South Pacific Trip

Hi Everyone THERE IS A SLIDE SHOW AT THE BOTTOM Trip plans start here, I am going to try to keep this site updated throughout my trip to Japan and then down through Micronesia Islands and maybe touch into the Marshall Islands, Some of the island names are, starting from Japan, Guam, Chuuk, Pohnpie, Kosrae, from there I am not sure yet. Jan. 25 Jan 22 Arived in Tokyo. Biggest city I have ever seen. It takes 2 hours to take the subway around the center of downtown. The subways are a spider web through the city and some of the main termanals are huge. The people here are friendly and willing to help out. 12 Million people here. It seems like they all take the subway at the same time. Snowed of all things the first day. I've gone around seeing a few of the sites. Meeting up with a auto exporter today. Jan. 28 I took the bullet train from Tokyo to Nagoya it's 300kms and only takes 1 and 3/4 hrs, it travels at 300kms needless to say you don't see a lot when it's going that fast। There didn't look like a lot to see but city and houses all the way. I meet up with another auto exporter yesterday. Was good he showed me around Nagoya and had a tradishnal Japanese dinner, Can't beleave what I eat, some I didn't know what it was, Maybe that was better that way. I am renting a car tomorrow for a week and drive to the west side of the island. I am going to look for some country side and hot springs. I just want out of these big cities! Feb. 3 Wow it took 8 hours to get out of town 250 kms later. Can you beleive the cities here just never end, one just leads into another. I did 1700kms in 6 days. You drive on the left side of the road here, tight left turn and wide right turn, good to keep in mind. They go over board with thier traffic light LED flashing every where in corners, tunnels, construction zones, cross walks. people are pretty respectfull. you stop to let them cross the road and when they get to the other side they turn and bow. Traffic flag man bow when you go by, as to say thanks for stopping and　slowing down. ( this key board keeps jumping into Japanese) I found a couple of nice small towns and farm land. I also stopped in a couple of hot springs, to sooth my sore bones from driving all day. Seen a couple of guys out surfing, nice waves and beaches allthough there was a lot of garbage on them. two days it snowed about two inches. and it snowed this morning again. I slept in car, partly to save money but also could not find hotels, how do you spell hotel in japanese. फॉर aI came back on the east side and all the way from Herashema to Nagoya 600kms is nothing but city. I guess if you have 127 million on one island it does have to be this way. Tomorrow I go back to Tokyo by train. And on the 6th I fly down to Guअ सिज़मिक कोउट्री थे सुर हवे अ लॉट ऑफ़ टूनेल्स Im. इ प्रोब्ल्ली वेंट थ्रौघ ५० ऑफ़ थेम ऎंड अ लॉट oft`s suppost to be 30c there। Bet you didn't know that I could type in Japanese, Nether did I. I been having problems keeping typing in english, I will repeat the last sentence, For a sizmic coutry there is a lot of Tunnels through the mountians. I only drove some of the hyw's and I problly went through 50 tunnenls. a lot of them are 1 to 2 kms and some of them were 5 kms. Feb 8 Guams is hot and humid. 30c day and 25 night. I don't particuly like Guam, for a small island it has 130,000 people and lots of cars, the road out my hotel you can hardly run across, it's 7 lanes. It's kind of like going to Hawaii. It also looks a little run down, like there was once a boom and how it's gone, there is mostly Japanese tourist here. I don't know if you know but Guam is USA. I didn't know until I got here। Tomorrow I rent a car and check out the other side of the island and on the 10th I fly over to Chuuk। The next couple of dayes I do some swimming and sun tanning। The next update will be from Chuuk। 'The many islands within this huge atoll are crowned with natural beauty। The outer barrier reef is punctuated with idyllic sand spits dotted with coconut palms। The high islands in the central lagoon rise into the blue island skies. Lush vegetation and simple living punctuate the lives of the lagoon. Fishing, weaving and tending garden supplant the subsistence lives that many sustain on their individual islands. It is not unusual to see women waist deep in the mangroves hunting for a special delicacy or men walking the reefs by torchlight at night looking for baby octopus. Boat makers create vessels high in the hills of the inner islands and take them down to sea when finished. Open hearth fires are still used to cook the daily meals. Life here