Return to Kayangel

When I came to Palau I wasn't really sure if I'd get to the northern coral atoll of Kayangel as it is fair distance away and pretty small. When I went three months ago I had a fun time and was happy I had a chance to go, but I didn't really expect to go back to Kayangel. But, Phil organized a trip and I had time to go so on Friday I took the day off of work and accompanied him, Jirka, and Pete to Kayangel.

We left Koror at 9 am on the Kayangel State Boat, which is nothing more than a dive boat with big engines. This time the boat had more cargo and passengers than three months ago, but there was enough room for us and I had a seat towards the bow under the canopy. The weather was beautiful and the water was calm. We made excellent time up the western coast of Babeldaob before we stopped at Ollei dock in Ngarchelong to pick up more cargo and passengers. We left Babeldaob behind and were surrounded by the bright blue ocean. The shades of blue were fantastic and the water calm making for a great trip. Along the way I saw a few dolphins pass in front of the boat. We soon saw Kayangel in the distance and we sped toward it. We arrived at the dock just about two hours after we left Koror.

In Kayangel, we were staying with the Palauan host family of Emily, one of the Peace Corps volunteers in Palau. Emily teaches at the Kayangel Elementary School and was at school when we arrived, but the guys at the dock put our stuff on a truck and drove it the short distance to Emily's house in the middle of Kayangel near the dock. Phil and Pete had stayed there before and knew the family and introduced us. There was a house next door where we would be sleeping and we put of stuff inside.

We decided to do a little exploring and walked to the east side and marveled at the pristine beach. We walked south down the main road chatting and rounded the southern end until we reached Emily's school. We had just missed her, so we walked back to the house and found her waiting for us. After a quick bite to eat, we walked back to the school with Emily.

Friday afternoon was PE and the game of the day was softball. There are only 13 students in the elementary school (with ten staff members it more like a large tutoring facility). The teachers play softball with the students and they asked us to join them. We played in the grass field in front of the school which has to have one of the best views of any elementary school in the world. The edge of the field is lined with a few coconut trees and then there is nothing but beach and ocean. We split into teams and began playing softball. I was playing with kids so I wanted to play at their level, but the other teachers didn't seem to be taking easy. So, my first time at the plate I hit it out of the field and into a thick undergrowth underneath the coconuts. It was nice hitting a home run, but I felt bad because they couldn't find the ball. They had another and we continued playing. I kept the rest of my hits in the playing field. We had a fun time and the kids enjoyed themselves. Afterwards we threw the frisbee around for a little while before heading to the beach on the south end.

Jirka had brought with him his kite surfing gear and thought the wind was good enough so he set it up. Kite surfing is like windsurfing, but instead of a sail on a surfboard, you use a parachute attached to rider on a boogie board. Jirka and Phil took it out into the shallows and were able to get the parachute into the air, but the wind was not quite strong enough to get them up and surfing. The kept trying while Pete, Emily and I hung out on the beach. I went swimming as sunset approached and helped them put the parachute away. We watched the sunset from the beach and then headed back to the house.

Emily's family was kind enough to cook for us throughout the weekend. We brought with us groceries for their use, but we shared their food. Friday night we had smoked fish, rice, and seaweed soup. We sat around their outdoor gathering area that is covered and has a lot of bench space that is extremely multi-purpose. Emily's family was very welcoming and we chatted with them. Her host mother was weaving a purse with pandanus leaves and we watched while Emily helped. Emily has lived with them for ten months and has gotten used to their lifestyle and speaks Palauan fairly well. We amused ourselves by petting and feeding bananas to their pet fruit bat who perched in its nearby cage. As the night wore on I read my book for a while and then turned in for the night.