|
Palau is like an underwater Safari, complete with Lion(fish), Tiger(fish)
Zebra(fish) and fish that look like Elephants, except for the long trunks,
huge ears, and big, flat feet... come to think of it, none of the fish
looked like elephants. But the diversity of underwater sealife is so
abundant, you can find more species in the ocean than in a college
fraternity's kitchen sink.
Situated near Indonesia, just seven degrees north of the equator in the
Pacific Ocean, the country is composed of thousands of islands.
I spent two weeks in this Pacific Paradise with
Wilderness Travel,
kayaking around the scenic Rock Islands, where hundreds of luxuriant
limestone islands jut straight up from aquamarine seas like a
jack-in-the-box on Christmas morning. (Except that they don't actually
move when they jut.) (The islands, that is.)
|
|
I don't scuba dive, but I can snorkel with the best of them... at least,
the best of the other tourists... and swimming in these protected waters,
exploring Palau's unique marine lakes, mangrove forests, sea grass beds,
and coral gardens, provided for excellent photography, not to mention
an ample supply of seafood.
|
|
Yes, Palau is very much like Fantasy Island, the extremely campy TV series
from the 1970s. This made for ample opportunity to yell out at the sky,
"Da Plane! Da Plane!", and not be laughed at. Yet, hidden among the
gorgeous, pristine beaches lies a history that will never be forgotten:
the Pacific theater of World War II. Palau was where American Marines
fought tirelessly for over 30 days to take control of the islands from
the Japanese, at which point, many experts believe, the beginning of the
turning point for the war took place. As a consequence, numerous American
and Japanese war artifacts are scattered everywhere, along with monuments.
|
|
|
|
