Three Things About Truk

Here are three things you may or may not have known about Truk:

You may know it as Truk but its true name is Chuuk

The island of Chuuk and its inhabitants were first discovered when the Spanish landed in the mid-1500's. Not much attention was paid to this small island territory until Germany purchased it from the Spaniards in 1898 and its name was eventually changed to Truk. After Germany's defeat in  World War I, control of Truk was turned over to the Japanese, but come another world war, in 1944 Truk was the subject of a US attack that lasted 3 days, named "Opertion Hailstorm". When the Japanese surrendered in August of 1945, any claim to Micronesian islands was relinquished. Through various alliances, Truk became a Trust Territory of the US until gaining its independence on November 3, 1986. It was then that Truk changed back to its original name of Chuuk.

Chuukese Love Stick  - you may think of it as a valentine

Nipwepweiaa (nipwepwe) – the Chuukese "love stick". Something now from days gone by, young men would carve two wooden “love sticks” with identical personal designs. A short one would be displayed in his hair. A longer one would be given to the woman of his adoration.


The tradition went that when a man liked a woman he would openly display the short love stick by day so that the woman would become familiar with his stick pattern. Then at night, he would go to her thatch hut and push the carved stick through the wall to snag her hair. The woman could then feel the design of the stick, and if she recognized it as from a man she liked, she could tug on the stick signaling for him to come in. If she did not care for the man, she simply shoved the stick back through the wall.

Betel Nut - nothing like beechnut chewing gum

In Micronesia the Betel nut is a form of local chewing tobacco. It is a practice found throughout the FSM, but Pohnpei and Yap have it in abundance and is an important export for the local economies. The nut of the areca palm is split open and powdered with slaked lime (comes from coral), then wrapped up in the betel leaf. Sometimes a piece of cigarette is inserted in the wrap to enhance the effects. This little packet is commonly referred to as a quid or paan. 

The quid is then placed in the mouth and chewed. As a result of chewing betel nut, a person's saliva is turned deep red, and eventually stains the teeth. This staining is considered attractive is in these cultures.

Want to learn more about Chuuk? Check out my archived "Chat About Chuuk" blogs.

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Out & About Exploring Our World - Here's How To Stay In Touch For Free

Concerned about staying in touch while traveling internationally? Maybe you couldn't tie up all the loose ends before you left town.  Or maybe something is going on back home that you need to keep tabs on while your away.  Don't want to run up excessive cell phone charges to do it?  You might have heard about this easy-to-use international text app, but if not, here's WhatsApp.

Stay In Touch For Free

WhatsApp is a real-time messaging app that let's you message friends and family for free, even while you are traveling abroad. As long as you are connected to a free WiFi network, or have not exceeded your data limit, your carrier shouldn't charge you extra for messaging anyone over WhatsApp.  One thing you need to remember though, if you don't have a global data plan, make sure to change your phone settings to deny data roaming access in order to avoid the additional mobile data charges.

create groups, send each other unlimited images, videos, and even voice messages

Some cool features of WhatsApp include being able to create groups, send each other unlimited images, videos, and even voice messages. Other great features include WhatsApp Calling and WhatsApp Web. You can make or receive calls for free with WhatsApp Calling using your phone's internet connection rather than your voice minutes. To make a call you simply open a "chat" just like you would for a text message, but tap the phone icon instead to be connected to with the person you wish to reach, as long as they are one of your contacts who uses WhatsApp, too.  Alternatively, you can receive calls from your contacts as well.  With WhatsApp Web, what they call "the computer-based extension" of the app, your phone and your computer will be completely synced so you can see all your messages on both devices.

download and learn more

For now, WhatsApp Messenger is available for iPhone, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, and Nokia, as well as your Mac or Windows PC. You can download this travel-friendly app for free from Google Play, the App Store, and Microsoft. To learn more about WhatsApp you can visit whatsapp.com and check out the FAQ's.

One last tip for my world-wise travelers: While enjoying your globe-trotting, I recommend you set the status on your WhatsApp to say "I am currently roaming abroad. Will reply when I'm on WiFi". This way your friends will know why you are not answering right away.

Like what you've read? Want to learn how to better enjoy your scuba diving vacation? Maybe you'd like to travel with Delightful Departures on an upcoming adventure? Become part of the Delightful Departures community. Discover different destinations and travel tips in our biweekly newsletter. In addition, you'll receive our FREE "Know Before You Go" guide just because. Join today.

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Five Faves When Eating Out in Koror (Palau)

When people ask me where in the world is my favorite place to dive, I generally answer, "It depends on what I am wanting to see".  However, I do have to admit that when it comes to enjoying beautiful warm waters, spectacular underwater seascapes and an endless assortment of marine creatures to enjoy, Palau holds a soft spot in my heart. And when in Palau, one of my favorite things to do is escape the confines of my hotel and venture out to find where the locals eat.

Now these are by no means fine dining experiences, but if you are looking for good food with a local atmosphere, then these are the haunts for you.

(Reviews as seen on TripAdvisor)

Emaimelei Restaurant & Kumangai Bakery

#6 of 46 restaurants in Koror

****½

53 reviews

·       

• “Highly recommended!” 04/26/2016
• “Best for Breakfast” 03/11/2016

First and foremost is Emaimelei. It's down a side street off the main drag with a pretty nondescript exterior and definitely not a fancy interior, but the food is YUMMY! Portions are generous so you may want to share. Going for breakfast? Split a serving of spam fried rice with some eggs on the side. And don't forget to check out the bakery next door. I never go to Emaimelei's without stopping in Kumangai to get something to nibble on later.

