and gives the islanders their smooth complexion.
Next stop our first coral garden snorkel. About ten minutes from the Milky Way is a Lily’s coral garden tucked between two lager islands where the current is relatively strong. They caution us to drop off in one area and the boat will meet us on the other side. This is where the water is a deep cobalt blue belying the seeming shallowness because of the clarity of the waters. We dive off into a garden of stag horn coral, so named because of how the growth is like deer antlers in shades of blue, brown, and bright green in some spots. The current is in fact strong, but we get our first taste of the profusion of animal life in these Pacific isles. The profusion of damsels living in and among the corals is breathtaking and soon enough we have to get off as the current drives us toward the deeper end of this abyss, which really is a primary cliff dive spot, and if I heard it right, discovered by Malahi, a veteran tour guide of the islands.
All this time, the overcast skies remain as they are, allowing just enough sunlight to come through, we putter along at a comfortable pace, the twin Yamaha outboards barely exerting effort as we arrive at Clam City. It is a privately owned island where clams literally litter the entire area surrounding the shore and deeper as we dive off into the deep blue. The clams synthesize sunlight through minute pores in their meaty innards, and as you pass over them casting a shadow, they shut, just a shudder at first and then often completely. The metallic hues of brown, blue and green are algae growing in their tissues that help synthesize the sun’s energy. Likewise a filter feeder, this clam also provides sustenance as a food item in some restaurants although frowned upon by many Palauans and conservationists.
All along the trip on the way to the famed Jellyfish Lake we pass various other sites like Yahoo island, so named because of an ad for Yahoo shot there, then there’s the as yet unnamed arch island, until we finally have our lunch at Ngermaus Island. It’s just a packed lunch but a welcome respite from the all morning boat ride. As we find that the sandy bottom is a pre cursor to a slow steady incline towards the deeper part of this reef where shark spotting is the pastime. We sit on the beach and make our way towards the deeper part of the reef. On either side are coral formations that shelter the sandy beachfront. Off in a distance you see first just silhouettes of what appear to be streamlined fish darting in and about until you notice the telltale signs of black tips on their tails and caudal fins. The sharks are here! In spite of the closeness of the shoreline, our hearts leap into our throats as one swims head-on towards you and swiftly darts back into the deep. Fearing that we may become fodder for the predators we climb back aboard the boat as his is not what we came here for. JR and Jayson both tell us that they know of only one incident of shark attack in Palau, as the sharks that come into the reefs here are well fed and rarely enter this area to feed. Palau is where the schools of hammerhead were first seen and continue to visit occasionally to breed or to hang out, but certainly not to feed.
After lunch we head straight into Mercherchar Island (mer – kar – kar or something close to that) into the largest and the only visited landlocked saltwater lake locally known as the Ongeim’l Tketau or Jellyfish Lake, one of over 70 inland lakes but the only one where tourists are allowed to explore. For thousands of years, the jellyfish trapped within these lakes have had no natural enemies with the exception of predatory anemones that prey on the hapless ones that come close to the shoreline along the mangroves or deep enough into their waiting arms. They thrive on the micro algae that grow within their soft tissues and consequently, the stinging nematocysts, normally associated with jellyfish have all but disappeared. Enough of the small talk though, as we approach the island lake, a wooden pier is the only indication that this attraction exists. We climb up a steep incline on limestone steps that are certainly not man made but have through the years have evolved in to a path that visitors follows. There are sharp outcrops of limestone rocks that could easily hurt you as they are jagged but with a little care, we have become witness to this unbelievable site, first discovered in 1982 and subsequently opened to the public in 1985. Incredulous as it may seem, when we descend on the dock, and swim towards the center of the lake, there are at first, just a handful of dime and quarter size jellyfish, glowing pink in the backdrop of the green hued lake. As it turns out, it is to our good fortune that we came to visit on an overcast for as the sun peeks from out of the clouds, a sudden outburst and profusion of jellyfish life assaults us. The instinctive reaction is to evade but with the multitudes just floating up towards the surface, undulating as if they were in some trance like dance, there’s no avoiding them and we touch them stiff as hard Jell-O but still pulsing. We feel more like space walkers rather than snorkels. The first instinct is to evade but in the midst of millions, there’s just no avoiding them and one just gets immersed into their world. They come up from the bottom where there is no oxygen and the hydrogen sulfides settle in the lake settle. As the sun traverses the sky, they follow it pulsing and turning themselves evenly to let the algae grow evenly. The only colors you see are those of the algae growing in their soft tissues. The surreal sight can’t be described in words that would do with any justice. Although Palau is widely known as the only site with this kind of wildlife, there is news of one such lake in Kakaban Indonesia which has yet to be confirmed. The proof in the surreal nature of this lake is hard to put into words. YouTube would have some confirmation of just how bizarre Jellyfish lake is.
The afternoon extends as we make one last stop at Cemetery Reef where dramatic shoals of yellow tailed fusilier are about as hand tame as they can get. Congregating towards the first boat that comes along, JR and Jason take turn throwing out the bits of meat and fish we left behind at our lunch and the fish emerge from the depths. Cemetery reef is so named because of the growth of the coral which seem to form tombstones when viewed at a certain angle. It is reputed to be a major congregation area for spawning of different fish varieties from grouper to snapper to others. The Napoleon Wrasse must be one of the bigger residents of this area and we have one threatening to swim right into the school of Yellowtails and she cuts a path that the smaller fish give way to. This particular Napoleon wrasse tips in at least a meter across and about half a meter tall, with its menacing beak is truly regal in its stature. A large Hawaiian triggerfish or as it is known in Hawaii, the humuhumu-nukunuku-a-pua‘a said as it is spelled is the only one that bothered to take a big bite out of a chicken bone, and we could see clearly the bone crushing jaws at work. A trigger would normally be able to turn a sea urchin on its back exposing its soft center which it pecks with a single blow breaking the urchin’s protective shell so it can have its fill.
Someday you’ll see me floating’ in the sunshine, My head sticking’ out of a low lying cloud,
So come, visit and see Palau, thrice weekly connections from Manila and Davao via Asian Spirit.
