This is Palau

Forecast is rainy, but the island is lush and beautiful.  Snorkeling this morning.  Fireworks with thePresident tonight.  

4.5 hours in Guam

Arrive in Guam after 4 hour flight.  12:30.  Wander through Customs.  Ask various airport personnel for recommendations about what do do on layover.  Corral and bargin (unsuccessfully) with taxi dispatcher for driver to tak three people and their carry on luggage around the island for 3 hours.  1:00.  Stop at Two Lovers Point, which seems to be a major tourist attraction, where scads of young people, many from Japan, come to look out from the cliff from which two Spanish lovers hurled themselves some centuries ago.  Rain and dark skies from the tropical depression add to the ambiance but not to the view.  1:20 cab driver takes us to "the strip" where the hotels and shopping malls are.  1:45. We find a restaurant on the beach, which is mostly a bar but serves food. Beers from US and Japan.  Fish, oddly, is mostly flown in (we had salmon and tilapia?!), but the tuna sashimi was very good and local.  Great breeze and view. 2:30.  Driver excuses himself to pick up child from school.  Leaves business card so we can contact him if we get concerned about time and location.  3:20. E get concerned and pick up card -- no phone number listed.  3:30.  Driver returns!  takes us through town and to a park to see the Latte Rocks, centuries old formations that may have been used as pillars for ceremonial structures.  4:30. Traffic builds and cab driver, Manny, returns us to airport.  Presents us with rice balls, a discount on the trip, and a promise to take us around the island next time, and to teat us to dinner at his home.  

This is a big planet

tJust saying.  Carl, Bill and I are about to start our second day in an airplane. Actually, about half of today will be spent an airport as we have a four hour layover in Guam.  But our overnight stop in Tokyo at least give s some of us chance for sleep.  Bill is bummed that the great sushi place at the airport is behind security, but maybe he'll splurge on sushi for breakfast?  The hotel is spotless and comfortable, with a deep soaking tub in the bath that helped soak some stiff joints after the 13hour flight.  

Departing Sunday

What an incredible opportunity -- to travel to Palau with colleagues from The Nature Conservancy in New York to learn about the work the Conservancy is doing in that part of the world!  Bill Ulfelder, Executive Director of the Conservancy in NY, Carl Lobue, Senior Marine Scientist in Long Island, Connie Prickett, Director of Communications in the Adirondacks and me, Karen Raven, Deputy Director of Philanthropy in NY will be in Palau for about a week exploring marine protected areas, coral reefs and meeting with partner organizations and local leaders.  While there we will kayak around the Rock Islands, snorkel and dive in Jellyfish Lake, explore the Northern Reefs. 

Palau is one of the most ecologically diverse places on the planet, supporting over 400 coral species, and nearly 1,300 varieties of reef fish.  Growing tourism and related development, aggressive fishing and unsustainable forest practices threaten not only this archipelago but all of Micronesia.  The Conservancy has worked here with community leaders and government agencies for over 20 years to bridge the gap between traditional and modern approaches to conservation.  We need to do more.

This will be an unforgettable adventure.  My fellow travelers and I hope to record my impressions and experiences here to share with colleagues and friends back home.  Connectivity will be very spotty so bear with us.  We look forward to sharing stories, pictures and what we learn.