2026 Pacific Islands, Part 1 | Pacific, Part 2
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| Palau Yap Guam Majuro |
Palau
Palau: Stone Money Quarry
I took a private boat trip out to the Metuker ra Bisech Yapese quarry area.
Long ago, seafarers rowed from Yap to mine limestone "Stone Money" here on Palau.
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| Heading out from the Koror–Babeldaob Bridge |
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| Limestone outcroppings |
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| The Metuker ra Bisech dock |
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| An abandoned piece of Stone Money |
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| Graham with Stone Money |
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| It's a very solid chunk of limestone |
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| Cave entrance. Supposedly one of the quarry areas. |
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Palau: Airai Area
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| Airai Bai |
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| Airai Bai |
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| Airai Bai interior |
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| Kabeki (War Canoe) A 20 seater, about 47 ft long |
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| Remains of WWII Japanese communications center |
Palau: Koror Area
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| Belau National Museum |
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| Belau National Museum: Austronesian Expansion |
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| Koror Area, from Central Hotel |
Palau Capitol
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| Palau Capitol Oddly reminiscent of a US State Capitol |
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| A symbolic "Money Bird" Holding "bread money" in its bill |
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| Grand Rotunda |
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| Looking up into the dome |
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| Government HQ area |
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| Constructed with help from Taiwan |
Palau: Badrulchau Stone Monoliths
Enigmatic stone pillars & carved "faces" from around the 2nd c AD
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| Badrulchau Stone Monoliths |
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| Adjacent Stone faces |
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Palau: Around Babeldaob
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| Odalmelech: Stone face |
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| Odalmelech: Stone face |
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| Aimeliik Bai |
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| Ouballang er Ngebedech Terrace Prehistoric terrace, with "crown" |
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| View to another prehistoric hilltop terrace |
Yap - Land of Stone Money
The Micronesian state of Yap is home to the famous Stone Money. In Olden times the stones were quarried and transported, with enormous effort, from quarries on Palau.
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| Clean-cut edge on weathered stone |
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| Smaller, but elegant Stone Coin |
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| A Stone Money cookie with my lunchtime coffee |
Around Yap
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| "400 year old" stone path around island |
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| View of South-West coast |
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| Mangroves |
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| Men's House, in South-East Yap |
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| Men's House inteior |
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| West Yap Men's House In a mix of old and new styles |
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| Village Meeting House |
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| Reef view from North-East Yap |
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| Yap Living History Museum |
Yap: WWII Relics
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| Remains of Zero fighter |
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| WWII Japanese gun (?) |
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| Remains of WWII Zero fighter |
Guam
Guam: Hagåtña
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| Guam's own miniature Statue of Liberty |
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| Statue of Chief Kepuha (d 1669) |
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| Spanish-era San Antonio Bridge (1800) |
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| Statue of "Sirena" |
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| Guam Museum |
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| Statue of John Paul II Sadly it no longer rotates |
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| American flag made during Japanese occupation |
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| The modest Guam Congress Building |
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| Hagåtña Catholic Cathedral |
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| 17th c (?) Latte Stones (hut foundations) |
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| Bastion of Fort Santa Agueda (~1800) |
Around Guam
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| Gorgeous Tumon Bay #1 |
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| Gorgeous Tumon Bay #2 |
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| View from Nimitz Hill, over USMC landing sites |
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| Monument to Magellan's landing in 1521 |
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| Umatac Bay: Magellan's landing spot |
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| Fort Soldedad (1810) |
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| Ga'an Point: Japanese WWII coastal gun |
Majuro, Marshall Islands
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| Cathedral Parish of Assumption |
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| Uliga United Church of Christ |
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| Alele Museum: Traditional Costume |
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| View into Majuro Atoll lagoon |
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| Another view inside the atoll lagoon |
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| View to the Pacific #1 |
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| View to the Pacific #2 With loose stone seawall / breakwater |
| Pacific, Part 2
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