Exploring Koror... Part II

With a few hours to spare and not wanting to spend the rest of the evening in the hotel, we thought it was wise to get back to Koror, and see first-hand city-life, island-style!

Koror city is bisected by the Main Street and much of city-life is centered around this spine. Along the Main Street, you would find a mall (WCTC Shopping Center), a supermarket (Surangel's), numerous restaurants, hotels and tour shops...

We walked into WCTC for some souvenir shopping and then crossed the Main Street to Surangel's...

Surangel's was teeming with people doing their post-Christmas shopping. There was a festive atmosphere around here and people looked really happy. Perhaps there is something in island life that keeps you happy!

And we were surprised to see turmeric from India on sale here!

And I almost rubbed my eyes in disbelief when I saw packaged food from ITC's Kitchens of India on sale in Surangel's! Wow, India's soft power is coming right here into the heart of the Pacific!

We stopped by at a cafe - Coffee Berry right door, simply because it offered free wifi to its patrons. Run by a friendly Taiwanese, we ordered a coffee and quickly got on to our Whatsapps!

I must say the coffee was pretty good, but the internet speed sucked all the battery life in our phones. So we spent time enjoying Coffee Berry's quotes on coffee...

Indeed yes...

I cannot disagree...

O wow! Biryani in Koror! Life can't get better than this, especially seeing India's  India's soft power in a free-flow here...

The good thing about eating out in Palau is you get to be treated like a royal. We walked into Suriyothai, a Thai restaurant on the Main Street, which is no different in this respect. The staff was extremely friendly and eager to help. Our orders came barely 10 minutes which is great by all standards. The food was very very delicious! Overall, would rate Suriyothai very highly!

And it was finally time to head back to Airai!

Back To Koror...

With almost all of Palau's sights covered, with the exception of Peleliu, we drove down from the Capitol at Ngerulmud to Koror for lunch, as we had fallen head over heels in love with the Taj!

It was bright and sunny as we passed by the airport at Airai on our way to Koror...

And I am pleased to get views of the Palau Pacific Airways Boeing 737 from interesting angles...

Another great catch - a Asia Pacific Airlines Boeing 727 freighter from Guam - this pretty bird has winglets...

The airport terminal is shaped like a traditional bai...

The airport has its peak operating hours in the evenings, the day has freighters coming in...

Manta rays grace the facade of the airport terminal...

Alii - the signboard welcomes guests to Palau...

Interesting to see solar panels powering the lights at the Airai State Government office...

Back at the Taj, we had an another interesting meal...

And it was time to say goodbye to the Taj...

Back at our hotel, the Palauan national flag flies high...

...alongwith flags of Canada, Japan, South Korea, the United States and Taiwan!

And it is time to pack our bags, before we depart for Incheon around midnight...

Glimpses Of Koror...

Heading out of Malakal Island, we drove into Koror city...

The clouds that were on the horizon gave way to stormy rain for about 15 minutes, after which there was a constant drizzle for a while, as we drove into Koror...

And magically after that the skies started clearing up...

Stopping by at the Palau Community College, the most reputable institution in the Republic of Palau... 

The campus was incredibly beautiful...

A pretty cottage on the campus...

A sight to die for - sun shining through rows of palms...

The statue of Prince Lee Boo...

A legendary figure of the 1700s, Prince Lee Boo was the son of Abba Thulle, the ruler of Coorooraa (as Koror was known then). He was one of the first people from the Pacific Islands to visit England along with Captain Henry Wilson, who he met in 1783, when Captain Wilson's ship, the Antelope, was wrecked on the island of Oroolong in Western Palau...

Unfortunately, in December 1784, just five months after arriving in London, Prince Lee Boo died. He was just 20 years old. He was buried in a church in London...

The story of Prince Lee Boo's life was documented in a book by George Keate written in the late 1700s, titled The Interesting History of Prince Lee Boo, Brought to England from the Pelew Islands. The book was based on journals and communications of Captain Henry Wilson and his officers...

The author's daughter, Georgiana Jane Keate painted the portrait of Prince Lee Boo in the book. This book was quite popular and was translated into over 20 languages between 1789 and 1850...

The Palaun national flag basking in the afternoon sun...

How pretty...

Time to head back to Babeldaob for a car ride around the island...

Back To Malakal - An Incredible Day Ends...

After an incredible day around the Rock Islands, one of the incredible natural wonders of Palau, we are back on Malakal Island, in Airai state...

A video of our boat ride through the day today...

Stopping by at Bottom Time Bar and Grill located within the premises of Sam's Tours for a quick coffee before heading out...

As we sat down sipping on our coffees, we knew in our hearts that was the best trip we ever had in our lives. And memories of this trip will be vivid in hearts forever, till we live...

A yacht in the port rests as a storm brews in the skies...

The jetty of Sam's Tours...

That was our ride around Palau today...

"Help keep Palau beautiful!"

Badges and other memorabilia...

Flags line the ceiling - I spot flags of Australia, Malaysia, Guam, Finland, Northern Territories of Australia, a pirate flag (!), Canada and Greece...

These bottles kept us going through the day...

Look what I found - a flag of the Soviet Union!!!

Thanks Leiner and Sam's Tours...