First Half Highlights

It seems like I just arrived yesterday, but today marks the halfway point in my time in Palau. Six months ago today I arrived in Palau. How time flies when you're having fun. In many ways, I still feel like I'm just getting to know Palau and that I'm just an interloper who knows hardly anything. However, when I played tour guide to my guests I realized just how much I have learned in my short time here. It is not just the how to get to the big tourist sites, it's the little things like where is the best store to buy an item or what day is best to go to a certain restaurant. I'm familiar with nearly all of Koror and can navigate my way around without getting lost anymore. I'm surprised at how well I've gotten to know the rock islands and Babeldaob. At first they seem so expansive, yet now I recognize many of the islands and hills and can do a decent job navigating. I've become acquainted with a fair number of people around the island and when out and about I often run in somebody I know. It has been a real joy getting to know Palau and if the second half of my journey is as good as the first half I have a lot to look forward to.

In looking back at my first six months, I have had some truly memorable experiences. In retrospect, I decided to cobble together an album of my favorite pictures. I have over 1300 pictures so far from my time in Palau, which can be a little daunting to sort through. While they all represent good memories, I think these 34 pictures are the first half highlights. You can view them here at my Picasa site.