New Year in Palau

Happy New Year. My New Year was uneventful. Stayed home and drank beer and watched video. Way too many drunk drivers out and vehicles here are not insured so if a drunk driver hits you, good luck getting them to pay to fix it. Besides, wanted to drink and I do not drive drunk. Last week went to a party and caught a Taxi. When it was time to leave, found out the taxi drivers stop driving at around 10:00. Luckily was able to catch a ride home. I wish the taxi would run later. I think they would make money and I'm sure some of the people who drive drunk here would catch a taxi instead.

Big MahiMahi

Went trolling and for almost two hours nothing. No strikes, just the sound of my boat engine sucking up the gas (which is $3.55/gallon here). Just when I was ready to reel in the lines, hooked this big mahi. Not my biggest, but certainly made me happy. Was using a new lure I had just bought. This was caught all the way down by Peliliu. Got rough after that so we headed back to Koror, which was about a 2 hour ride in the rough water. Still, was worth it in the end.

Fish

One of my best friends from a long time ago got in contact with me after finding this blog. Really great to be in contact with the folks from Hawaii. I have been away from home for so long I have lost contact with all of the old gang. Between work, family and traveling life has been hectic and sometimes you lose sight of what is important. Good friends are hard to come by. Hopefully I can make contact with some other friends from before. I have decided to join facebook later on as some of them are there. Guess I'm behind the times. Problem is the internet is so slow here it is like stepping back in time. 56K would be blazing fast here. In fact, I bought my daughter a computer for Christmas only to discover no modem for the dial up connection. Guess most people don't use dial up anymore, but no choice here unless you want to pay a couple hundred dollars a month for a little bit faster speed. Photo above is just a mixed bag of fish I caught recently. Made up a bunch of Poke. The rainbow runners aren't my favorite fish so gave those away.

Shark Abstract

Spent the day after Christmas attempting to fish, but got caught in a storm that swept through the rock islands. With Visibility down to less than 50 feet, I was glad to have my gps and a fresh set of batteries. We were close to a beach area called two dogs and I was able to pull the boat in where it was protected and we sat for 2-hours until it cleared up. Since it was still too rough to go fast, decided to troll and ended up catching two 15-20 pound barracuda's. I will be cooking some of it up on the bar-b-cue later today.

The photo above was actually taken a few trips back. I had stopped the boat while trolling and while driting this shark which is about 8 feet came up and circled the boat. We watched it for more than 10-minutes as it went around and around, finally getting so close I had to push it away with a pole I carry to help push the boat when I go through really shallow water. After that we figured it was getting a little bit too agressive so we went on our way. The photo I changed in photoshop to more of an abstract photo later on.

Rock Island Trip

Another photo taken from my boat in the Rock Islands. It isn't easy taking photos from a rocking boat. The day was windy and the clouds were not cooperating, but in the end got some nice photos.

More Japan-Palau Friendship Bridge

Another photo of the Japan-Palau friendship bridge. Reading about all the snowstorms in the U.S. I almost feel guilty posting this. Beautiful warm weather here and I can't say I would rather be freezing right now. This will be our first Christmas here in Palau and I'm looking forward to it. Already bought a turkey that I will prepare on Christmas eve. Then on Christmas we wil open the presents and then hopefully I will sneak out to fish.

Japan-Palau Friendship Bridge

This is a photo of the Japan-Palau Friendship bridge taken at sunset. It is a great spot to just go and watch he sunset. Have been trying to get a decent photo but only now has there been some clouds to make the photo more dramatic.

Rock Islands

Been way too long since my last post. So much going on. Got my boat and have been exploring Palau. This photo was taken last Sunday and reminded me how much I like photography. So, here is Palau and the Rock islands. Enjoy

Sea Snakes

Had the opportunity to check out a boat today I want to buy. Went out to the rock islands for the first time and all I can say is WOW. Beautiful. Cruising along with great company we pulled up to cemetary reef and went snorkeling. We then drifted for awhile and when we got hot jumped in the water and just hung on the boat. After awhile we started to head back and saw a rock island with a cave and lots of old 55 gallon drums we guess were from wwII. We pulled up and tied the boat and jumped out to have a look around. What we didn't know is there were a bunch of sea snakes in the cave. We only saw three which was actually kind of cool, but I have a feeling more were around. Used my new canon d10 which is waterproof . We got right up on this snake which was just sleeping. Really cool. After that we took the boat to Sams Dive Shop and tied up and went and had a cold beer and some food. Then back home. Clearly a day to remember and made me realize I will have to get a boat no matter what. We also saw a bunch of turtles and some stingrays. The rock islands are incredible.

