Category: Micronesia

Palau

~ Viva ~ 1 Comment

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You want pristine waters, rich WWII history and the most amazing underwater rock walls you have ever seen? Yup, Palau has it all. Not only that, but it is also working to preserve its natural resources at a refreshing (but expensive) rate.

There are many options for exploring this gorgeous island. From kayaking in the rock islands to a walking WWII  tour of the Battle of Paleliu, snorkeling in Jelly Fish lake and of course, world class diving. Unlike some of the neighboring Micronesian islands, Palau is absolutely for the outdoor adventurer, not just the diver.

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Pictured: Kayaking in the rock islands where you can easily hop off snorkel among  beautiful coral and then hop back in for some more

GETTING THERE

As with most of Micronesia, it is not easily accessible from the mainland US. Your central hubs are from Manila ($400 roundtrip, ~3 hours), Guam ($1000, 2hrs), Taipei ($400, 4hrs) and Seoul ($600, 5hrs). I flew direct from Guam while living there and did a tour package through my local dive shop (MDA). If you have time, I would recommend stopping off in Guam to get over jetlag then going through either MDA or AXE MURDERS  – the two big dive shops on the island. Though, this is certainly not the cheapest route airfare-wise.

WHERE TO STAY

Palau has 340 islands in its stretch of the Carolina island chain; most major hotels, restaurants and dive companies operate out of the capital, Koror (also the airport) .

We stayed at Palau Central Hotel. Not a bad location or price (about a 15 min drive to the dive shop), though under construction while were there. Unlike Chuuk which is limited to 3 hotels on the island, Palau has plenty of options from high class resorts to inexpensive B&Bs (see here for good overview).

Liveaboards are also a great option to pack in as many dives as possible. Most avid divers coming out of Guam did Palau twice while living there, once on land and a second time on a liveaboard.

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Most divers can tell you when they decided they really got this diving thing. For me, I had a moment on the 200+ foot Peleliu Wall looking out at the expanse of coral, marine life and sheer calm when I just thought – wow. Walls are my thing.

Whether you choose to do a liveaboard or stay on the island, 4 days is the minimum you want to spend here. On your fly days, Kayaking the Rock islands and snorkeling Jellyfish lake are both musts. We chose to go over Thanksgiving weekend and even had an epic Thanksgiving meal right on the water with our fellow dive crew. Our specific itinerary we followed is here. Though there are many dive companies on the island, we had a great time with Fish’n Fins

A NOTE ON PERMITS AND FEES

Palau is pretty pricey to get to and dive. Beware that you also will have a number of permit fees to pay for entrance to their top spots.

Required for all persons ages 6 & up. Valid for 10 days.

  • Koror State permit w/ access to Jellyfish Lake – $100
  • Koror State Permit, no JFL – $50.00. Add JFL later: $75
  • Peleliu Diving permit: $30
  • Other Peleliu water use: $15
  • Land tour permit: $10

LANDSIDE – Peleliu

Many Americans forget that we fought a war on two fronts in WWII, one in Europe and one in the Pacific (see how this plays into the history of Guam and Chuuk). Japanese forces spread out over the Pacific islands making much of these tropical paradise’s prime targets for US-Japanese battles. What should have been a 4 day take over of the small island of Peleliu took over two months in a costly battle for both sides.

One of the key books written on this battle is With the Old Breed: Peleliu and Okinawa by Eugene Sledge, a later University professor and marine with the 1st Marine Division in WWII. We took a walking tour of the island and hit the Peleliu Wall dive site in one epic day. Tours and dives are easily arranged through your dive shop (Fish’n Fins).

Funny how things go — My husband, an avid WWII buff, had read the book years prior to us even meeting. The most memorable part about getting a walking tour on the island of Peleliu? Him going “If you had told me I would one day be on the island of Peleliu 5 years ago, I would have never believed it.”

I couldn’t believe it either. Happy exploring!