Carp Restaurant

#10 of 43 restaurants in Koror

****

118 reviews

·        

• “Great Food on the Cheap!” 06/07/2016
• “Dinner and lunch” 06/03/2016

Another great source of local cuisine, I wasn't quite sure of the place from its exterior, but when I tasted the food, I was sold.  Carp looks like a hole in the wall, but you must try the Palauan dishes on the menu to experience the true flavor of the island you are visiting. When I and my friends dropped in one evening for dinner, we had a bit of a giggle at the hand written menus. One of the seafood dishes was a "CALM" pancake. Brave enough to order it, my friend Callie thoroughly enjoyed her CLAM pancake, as did the rest of us with our own sumptuous dishes.

Bem Ermii Burgers & Fries

#8 of 46 restaurants in Koror

****

102 reviews

·     

• “Delicious Milkshakes!” 04/16/2016
• “I still think about this place!” 02/24/2016

One day on our dive boat, our divemaster told us that if we were craving a good burger, we had to go to his family's Bem Ermii Burgers. There are actually two locations, but we opted to find the food shack next to the baseball field for this outing. As we munched down our delicious burgers and fries in our nice shady spot, we watched the activity on the baseball field where the groundskeepers were trimming the entire field with weed-wackers. Good job boys. Now that's my kind of atmosphere.

Rock Island Cafe

#5 of 46 restaurants in Koror

****

181 reviews

·      

• “Giant portions at very reasonable prices” 05/29/2016
• “Decent Place to Eat - A lot of options” 04/19/2016

Another down-home restaurant is Rock Island Cafe. Say you've been adventurous, but now are just looking for some good ol' "American" fare, the this is the place for you. Decent eats, and definitely good breakfast, look at the story boards on the walls. You may find one you want to buy and take home with you.

Penthouse Restaurant

#16 of 46 restaurants in Koror

****

49 reviews

·        

• “Home away from home!!!!” 06/16/2016
• “Experience palau” 04/20/2016

Not necessarily saving the best for last, Penthouse restaurant is definitely a unique experience. You look at its pink hotel exterior and wonder what kind place you are walking into, but once again, you'll be back once you've experienced the friendly service and the food. I suggest ordering several dishes and share them family-style with your group. And I dare at least one of you to order the fruit bat soup. DEFINITELY A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE. It is actually quite good. Don't worry. When it is served to you, ask your waiter or waitress to take mercy on you and show you how to break it down to eat. Don't forget to save room for some tasty desserts.

Like what you've read? Want to learn how to better enjoy your scuba diving vacation? Maybe you'd like to travel with Delightful Departures on an upcoming adventure? Become part of the Delightful Departures community. Discover different destinations and travel tips in our biweekly newsletter. In addition, you'll receive our FREE "Know Before You Go" guide just because. Join today.

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Don't Want to Spend the Money or Time on Global Entry? Maybe This App Is For You

The Customs Process Is Now Digitized with the Mobile Passport App

Experienced international travelers all know the routine. You disembark from your long international flight and head for those wonderful immigration lines where you hurry up and wait to show your passport to the nice Customs Agent and officially re-enter the U.S. Now-a-days most international airports have those kiosks where you can scan your passport, take your picture, answer a few questions and get a receipt to hand to the CBP officer.  This helps to speed up the process a bit, but you generally still have a line to the kiosk and then a line to the CBP officer to wait in.

Then there is Global Entry.  A program where you pre-apply to receive your “Known Traveler Number” which provides you with expedited clearance through the security and customs processes.  Once in this program, international travelers can us specially marked express lanes at the majority of U.S. international airports to speed through re-entry.  However, you may not want to fill out the application, pay the $100 non-refundable processing fee, and go through the interview process to gain this access even though membership is good for five years.

iPhone and Android Users Get Your Free App

So now there is good news for those smartphone users who don’t want to fork out the dough.  Available for download through the App Store or Google Play, Mobile Passport is a free app which allows you to skip the long Customs lines and jump to the Mobile Passport Control express lane to help you speed through the process of re-entering the country.  It’s pretty simple to use.  Here’s what you do.

Step One - Complete Your Profile

After downloading the Mobile Passport app to your smartphone, complete your profile with your passport information and take a selfie as directed.  This app now has the convenient “Passport Scanner” function to enter the info for you in seconds.  Double-check the information has been entered correctly, then save your profile.  Travelers can do all this without being connected to Wi-Fi to complete their profile.

To keep things convenient, you can add family member profiles as well, which will remain stored in the app ready for use as needed.  You can do this anytime at your convenience.  (Your profile information will be encrypted and shared only with CBP.)

Step Two - Answer a Few Questions & Get Your Receipt

Now for each trip, once you land, connect to your wireless network or Wi-Fi and open Mobile Passport to complete the “New Trip” section of the app.  Here you will select yourself and any family members traveling with you.  Enter your flight information, answer a few questions and submit this digital form for a receipt.

Step Three - Skip the Line

Once you have received your receipt (QR code), you are ready to take your passport and smartphone to the CBP officer.  Just follow the signs to “Mobile Passport Control” and you’re on your way.  (It is important to remember, however, that this receipt is only good for four hours.)

There is a small hitch to this good news, though.  Mobile Passport is only available for use in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, Minneapolis, NY JFK, Newark, Orlando, Raleigh Durham, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle, Tampa and Washington Dulles airports right now, and will be coming soon to Boston.  So if you're like me, who travels out of LAX the most, maybe Global Entry is still your best option.

Like what you've read? Want to learn how to better enjoy your scuba diving vacation? Maybe you'd like to travel with Delightful Departures on an upcoming adventure? Become part of the Delightful Departures community. Discover different destinations and travel tips in our biweekly newsletter. In addition, you'll receive our FREE "Know Before You Go" guide just because. Join today.

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