is close to nature and lived in conjunction with the land and the sea. Local carvers are also famous for using beautiful local woods to carve warrior masks and busts. And the Chuukese love stick is part of a legendary practice of courtship unique to this island group. Chuuk, with its vast, shallow, beautiful lagoon is a Mecca for wreck divers. A major shipwreck site from WWII, Truk Lagoon is unquestionably the world's best shipwreck diving destination. Here, more than 50 hulks have been transformed into shipreefs, holding the very best of the undersea world and maritime history at one site. Hard and soft corals in a kaleidoscope of colors and shapes attract divers worldwide for both daytime and night diving. The vast selection of artifacts still found on the wrecks after five decades are testament to the unique history of the Micronesian Islands. The historical aspect of Truk Lagoon is not totally hidden by the jungles. Japanese lighthouses, perched high atop the lagoon's finest overlooks, can be reached by hiking or driving. Old runways, command centers, gun emplacements, cave networks, hospitals and libraries can be found with the help of a knowledgeable guide. In Chuuk, the pace of life slows and tropical nature is easily observed and appreciated। Many of the islands offer lush vegetation that harbors rare and migratory birdlife. Enthusiasts have been known to camp high in the hills to observe these special avians. Wild orchids and other flora are found in the scenic and sometimes rugged terrain of the islands. Traveling by ocean kayak from island to island is one way to enjoy Chuuk. Often overlooked are the outer reefs where a great variety of fish, both pelagic and reef dwelling, venture near cascading coral walls that stretch into the blue abyss of the Pacific Ocean. Windsurfing and sailing in the lagoon passes is also done during tradewind season. Feb. 14 I Chuuk has been a good experance. The people here are very friendly and and want to stop and talk to you, to see where you are going and your name and where you are from. I'm gone snorkling ther's lots to see turtles, dolfin and lots of small fish, and some ship wrecks. The water is most beautiful colours. Some local guy's took me boating to some of the coolest little islands, like the one's you dream of. White sand, palm trees, you can run around the whole island in about 2-3 minutes. The locals also brot me up in the rain forest and showed me some japanese bunkers and look outs ,we eat local fruits. it's actually what they live off. the poverty is bad here I feel bad going in eating in the resteraut. even staying in a nice Hotel, most only have a tin roof over there head and a piece of ply wood to sleep on and ther are 5-6-7 sleeping in a small area. I plan to send some care packages back to some of the peolpe I meet here to help them out, I am going friday morning to Pohnpei FEB 15, here is a discription of Pohnpei. Pohnpei is the largest and tallest island in the FSM. Its peaks get plenty of rainfall annually and this creates more than 40 rivers that feed the lush upper rain forest. Pohnpei's waterfalls range from pleasant to spectacular, creating a refreshing and breathtaking experience for those venturing to the base of the falls. There are even camping areas at some sites for those who want to hear the tumble of the water as they sleep under the tropical sky. The streams are great for cooling off after a hike in the hills. Pohnpei is famous for its energetic dances and also for the relaxing drink sakau, a kava-like brew. Watching sakau being prepared is an experience unique to Pohnpei. The pepper plant is taken from the wild and presented at a special ceremony. The root is then pounded and mixed with water to form an earthy tasting drink that inspires both myth and magic. This host to the nation's capital has much to offer the visiting nature lover, explorer and hiker. The fishing and diving around the island is superb. Surrounded largely by rich mangrove forests, Pohnpei's jagged coastline is intersected by numerous channels that carry nutrients into the vast lagoon. These nutrients attract marine life and make Pohnpei one of the most varied marine environments in Micronesia. The island's hard coral reefs and colorful dropoffs are enchanting. Sea anemones, soft corals and colorful gorgonian sea fans dot the walls. Sharks, sea turtles and manta rays are seen at many sites around Pohnpei. A short boat trip can be made to two neighboring atolls, Ant and Pakin, that exude the aura of paradise unspoiled. Here, the true meaning of pristine diving comes to the fore. Whether it be riding