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Chuuk (Truk Lagoon), FSM

~ Viva ~ 2 Comments

If you talk to any avid wreck diver they will tell you Chuuk (Truk) is the place you want to go. Why? Because it has over 60 sunken ships from WWII. It is literally the mecca of wreck diving.

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Many Americans forget that we fought a war on two fronts in WWII, one in Europe and one in the Pacific (see how this plays into the history of Guam here). Chuuk Lagoon was one of the primary  hubs for the Japanese Imperial Navy to move resources from Japan to its bases in their ‘southern pacific mandate’ – islands that had been given to Japan post-WWI.

The US sought to crush this hub in a fierce campaign under OPERATION HAILSTONE, Feb 17-18 1944. While the Japanese had started to move its major battle ships to other harbors in the Pacific, the attack still devastated the imperial navy. Hitting over 60 sea vessels, 250 aircraft and killing over 4,500 people, this ‘underwater graveyard’ makes for an eerie playground including fully intact tanks still strapped to their cargo ships, jeeps, bombs – and – old bones with marked underwater grave sites.

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GETTING THERE

Prized diving spots are not often easy to get to and Chuuk is no exception.

The easiest way to get to Chuuk is via a straight flight from Guam via United – just under 2 hours and about $300 roundtrip.

From Hawaii, you can either fly directly to Guam or take the island hopper which is nearly the only lifeline to much of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). Chuuk is the 5th stop on this 6 stop route which will cost you around $1K to take and is worth exploring. If able to set foot in Papa New Guinea, direct flights can also be found to Weno, the main island in the Chuuk atoll.

WHERE TO STAY AND WHAT TO DO

First things first, if you are not a diver, do not make the journey to Chuuk. Above water, the island is a stark reality of what much of Micronesia looks like – poverty stricken, little to no industry and remote. Honestly, I did not know what a ‘remote island’ felt like until I explored this region of the world (see Operation Christmas Drop for a better understanding).

There are literally only two places worth staying: Blue Lagoon Resort and Truk Stop Hotel. I would not recommend staying elsewhere; your hotel standards may be severely short of what you would normally expect. Additionally, both these locations cater to divers and have dive shops connected to them.

Liveaboards are also well worth your money here since you are not missing much on the islands themselves, although nearly all diving spots are easily accessible via shore.

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Unfortunately, due to a lack of industry on the island, much of the population struggle with drug use and alcoholism.  As such, petty crime is a problem and leaving the resort area is not advisable at night. Take my word for it on this; one morning, I decided I would not be trapped in the confines of the resorts and went for a run. You would have thought I was a martian running around — on my way out, folks simply gave me long looks, but the time I turned around to head back it looked like the town was out to watch a parade. Also note, shorts are not a thing outside the confines of diving and the resort. Think developing country conservative clothing; long skirts (for women) with shoulders and chest covered.

BUT REALLY, LETS TALK ABOUT DIVING

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As with any place worth going, the 4 days I spent there was not enough. If you fly from halfway across the world then a week liveaboard is the minimum amount of time you want to spend here. I was an easy hop over on a 4 day weekend while living in Guam; enough to see the ‘big wrecks’ but probably not enough for the tech diver that flew over 20+ hours to get there.

My trip was organized through my local dive shop (MDA) on Guam. If you have time, I would recommend going through either MDA or AXE MURDERS  – the two big dive shops on the island. Both make trips out regularly to the neighboring islands and offer reasonable packages. It is worth stopping a few days in Guam to get over jet-lag before continuing on.

Safety Note: Make no mistake the local dive masters on Chuuk know these wrecks inside and out, but make sure you are comfortable with your level of diving before attempting. This trip held one of the most lax diving, and really no-where-near PADI safety standards. We had two Vietnam vets on our boat who were newly open water certified – not that the dive shop bothered to ask for our dive certs. One of these two 65+ gentlemen (mad respect for them but) ran out of air on his second dive and ended up shooting to the top with no safety stop. Our ‘guide’ provided zero pre-dive safety,  history or orientation brief. I am also not certain on his level of English. Watch your safety standards when diving here and step-up to lead the group through these if needed (which is what we ended up doing).

