German Lighthouse

On Sunday, I went on a long kayaking trip to German Lighthouse. The trip was suggested by my friend Phil who had been there before when he found out I had not been there he volunteered to play tour guide. Joining us was another frisbee regular Ming and his girlfriend, a Romanian vet named Mihnea, and Lali Chin the new assistant public defender. We took three double kayaks and I was with Phil. We departed from Sam's about eleven, a few hours after high tide which proved to be a perfect time to go because we had the current with us the whole way.

Our destination was at the opening of Malakal Harbor and we paddled out past Kramer's and Icebox park. When we reached the open part of the harbor, a storm rolled in and it began raining. The waves grew a little large, but remained manageable. Once we got closer to the islands on the far side of the harbor the waves died down and the storm had passed. We entered a little strait in between a few rock islands that I recognized because I had been fishing there when Andy visited. Through the strait, we were within sight of our destination. Just because we were in sight doesn't mean we were close. Distance on the water can be extremely deceptive. An island in sight may seem close, but after twenty minutes of paddling it looks just as far away as before. You have to look back to realize just how far you had traveled. The last stretch felt like it took a long time, but eventually the old dock came into view and we pulled our kayaks up alongside. We took a break and had lunch on the dock before exploring.

The island on which we had arrived is now completely uninhabited, but the Germans used its ideal location at the mouth of Malakal Harbor to build a lighthouse at the top of the highest peak. The Japanese saw the strategic importance of the area and built a garrison and placed cannons and anti-aircraft guns as part of their fortifications against an American invasion that never occurred. The old stone dock where we tied up the kayaks was built by the Germans and improved by the Japanese. At the end of the dock, at trail began winding up the limestone hill. The trail was maintained well and shaded by the trees. The Japanese did a good job building the trail, including blasting passes through a few limestone formations.

During the climb up the trail we reached the remains of two cannons. American bombing had dislodged them and their fifteen foot barrels lay next to one another across the trail surrounded by a few scattered rusting pieces. Along the trail we saw some fascinating trees that I've seen in other parts of Palau. They are tall trees but what makes them so interesting are vine like trees that grow up surrounding the tree at the center creating an otherworldly mass of limbs. We saw one that looked just like an Ent from the Lord of the Rings. On the path, we found a small cave. We ducked inside and shined a light to see the ceiling covered in crickets. Up the hill there were remnants of an anti-aircraft gun. We were surrounded by the forest, but the Japanese had cut down many of trees and at that time had an impressive view of the area. Nearing the top, we found the ruins of the Japanese camp. All that was left was stone foundations of five buildings and a few stairs leading to structures no longer in existence. The jungle had mostly reclaimed the area with tree roots covering some of the stone structures.

After a forty minute hike we reached the top and in a clearing sat German Lighthouse. Made of stone, it is a simple cylinder shape about forty feet tall. The trees have been cut back to provide a view of the area. Micnah had been there before and quickly scaled the old metal ladder on the side of the lighthouse. I followed him, but at two-thirds up I made the mistake of looking down. The height coupled with the old rebar ladder made it bit scary, but I carefully made it to the top. The view was spectacular. I could see for miles out into the open ocean. To the south, I could see dozens of rock islands that looked like little mushrooms in the vibrant blue ocean. I could also see back to Koror and the route we had kayaked. All the effort to get there was definitely worth it and it was a beautiful vantage point. The Germans picked a great spot for the lighthouse. I carefully negotiated my way back down the ladder and then walked a short distance to a large Japanese cannon that sat nearby. After enjoying the view, we retraced our steps back down the trail to the dock.

When we arrived at the dock it was low tide and our kayaks were beached. We packed out stuff and carried our kayaks a short distance until we reached water deep enough to cast off. Phil had brought his frisbee and we threw it around between the kayaks. It was a little tricky and mostly the frisbee missed its mark and ended up in the water, but by the end we made some good throws. We started paddling back and as the tide had changed the current had shifted. We were going across it at first, much better than against it. When we got back to the straits, we stopped to snorkel at a nearby reef which was partially exposed by the low tide. It was a good chance to cool off and relax the arms and shoulders. Back in the kayaks, we entered the open harbor and it began to rain very hard. The odd part was that there was no wind and no waves and the harbor was like glass, but it was pouring. The current was with us again and we moved quickly. It continued to rain, but the sun peaked through creating a tremendous double rainbow spanning the harbor. We were soaked, but the rainbow made the rain easy to ignore. We paddled a slightly different course back due to the tides and as we paddled the rain dissipated. We finally reached Sam's a little after five. Just after we got the kayaks stored, the rain started again and this time it was a torrential downpour. It didn't slacken for a while, but we were already wet so we just headed home. When I got home I was able to finally get dry after a long day on the water.

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