Zlote Wakacje

Palau, day 1

Before departure another surprise

We sit on the plane ... Arrival Form, fill out declarations of Republic of Palau. And says the captain .... a volcano erupted and therefore need to find another road trip. They do "reroute plan and calculate how much fuel will be needed to this" diversion ". I'm just not sure where this "ash cloud - but the pilot reported a quite incomprehensible. So once again delayed. It's just a curiosity, for those who have had an interesting experience of flying.
....
Hour delay and some negotiations / arrangements in the cockpit. wait newspapers.

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The plane is delayed a little over an hour. Landing awakens us very carefully, because we see how the plane flies pretty fast just above the tree line and there is no airport. Because it is not normal when approaching the runway in case the squeeze tighter belt and pressed the head to the seats. It turns out to be a good idea, because after a few seconds, just under the chassis of light appear in the airport and the aircraft struck with great force in the belt. Then inhibits the entire sequence of reverse and set of wings. It made an impression not only on us. The plane reaches the end of the runway, turns and passes to the beginning, where is the twist to the airport.

Airport intimate, but quite good. We get off the short lane, and at every turn someone tells you where the passengers that they should turn to Palau. Some passengers flying to Guam, but we're not sure whether they were on the plane and got out after us and went to the part of the transfer.

Passport is very fast. Polish passports are not here everyday, so only the officer makes sure that we have a return ticket and a nice stamp sticks Republic of Palau with a residence permit for 30 days. The stay may be extended up to 90 days by paying an additional $ 50.

In the meantime, try to connect to a GSM network. The phone detects the two, and the airport is advertising roaming, so I assume that this would work without any complications. Unfortunately, the phone informs the network rejects the call. Only later did I find out what the problem.

At the airport, is a WiFi signal. This is a prepaid Internet which previously read. At the moment there is no where to buy the card, except that unless you can withstand several hours without access to the network (but you need to check it out ...)

Go to the room where he receives a suitcase with a belt and the next they are inspected. Just like here in Manila, each suitcase is opened and checked. Every addition to our own. The tax collector in a white shirt (probably senior) to see our passports, "instructs" a friend in a blue shirt that you do not have our luggage checked. Asks if this first visit to Palau, and we have cigarettes, alcohol or other prohibited goods, and the answer is affirmative wishes you a pleasant stay. Perhaps it is also due to the fact that we looked like typical tourists, inexperienced, and I take pictures walls:) It sounds weird, but the arrivals hall is quite colorful and you can stop it in the picture.

In the lobby, waiting for more than a dozen drivers from the tablets with the names of hotels. Another pic and welcome to a guy holding a plate 'Rose Garden Resort. " On the outside is pleasantly warm, not too humid, fresh air. There are no insects, is purely and quietly.

The driver does not speak much English so we set only that the plane was late over an hour - which of course we know it, but probably react differently, because in Poland is only 20 and your body has not completely switched to a new time.

A total trip, from the moment they left the house, took about ... 38 hours:) In our calculations came out the 28th .. and try to find the extra tenth

Out of the house before 6 am. In Amsterdam, we are at 9:30. Depart to Manila on the 14th Arriving at 9:30 in the morning (2:30 in Poland, which is already 20 hours). Departure from Manila at 22:20 (15:20 in the UK, 33 hours). It was an hour late and arrives around 3:30 to Koror. In Poland, -8 hours, ie 19:30. And access to the hotel about 30 minutes.

With comfortable waiting in Manila do not feel tired and did not want us to sleep. Very different from the girl at the reception, which also stresses that it is 4 am and the plane was late. Fill so that only a few rows registration form and go into the room.

Rose Garden Resort.

This room is located in a house on the highest level. There are 24 houses connected to the common walls. At our level of approximately 1930-1940 steps leading upwards. But it's worth it. That level with the best views of the bay and a large balcony. It is decorated in colonial style on the floor coated with a nice board. Do not feel any smell, which means that here there is no insect problem (in India at any hotel you could feel the measures against insects). Peace gives the impression of a clean sterile. Bathroom as well. Make sure that warm running water and thank the boy for us odprowadzającemu assist.

The first surprise. My research showed that here should not use plugins such as the U.S.. And in a bathroom in the room are a standard UK plug. There we took such an adapter. So the problem can occur. (Explained below - is, as in the U.S.). The second surprise is the lack of towels. And, in principle, the bathroom has a towel, a little at his feet after exiting the shower. We did not take towels, because this hotel has a fairly good standard, and assessments, we did not come to a head. Only the other day, it appears that the cleaning ladies simply forgot to leave. Saves us a travel towel, which in any case we packed a suitcase cache to be in the event of unforeseen stops during the trip.