TOP WRECKS (we dived these and more)

1.Fujikawa Maru – “The Fujikawa Maru is often referred to as the “Showcase Wreck”and is easily dived as it lays between 9 and 33m. The bow gun is easily spotted. Interestingly, it was produced by a British manufacturer in 1899 during the Russo-Japanese War. There are fighter plane fuselages and other parts of planes in the holds and the superstructure is easily accessible. The telegraph annunciator is covered with beautiful corals. You can go down to the engine room through eerie staircases to see how a ship this size was powered. There is no light at such depths so the sense of mightiness is extreme. The Fujikawa is also famous for the air compressor warmly named R2D2 which features in many a diver’s photograph. A lot of small artifacts provide an insight into a Japanese warship. Hold No.2 contains parts and fuselage of Zero planes which can be seen up close.” Source: Best Dives in Chuuk

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2. Heian Maru – “This is one of the Must-Dive wrecks in Chuuk Lagoon as there are many relics and the interior is easy to penetrate. Inside, you can see a torpedo long lance, an innovation of the time in its ability to project the torpedoes much farther. The Heian was also carrying replacement periscopes. As most of the wrecks in Chuuk have been spared of major robbery, the ship propellers are still intact.” Source: Best Dives in Chuuk

3. Nippo Maru – “The Nippo Maru was originally a water and ammunition delivery ship. One of the most dived wrecks thanks to its relatively shallow location, the Nippo Maru contains a tank, coastal defense guns, mines, munitions, anti-tank guns and water tanks. Inside the forecastle are many personal effects of the crew in the silt. The forward hold contains mines, detonators, artillery shells and gas masks, one of the shocking diver images of this wreck.

Hold No.1 contains large bronze range finders and a tank that was probably transported in the event of a US ground invasion of Chuuk. Three howitzers are on the deck near Hold No.4 which is filled with lots of beer bottles, radio equipment and a variety of items.” Source: Best Dives in Chuuk

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4. The San Francisco – “It is considered one of the most incredible wrecks of Chuuk and often referred to as “The Million Dollar Wreck” because of the value of its cargo. This is also one of the best wreck dives in the world. The valuable cargo was there probably to defend from an American amphibian attack that never occurred.

It is located pretty deep at 48m for the main deck, so you must be a technical diver. There is a 3” bow gun encrusted with corals. Hold No.1 contains spherical sea mines and their detonators and “horns” for detonation on contact in boxes nearby. In Hold No.2 there are several trucks, a favourite with divers, barrels of fuel and aerial bombs. The bridge area is intact and the crew quarters have all sorts of utensils and china.” Source: Best Dives in Chuuk

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5. The Shinkoko Maru – “One of the “Must-dive sites” in Chuuk Lagoon is the Shinkoku Maru, a tanker measuring 152m and found at 12m, bottoming up at 36m that requires multiple dives to explore. The deck, where many of the interesting bits are found, is only 18m deep. Look out for the operating table and medicine bottles, some bones, toilets and a Japanese style tiled bath. The telegraph and the wheelhouse can be accessed through a stairwell.” Source: Best Dives in Chuuk

If you are in love with wreck diving there is no doubt Chuuk is the place to be. Happy exploring!!

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Moving to Guam

~ Viva ~ 4 Comments

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So you are coming to Guam?

When I found out my follow-on assignment from Belgium was to be a small territory in Southeast Asia, I was ecstatic. What is more perfect than living on a tropical island where everything is in English, currency is in dollars and you are just a 4 hour flight to the Philippines, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea?!

