When I was twelve years old, a harmless garter snake crossed my path and put me into panic mode. Now, more than half a century later, I still get the heebie-jeebies whenever I think of one. So after hearing that a one-eyed eel (close enough to a snake) may be lurking about in the nearby riverbed, I freeze in my tracks.
My husband and I are visiting Palau, an archipelago of 340 lush islands in the western Pacific in the southwest corner of Micronesia. And as well as checking out the amazing treasures that thrive beneath the waves, we explore a few above the pristine surface –the Ngardmau Waterfall being one of them.
As legend has it, the curtain of water that plummets 30 meters (100 ft) was created by this slimy-like creature. After falling into an endless sleep, he magically transformed into the river and his head became the waterfall. Whether fact or fiction, snake or eel, after listening to this mythical tid-bit, my skin begins to crawl.
“Fear not,” Jayvan reassures with a cheeky smile. “The only slithery thing you’ll cross today is the path.” We’d been prepped in what to bring on this hour-long trek that bisects Babeldaob’s jungle: Bug repellent, comfy shoes, bathing suit. How tricky could it be?
The walking sticks our Palauan guide doles out should have been my first clue.
Thank heavens for this trusty crutch. Like a third leg, it guides me down 375 stairs that cleave through the tangled flora. It serves as my staff while navigating streams, protruding roots and mucky mud holes. It also acts as my support when taking a breather – which happens regularly. But it’s not my rapid respiration that stops me in my tracks, it’s the sheer beauty.
Towering mahoganies, leafy papayas and feathery palms mesh with 1,200 plant species in this undisturbed Micronesian rainforest. The flourishing array canopies my route and cloaks the forever rolling terrain. In the distance, spilling out of Mother Nature’s plush overcoat, is our eventual destination point, Palau’s largest waterfall. And from these peek-a-boo views, it looks more serene than serpent-like.
But after yesterday’s Jungle Boat Cruise, there’s one thing we know – this tropical wonderland is home to the living. Prior to launching off on this reality ride, my husband’s t-shirt became a hang-out for a friendly fruit bat. While dining on the sumptuous Palauan buffet, we shared our picnic table with a curious wide-eyed monkey. And when plying the lush mangrove-flanked tributary, we were greeted by a jaw-gaping crocodile. Yes, he was hungry – but fortunately not for our photographing fingers!
“No worries,” Jayvan says, taking me out of my dream state, “Aside from a few harmless snakes, Palau is people-friendly.”
I make like his shadow, after giving this comment some serious thought, and follow closely at his heels.
While accompanied en route by a cacophony of bird song, we cross tracks that take us to both the past and future. Railway ties, now choked by overgrowing flora were used by the Japanese during WWII when they mined the area for aluminum. Paralleling these rusty relics is a gleaming monorail that whisks non-hikers from the trailhead to the falls. A zip line provides adventure seekers with an even more thrilling way down.
But today, it’s all on foot. As we continue descending into the jungle thickets, I pray my legs don’t fail me now. After reaching a sign that says, “waterfall this way,” I realize my arms (and bathing suit) are going to get in on the action too.
Waiting before us is a thigh-deep riverbed and strung up to the adjacent shoreline is a flimsy guide wire.
“It’s a snap,” Jayvan says with a smirk. “Just hang onto the twine and go hand over hand.” His laissez-faire instructions for this tight rope act are accented by the thunderous roar of the nearby falls and though I’d rather be dipping into the infinity pool at our resort, I clutch onto this Tarzan-like lifeline and plunge in.
Within minutes we’re safely across and beneath the fabulous falls. The raging froth funnels through a narrow gorge and from its steep precipice plummets to where we stand in the white-water pool. Mesmerized by its magnificence, we silently watch this spectacle of nature -unblemished, untarnished, and unspoiled.
And, thankfully, uninhabited by any one-eyed eels. | For more information: https://pristineparadisepalau.com/
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