Sulang Palau! I wasn’t quite lucky with the weather but I feel blessed to have discovered this place and culture in the middle of the Pacific. Al morolung!
#palau #ephemera #aerial #travel #documentary
While exploring Babeldaob, the biggest island of Palau, I was able to talk with Amania, an elder inhabitant of Ngardmau State.
Her age and rank are testified by the size and color of the stone money she is wearing around her neck. In the past this precious stones were used to exchange goods between clans and women were in charge of it.
Today this money continues to be offered to women by men in certain traditional marriage, funeral and first-child ceremonies.
#palau #ephemera #stonemoney #portrait #travel #documentary
I’m not having much luck with the weather in Palau. It seems that rainy season arrived sooner than expected.
So I had to snorkel in uncomfortable situations, but it was still worth it because I could see more corals, like these ones that are really close to the water surface, especially at low tide.
I met an local artisan who is carving stories on animal-shaped pieces of wood. Telling stories on carved wood is an old tradition in Palau. The storyboard was introduced to the island during the Japanese occupation and was then adapted by the islanders to illustrate their own legends.
I took a walk around my accommodation in Koror, the main state of Palau, and met some of the neighbors. Life here is really simple and relaxed, with locals chilling on their front porch or next to their homes. This contrasts with the hectic activity of tourism businesses, mostly owned by Chinese and Japanese entrepreneurs, who drive all around the state picking up or dropping off foreign tourists at their hotels.
#palau #ephemera #portrait #travel #documentary
Palau is also traditional dance and chanting, with female dancers wearing grass skirts and coconut cups and with their skin covered in coconut oil. Today these dances are mostly performed for shows and cultural events.
Paul is not only a pristine arcipelago but also an ancient culture. The Airai Bai (Men's house of Airai) in the Airai municipality, is the oldest traditional meetinghouse you can find on the island. Its facade and interior beams are decorated with depictions of Palauan legends. The building and site have long been the spiritual and civic centerpiece of the community, however today they are rarely used.
#palau #ephemera #bai #culture #aerialphotography #art #travel #documentary
The coral reef in Palau seems to be in better shape than what I’ve observed in Maldives. However I’ve still noticed some bleaching events in a couple of spots, meaning that also here the changes in water acidity and temperature are starting to affect the reef.
#palau #ephemera #corals #underwater #travel #documentary