Chasing waterfalls

"Don't go chasing waterfalls, just stick to the rivers and the lakes like you used to"

- "Chasing waterfalls" by TLC

We blasted that song in the car. Maikani had it on her phone, and we managed to stream her music through the rental car's speakers. A part of my mind flashed back to the early 90s - suddenly, I was 7 years old again and listening to the radio with my sister.

Maikani at Ngatpang Waterfall. Photo by Matt Bennett.

We had a day off today - one of the few this trip. I offered the team a few options for fun activities, and the clear winner was chasing waterfalls. 

There are a number of waterfalls on Palau's northernmost island, Babeldaob. I found one with Kharis last November, and we had an amazing hike. This time, I wore a swimsuit under my clothing so I could not just hike but swim in the river below the waterfall. Others followed suit. 

We actually ended up going to two different waterfalls on the western side of Babeldaob. We hiked down the trail and along the river to the sound of rushing water. We took off our shoes and waded in the crystal clear water. We climbed trees. We noticed plants and insects. We marveled at the beauty of the nature around us. 

Toward the end of the day, our rental car broke down in Palau's northernmost state, Ngarchelong. We were as far from home as we possibly could have driven, and it was going to take an hour to be rescued. Cas blamed our behavior. "It's because we went chasing waterfalls," he reasoned, "when we were explicitly told not to." 

We did eventually make it home, and even though our exploration was cut short, it was still a glorious day off. Good music, team bonding, and exploring nature - all while chasing waterfalls.