Counting Down the Hours to Take-off

Well, a little over one day to go before I take off on my adventure to the Federated States of Micronesia.  Just checked the weather report and for the next week and it looks like I am in for temps in the mid- to upper-80's and 40-60% chance of thunderstorms every day.  Reminds me of my trip to Fiji this past January.  Rained nearly every day, on & off, but it didn't spoil my enjoyment of the islands.  I just hope I still have some great visibility for my underwater photos.  Even on a bad day, I am sure it is 20 times clearer than my home waters of San Diego.  Don't get me wrong, I love diving in San Diego, I just wish I could see a little further sometimes.

My bags are pretty much packed and I checked to make sure I am within the weight limit of 50 lbs per bag.  Continental Airlines allows 2 checked bags at no charge as long as you remain within this weight limit, plus your one carry-on and personal bag.  I am carrying my camera pelican case on the plane with me, because unlike my buddy Rod, my camera and strobes fit into a convenient, smaller case.  Rod's camera case, when weighed in, just makes the limit at 49.7 lbs - whew!  One thing divers should keep in mind when traveling is to have their computers with them in their carry-on bags to keep them in the pressurized cabin.  That way they are all ready to go for a dive when you arrive.

Just a little FYI side note: electricity in both Palau and Yap is 110 or 120 volt and is supplied by "North American style" plugs, so no need to bring adapters.

Other handy travel tips: 

Make a copy of your passport and any credit cards you take along with you and keep them separate from these items in case they are lost or stolen.  International credit cards are widely accepted, however, atm/debit card services may not be available in  the Federated States of Micronesia.

Always remember to carry another form of photo ID other than your passport to be safe.

Although Palau and Yap do not require U.S. citizens to have any special immunizations, always check with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (http://www.cdc.gov/) for up-to-date health alerts.  Also, when traveling to these islands, bring plenty of repellent such as "Off" to keep away any mosquitos as they can transmit Dengue fever.

Well, just enough time for me to drive myself crazy checking my lists again and again to make sure I haven't forgotten anything.  Light, casual clothing (check), bathing suits (do you think 3 is enough? - check), backup batteries for my camera & strobes (check), DAN insurance & my PADI c-card just in case (check)...now what am I forgetting?...boy, I can't wait to get on that plane!