a raging current out to sea through an island pass or exploring a deep fan laden chasm, the atolls are a fantastic experience. Pohnpei's people offer a look at family life island style. Communities come together to weave a new boat house or just wash the daily clothes. Kids frolic in the water of the many rivers that flow from the mountains and down past the villages. Much is still to be learned about the mysterious Nan Madol ruins. Called the Venice of the Pacific, this manmade city with ocean-filled channels once housed a thriving, royal civilization. Huge basalt pillars form the residences of kings and sorcerers. These remnants of an ancient Pohnpeian civilization are still being studied and explored. They can be visited as part of an overall nature tour or studied in depth all day with one of Pohnpei's knowledgeable history guides. Feb.15 Pohnpei has been fun. The water falls here are nice to swim in, all the areas to go to are on private land so you have to pay to see any of the sites, thats ok but some real try to rip you off, by charging 5 bucks for a picture, I enjoy see the local people they dress very colorful , some put flowers in there hair, snorkling has been great, I took a tour boat that goes to reef snorkling, a little island for lunch, Nan madol ruins kyaking through them, we seen lots of Manterayes, stingrays and eaglerays. on sharks. haha. heading to Kosrae this afternoon, here is info on Kosrae. Close your eyes and imagine a secluded white sandy beach without a single footprint to mar its pristine beauty. Imagine gliding silently in a dugout canoe through ancient mangrove forest canals, or visiting Neolithic archeological ruins that defy both time and meaning. How about trying to find the lost treasure of the infamous American pirate Bully Hayes buried in the harbor more than a century ago? If there is any destination that comes close to this vision, it is Kosrae, one of the four island states of the Federated States of Micronesia. This 42-square-mile island is located just a few hours southeast of Guam and few hours southwest of Hawaii. Throughout their rich and colorful history, Kosraeans are considered one of the most peaceful and gracious people on Earth. Traditionally, a lot of materials are lost but lots are still practiced today. Traditional singing and chanting, weaving, woodcarving, canoe building, house building, farming, and fishing are still in practiced today.Kosrae is known for its virgin reef and pristine waters, visibility up to 200+ ft. and thriving hard coral society. There are more than 172 species of hard corals and 10 species of soft carols. There are over 250 species of fish and marine lives. Bottleneck dolphins are apt residences of the coast and whales sometimes can be spotted. The three natural harbors are homes to 2 slained whaleships, Henrietta in 1843 and Waverly in 1893, with two WWII ship wrecks the Sansun Maru and Keikyu Maru and several planes (2 in good condition). And for the more adventurous and fit traveler, try the majestic Mt. Finkol, the tallest mountain in Kosrae. At 2,064 ft. high, it is a site worth exploring while in Kosrae. Kosrae Kosrea ( wow this text is still tring to change to Japanese text) Kosrea was pretty wet for their dry season, It is a very remote island there is no real town or city center, there is just a few stores scatered along the road side, gas is sold in 1 gallon jugs from little huts, Bring cash because there is no way to get any here, they don't take any kind of cards yet. large rain forests cover the island. Did my first scubba dive was pretty neat looking at all the under water life, it is a little freaky looking up and the top of the water is 50 feet above and your life line is a little tank of air on your back. I did lots of hiking this island, it is the place if you want to get away from it all. I like Chuuk the best nice freindly people, beautiful waters, quiet, and lots to explore, I flow back to Guam for 3 days, and then to Tokyo, and to vancouver, the Boarder Contoll was a pain in the you where coming back into Canada. Hard to beleive that I never had a problem any where else. Canada ask why I didn't have much Luggage for being gone 6 weeks. I told them I had to carry that bag everywhere I went and it heavy enough. I guess they didn't like that anwser so they sent me to the the little back room. More Questions and a good look at all my stuff. 45 minutes later and I'm on my way. I had to be good because I didn't want to be tazered. HaHa. Enjoy the slide show..................Rob....................... 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