Not surprisingly, Guam is also a huge tourist destination for Japan and Korea being only a few hours away and having the allure of America + a tropical island. You could forget you were physically in Asia except for all the Asian tourists and commercialism in Hangul/Japanese.

If you like to dive, hike and/or have a general sense of outdoor/tropical island adventure – Guam is the place for you. If you are into none of those things … then pick one up or it will be a long ride (if living here). I met two kinds of people while living on this tropical island for two years – the kind that come to Guam and never want to leave, and the kind that are counting down their time to leave. You choose which you want to be.

TRAVELING FROM GUAM

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Guam is a tropical island in the middle of pacific. Hopping around Asia is not as easy as you would think given its location, but it is a better location to travel around Asia than Hawaii (which is not close – 7 hour plane ride). The following Asian cities have direct, cheap flights ($300-400 round-trip): Hong Kong, Manila, Taipei, Seoul, Tokyo and Osaka (checkout skyscanner for the best deals). If you get into diving (which is a must) there are also direct flights to normally hard-to-get-to WORLD CLASS diving spots. United is your main carrier for these islands – spots include: Palau, Chuuk, Yap, Kosrae, Pohnpei, Cairns, as well as, the neighboring islands of Tainan (WWII history), Rota and Saipan.

Anywhere else will most likely be a connecting flight. Get used to that one; to get anywhere (including the continental United States) it will take you at least a day of travel.

What does it mean to be Chamorro?

After living in Guam for two years and traveling much of Micronesia, I have a new found appreciation for what it means to be a Pacific Islander. All islands have very similar nuances such as traditional dancing, the love of flower crowns and a sense of remoteness that both preserves the island way of living, but also holds it back from progressing into the future. Yet despite these similarities, Guam stands out from its neighboring islands in many different ways.

First and foremost, Guam is the largest island within a radius of 1,300 miles of open ocean – and you can feel that ocean. Guam is also a US territory and the wealthiest island within 1,300 miles (or arguably more) which makes it a mecca for the neighboring islanders to squat. Guam has also been heavily influenced by the Spanish (16th century – 19th century) which left their surnames, language and an unwavering dedication to Catholicism.

Not advertised often, but a fact – America attempted its own little imperial conquest in the late 19th, early 20th century. With the loss of the Spanish in the Spanish-American war, the US took over the island of Guam (as well as the Philippines) under the Treaty of Paris in 1898. This not only brought the island to where it is today, but caught the attention of a neighboring empire looking to expand its influence.

WWII into Today

Fact: Guam has the highest percentage of people who have served in the military in any one place. This is for many reasons, one being it is about the only way to afford to live on this island, but second and more importantly, due to WWII.

The Japanese not only looked to Pearl Harbor as an easy target to hit initiate a war, they also hit hard in the territorial areas of the Philippines, Guam and Palau. Occupying Guam from 1941-1944, the Japanese are not remembered fondly during that time. Setting up outposts using labor camps and comfort women, Chamorros resisted the occupation as best they could until American forces reached the island in 1944.

When the US finally arrived on July 21st and overrun the imperial army by August 10th, there was no prouder American than those on the island of Guam. Liberation Day (not the 4th of July) is still highly celebrated today with parades, military marches and family BBQs.

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Despite this proud liberation moment, self-determination was on the mind of many Chamorros after too long of a history in foreign occupation. In 1950, the Guam Organic Act lead the way for Guam to be an official US territory with representation in congress (though no vote), relative self-determination in terms of its own government, and set of independent laws.

Lingering military presence, though, is still very much a part of the island today. Nearly 30% of the best beaches and other parts of this small island, are owned by the US government. With a strong presence from the Air Force, Navy – and soon to be moving from Okinawa – the Marines, there is no doubt that Guam serves a strong strategic location in terms of military prowess.

The result of this history creates a perfect stronghold for America’s national interests, an expansive jungle, water ecosystem and diverse culture all packed into on this tiny island of 27 by 8 miles.