Fuel and Sushi
29 April 2009 | Koror
Randy
We had planned to go diving with Sam's today but we discovered that Hideko was on her last day of visa validity, and though it was a close call, we decided that extending her immigration credentials took precedence over scuba.
Parker, the local cruiser cabbie, dropped us off at the Immigration office above the police station. We had to fill out a form and run across the street to pay a $50 extension tab. On return with the recipt we were issued a 30 day extension. Hideko gets one more 30 day extension and then if we want to stay longer we have to fly her to yap or tokyo or something for a day. then she can come back in for another 90 (at $50 per 30 days).
US citizens get a year before having to depart. Hideko has a green card but that didn't make any difference. Other than USA, RMI and FSM, all nationals of other countries get 30 days in Palau and can extend twice for a total of 90.
After getting Hideko extended, which was pretty easy, we brought the big boat in to Sam's for fueling. We came in on a half tide and parked on the north side of the dock near the fuel pump. The dive boats are out during the day and most of the dock is available. You have to watch out for some shallow rocks just north of the dock at any tide. We came in close to the double raft of power cats at the end of the dock and settled in with no problem.
Ramil helped us top up the gas jugs for the dink, the diesel tanks and the starboard water tank. At $3 a gallon we were pretty happy with the tab after paying some pretty radical prices in the hinterlands from whence we came.
The Whistler crew, hideko, Miki and I as well as Zack from another boat in the anchorage made way to the sushi place below Taj for dinner. That's a long name, "The Sushi Place Below Taj", but it is all anyone has been calling the place and we can't come up with the name. I'll post the proper name asap.
It was the best sushi we have had on Palau, which only rate ok to good depending on what you ordered. Some things were very good butt the toro was severely lacking and not doing the toro right is a sushi sin in my book. The tab was sushi like (large). We had fun and the staff were great so I would rate it a neutral.