Ngatpang Waterfall

The rain has stopped. We were able to make our way to Ngatpang waterfall today. Once someone tells you where it is it is easy to find. If you have a GPS it is N 07.27.198 E 124.31.776. Go down the compact road past Amelik turnoff. Keep going and you will see a farm on the left. Right past that is a gravel road. Make a left. You will see a site where they are storing some heavy equipment. Right past the gate is a small dirt road. I just parked there and the trail is just 30 yards or so in. There is a sign. The trail is short, but slippery. We were the only ones there. You can wade across to the waterfall which was quite nice. We swam for awhile but be careful. The small rapid has some rocks in it. The kids really had a good time and we packed a lunch and some soda and even brought the dog. If you are looking for a quick hike to a nice waterfall, this is the place. And, you don't have to pay anything to go here.

Spiders in Palau

Rain rain and more rain.................. It sure has been raining alot since I arrived in Palau. We are talking every day/night. Our house is under this huge tree with these hard nuts (will have to figure out the name) and the nuts fall off the tree and onto the Tin roof of our house making a huge noise. You would think it was coconuts falling on the roof. Nothing you can do and the previous occupant told me you get used to the noise. We will see. The spider here is behind our house. I used a macro lens and had my son hold a flash to the left of the spider to get the web to show up in the photo. I thought this was a cool photo. Now I just got to figure out what type of spider it is. They tell me the spiders here are not poisonous but this guy just looks mean.

Lobster

Well, after being at a picnic all day yesterday, with the kids swimming and having a great time, everyone was tired so decided to postpone till next weekend a hike down to another waterfall I heard of. I did go in the car to find the trail which is easy, once you know where to go. Instead, swung by the fishmarket and picked up two big lobsters and some ribs. This will be our dinner tonight as we watch dvds. It's kind of funny as you can rent a dvd (which is guaranteed a copy) for $2 or buy the same dvd in the video store for $3. My beer of choice is becoming Red Rooster beer which is brewed here and is quite good. Mix in a plate of Sashimi and you have yourself a great meal.

I can hardly wait to get my household goods. I have my fishing stuff in it and right by the bridge the group I was with caught fresh squid which we threw on the grill. It looks like you can catch a lot of fish from shore, but I'm still searching for my boat. I have the word out and hopefully soon will find something. Then, it will be off to the rock islands on the weekends and camping. Can hardly wait.

Ngardmau Waterfall

Well, we made it to Ngardmau waterfall. Well worth the hike. The location is easy to find. Just drive down the compact road and about 40 minutes out from Koror you will see the sign showing the turnoff. Drive up a side road and park. It is $5 a person and the trail is well marked. They even give you a hiking stick. Warning, go in shorts and if you have a pair of reefwalkers, wear that instead of shoes. It is about a 30-40 minute walk. You will get wet and it can be muddy. You also walk down the stream bed for a bit and it can be slippery. I went with my kids (youngest is 6) so kids can go, just take it slow and they will have a blast. I have a waterproof bag to carry my camera but when I got to the falls and took my camera out, by the time I had it on the tripod the mist had the lens wet. Got one photo and then put it away. But hiking to and from there are lots of streams to photograph and a lot of pools to jump into and get wet. The kids loved it. I will be going back for sure and will bring some food to picnic at the waterfall. Don't forget to go under the falls for a great experience. When we went on Sunday at 9:00AM we were the only people till after noon. Coming back we even say a small snake. Since a lot of the places here are poorly marked (not this one though) I will try and give instructions. For those with a GPS, the coordinates to the trail head are N 07, 35.204' E134, 35.182'. Anyway, hope you get a chance to visit this waterfall.