Because we do not need quite sleep, check the TV. There is no channel, and also do not think. The next day we discover that you have yet to turn a set top box, because all the channels are broadcast here in this way. There are several channels, especially Discovery, Animal Planet, and CNN and the BBC. It is not bad, although so far no plans to intensive use of the TV.

When the bed is a phone book, but rather a bulletin advertising the local telecommunications company. It seems that the connection of telephones, digital television, cellular and WiFi networks is a major achievement, which advertises on the local president and the government (which is not surprising, because Palau has no foreign debt, so perhaps there are other issues).

Going back to GSM. Only after reading the information on how to use a modem and a PPP connection and to clarify what is the phone (which is comic in style - do not go to a colleague, please call in advance whether he wants to play baseball), I conclude that maybe a problem in our network . Just in Palau has no roaming to European countries. $ 45 can buy the local SIM card and be able to make international calls, but I do not need and do not check what is the price. In addition, advertising is everywhere 'international prepaid card' by which you can make calls even from vending machines and local phone.

Interestingly, all local calls are free, which turns out to be quite helpful during the day when we need "order" the return journey to the hotel. Please phone call from the restaurant where we spend time in the rain and for 20 minutes, our driver arrives.

Returning to the night of arrival. We manage to fall asleep before the sixth. It is not easy, because it was almost sunrise and activated ... roosters, which are probably quite popular here. In addition, some birds can be heard from the forest. But still, we fall asleep and wake up only after 10:30. Could sleep longer, but at night we asked for breakfast around 11 am and do not want to be late again.

Breakfast is not especially attractive. Scrambled eggs, several slices of ham, butter, jam and two toasts. For the coffee or tea. We are somewhat disappointed by the lack of fruits and vegetables, but we will try to supplement your diet with essential nutrients, because the room is a fridge and you can store your own food. The restaurant is open air under the roof, overlooking the bay.

Downtown Koror.

After breakfast and morning toilet complete, we decide to leave the city. The weather is nice. Do not see the sun, but I feel that shines through the clouds and tans. It is not stuffy - the weather is perfect, probably about 28 degrees and light winds.

$ 6 we are driven back to the city center. It is at 13, and arrange with the driver that will pick us 18th I guess that we will call in advance, which seems to him a better option.

We visit the grocery store. Unfortunately, we are surprised by the poor choice of fruit. We expected more, but probably will end up on a small yellow oranges and bananas, which in Poland are almost inaccessible.

Most shops and goods looks like the U.S. west coast. The same brands, cereals, processed foods. They are even prepared meals in the microwave, and reading about Palau and the culture it is quite difficult to imagine the fruit is imported, some from China and other Asian countries and some from the USA. Even over the counter payments, and salesperson are similar - you drag the card, you place a signature on an electronic screen, and the payment passes without additional authorization to the bank. But here, nobody asks for a document with a photograph. It's probably the only difference.

We visit several shops along the main street. We conclude that, rather, there is nothing interesting. There are several restaurants and bars, schools and Internet cafes or access points to the network of small shops. There is no local souvenirs, jewelry or other products which were not mass production. It's strange, but it can really only a place for divers. In the city we meet several families who were flying with us by plane. As you can see they also do not dive that day and try to take a much time.

Once it starts to rain at 15:30. We are the first place, which is different than in the U.S.. It's a bar next to the main shopping center of Koror. Seeing that they are offered hot meals of molluscs (clams) and the tortoise, we decide to try it. Quite tasty. And that is a high-speed internet prepaid. $ 10 for 4 hours does not look too expensive, although a little strange is paying for access to the network, which, after all, in most of Europe is available for free.

The rain ceases to fall after about 30 minutes. We continue to walk, but soon we find that there's absolutely nothing to do. Unless someone wants to go for massage, because the center is a few points that advertise massage of the feet or body.

After another 30 minutes, it starts raining again. We visit the post office to send postcards. The cost of the stamp in Polish is not the whole $ 1. The previously have gathered information that the post office works as the U.S. and even has an American zip code. I wonder whether the cards are also delivered as soon as the U.S..

It's raining now for the evening. We stop in the next section where the Internet. $ 1.5 per hour. But the link is clearly slower than the prepaid WiFi. So please lady with the service that she called the hotel and asked to send a car.

After 18 we are at the hotel. It turns out that even in our cottage, situated away from the reception, the balcony is available WiFi signal. Even in the rain. This is good news, because you can keep in touch with the world without having to overcome several steps and sign in the restaurant.

On another day we do not plan further dives. We have quite a lot of time and are considering renting a car and visit the islands and a visit to the base of diving in order to establish the details. We do not know whether it will rain. Probably nobody knows.