Nov 29, 2007 - The island of the Betelnut

Our friend Thane lives in a house on the beach in Maap district on Yap. Just off the beach are two spirits who were frozen in place forever, caught by the sun after they stayed too late at a party on the forbidden island of Ranung. Thane lives in the village of Wolloi, and if there were a soundtrack to his life right now, it would be the opening theme to the tv show "The Office." In the morning he listens to an episode on his iPod during the drive to the hospital, which is about 7 miles and 45 minutes away. Thane is a doctor. We reached...

Oct 22, 2005 - Yap, Micronesia

Our second stop in Micronesia proved much different than the first. Again, we were drawn by the diving. But this diving would be different - here, instead of focusing on shipwrecks, we would swim with enormous, magnificent manta-rays. And what unexpectedly awaited us was a well-organized, charming island with efficient infrastructure. Yap is another cluster of Micronesian islands in the middle of nowhere. But somehow they have managed to put the dollars coming in from the U.S. to good use. Their roads are well-maintained and drivable at...

Oct 16, 2005 - Truk Lagoon, Micronesia

We were drawn to the Chuuk Islands of Micronesia by the same diversion other occasional visitors are - the best wreck diving in the world. These islands are extraordinarily remote. An hour flight south of Guam in the middle of the South Pacific, they are hardly on the map. And that's what makes them special. For those of you who have never heard of Micronesia, you may have heard of Palau - one of the recent settings for the reality TV show "Survivor." Palau is one of the four states of Micronesia. The others are Chuuk, Yap and Pohnpei....