Returning to Palau

Thursday morning I packed my bags and had a quick breakfast before leaving the hostel for good. The hostels worked out well during the trip and I think it was a good idea. It is nice to have your own room, but I had enough space in the hostels and the beds were comfortable enough. I never spent too much time in the room preferring to spend it out in town so I never really got to know any of the people sharing my room, but all of them were cordial and did not bother me at all. The hostels served their purpose and if I ever do a similar trip I will consider hostels again.

I took the train to the airport and checked into my flight to Manila. The Qantas employee checking me in asked about my final destination and I told her Palau and she had never heard of Palau so I had to tell the whole story of why I was living in Palau. After making it through immigration and security, I spent the last my Australian money on a snack before boarding the plane. The flight was not direct and after an hour flight we landed in Brisbane for a short layover. Even though the same plane was continuing to Manila, I had to get off the plane in Brisbane and go through security again and then reboard the plane. It was a little annoying, but overall Qantas provided an excellent service. The staff was great and they provided frequent food and beverages. The flight to Manila went smoothly and seven hours later we landed in the Philippines.

Once again I had an overnight layover in Manila. This time I had booked a room at a Holiday Inn attached to mall. The taxi driver was unsure about the location of the hotel and we had to stop a few times to ask people where it was, but eventually we found the hotel. It was a decent hotel and after a long trip and I eagerly climbed into bed for a good night's sleep.

Friday morning I found a fast internet connection and uploaded the rest of my Australia pictures. After checking out of the hotel I walked over to the mall to spend the afternoon. I watched the latest Harry Potter movie and then looked at a few of the shops. I bought myself a pair of new running shoes because my old shoes are worn out. I perused the different shops and when the time finally arrived I collected my bags and got a taxi to the airport.

Manila traffic is insane. At first I thought they were all terrible drivers, but after observing them for a while I realized they were all really good (but crazy) drivers. They can fit their cars into the smallest spaces. They cut off other drivers at will and zigzag in and out of lanes. Manila traffic unlike any I have seen in the states and I was extremely happy not to be driving. My driver did a good job and got to the airport as fast as traffic would allow.

I got checked in and made it through the multiple security and immigration checks. The plane back to Palau was moderately full and I had a row of seats to myself. It was late flight and we didn't land in Palau until nearly 2 am. My bag successfully made the trip without getting lost. I found my car waiting for me in the parking lot and I drove home making sure to remind myself to stay on the right side of the road. I made it home safely and spent the weekend relaxing. Apparently I didn't miss too much while I was away. The biggest story was the weather because it has been raining nearly nonstop, including a bad storm that swept through here before becoming typhoon Man-Yi.

The Australia vacation was a very enjoyable trip. Australia is a beautiful country with a wide variety of interesting locales and experiences. I explored much of Sydney and Melbourne, but as to the rest of Australia I barely scratched the surface. I saw a lot on the trip, but I also did it at a relaxed pace. I would definitely go back to Australia to experience more of what it has to offer. It was nice to get off-island for a little while and back into civilization and I have returned feeling refreshed and ready for the remaining few months in Palau.