Last of the Stone Monolith

Well, another day of rain. Been raining everyday now, which means can't get out and take photos. Wanted to hike to a waterfall over the weekend but it was just too rainy to even try. Instead checked out the museum here. It was actually better than I thought it would be, although photos were not allowed inside. So, I decided to post this photo I took the prior week. So far still loving Palau. The people are friendly and all I need to do now is to find a boat and I will be set. Hopefully will find something soon. There are so many opportunities here if you have a boat and it is almost mandatory.

Bai

Well, went to take photos of birds so brought my 100-400 lens. Ended up raining and the place I was going was muddy. Instead, decided to find the oldest Bai in Palau, which is more than 200 years old. With my long lense I could not capture the whole bai, so focused on the images on the roof. I was lucky enough to have a Palauan man whose family was helping take care of the bai give me a tour. for the life of me I can't remember his name right now. But, he gave me the history of this historic site. The Bai is a meeting place. The sharks at the bottom were for protection. The rese I also cant remember but will have to research some. Anyway, just thought i would share.

Stone faces of Badrulchau

Well, we finally made it to Palau. What a beautiful Country. I like just about everything here so far (with the exception of the dial up internet I have to use now - yawn). This is one of my first photos here. We got in the truck and drove about and hour or so from Koror to get there. These rocks have been carbon dated to more than 2000 years old. No one is exactly sure of the original purpose. This was actually easy to find, right off the road and a short 2-minute walk down some stairs. Expect to pay $5 to visit, which isn't that bad as they maintain the place.

sunset at Utulei Beach

One of the many beautiful sunsets overlooking Pago Pago Bay. Shot right at dusk with the lights bouncing off the clouds. I will be leaving American Samoa soon and will miss all the great sunsets here.

Guitar

just another photo of my son. You actually have to be careful lighting the guitar as it is shiny and a small light source will leave a bad reflection. In this case I used a large 60" sofliter umbrella to camera left and another softbox as fill to camera right.

Kids

Well, been about a month since my last post. Work has been hectic but hopefully will get better now. Wanted to take some photos of the kids and what better way to get them excited than to let them throw around some money. This was actually kind of fun and the kids enjoyed it. I'm trying some different things to get out of a rut I have been in with my photography. Seems to have worked.

High Noon

Set off today to test a ND filter I have that I accidently bought awhile ago. The thing is so strong if will allow for a slower shutter speed even in bright sun. Use it anytime else and you will wait forever for an exposure. So, I figured I would try a seascape at high noon. Normally you would not be able to get a long enough shutter speed to blur the water. But, with this thing I got a shutter speed around 5 seconds. Okay, not the best photo in the world, but not bad for a shot taken at the brightest time of the day.

Feeling Lazy

Gee, figured I would get up early since this was my first weekend back and get some sunrise photos. But, woke up with the sun already up so that is blown. Oh well, I like sunset photos better anyway. I still have to adjust again to the slower pace. Was almost getting used to the hustle and bustle of the Philippines. Life here in American Samoa is certainly much much slower. I decided to re-focus my attention on photographing the landscapes/seascapes here. I have gotten too used to the beautiful countryside here after 5-years and a lot of the "wow" factor has been lost. Hopefully I can get that back and start shooting again.

Manila Bay

Well, I just returned from three great weeks in the Philippines. God knows I really needed a break, but now I am back and refreshed. The Philippines is so great, with wonderful and friendly people. I am always dismayed at how it gets a bad rap sometimes. Like I tell people, anywhere in the world, you need to know what to do and where to go. Take California for instance. A great place but there are areas you would be crazy to go. Same with the Philippines. If you go to the wrong places you can get into trouble. But 99.999% of the people are very friendly and I love the culture.

The photo above is taken at Manila Bay. Cars and trucks going by right behind you on the road, Manila Bay offers some stunning sunsets. I captured this photo on my last day in the Philippines and thought I would share. The colors are real and not manipulated. The sunset was incredible and was a great way to end my trip to this country.

Irked at the world

I haven't posted for a little while. Been frantically preparing for my vacation and as is typical, I just have so many things to do before I go. I'm running out of time and wish I could turn the clock back. Plus, so many problems in the world with the stock market in the tank, the economy in the toilet and conflict in the middle east. Hopefully three weeks of relaxation will allow me to recharge and get a fresh perspective on things. Too many simple things are bothering me right now............................... The photo on the left is a photo a really like. Just a simple nude to start off the New Year.