Hike to Ngardmau Falls

Yesterday we rented a car and went to the waterfall in Ngardmau . This time E went with a Japanese car rental & insurance and saved quite a bit of money over the Budget rental... but he had to drive a right sided driver Toyota minivan.
It was a bit strange, though we've been riding in taxis and other vehicles that also have the right sided driver. (The roads are like the U.S.) The only significant amount of traffic is the 2 mile stretch of downtown, which can be quite hairy given the conditions and absence of traffic signals, but beyond the downtown area, traffic drops off considerably.

It took awhile - suspecting at first that the speedometer was broken- to figure out that it was in km/hr and not mph and then E adjusted his speed to be faster.

E. has been mentally steeling me for how arduous the climb out of the falls is, and I wasn't looking forward to that part of the experience at all, but there I was making my descent yesterday... down the roughly hewn steps cut into the jungle hillside. The earthy smell and dappled lighting for most of the hike down was enjoyable, even as we were starting to be sweaty from the exertion of carefully placed steps.

They are nearing the completion of an engineering project at the falls that will allow hikers to take a zip line across the canyon canopy for a speedy trip to the bottom of the falls, and to take a gas powered chair conveyance on a single rail line back up to the top. This is scheduled to be finished sometime in June. It will certainly bring more visitors (dollars) to their waterfall attraction, but I think I may be glad I was among the last of the hikers enjoying the serene beauty of the place with few other people. The ladies who take the entrance fee ($10) told me there were 27 visitors there yesterday. We were the last ones to climb out.

Even before arriving at the base of the falls, there are flowing stream areas that are a welcome respite where you can get wet and cool down, sampling some of what's to come. Carefully placed footsteps over wet black rock and smushy muddy areas of trail make it a bit precarious in places. We were wearing our snorkel booties, sans fins for the hike- a good choice of footgear, as they have rubberized bottom and can get wet.

Ferns and mosses are everywhere, especially at the bottom. At the base of the falls, the water hits the rocky floor and forms a misty cloud, and the sound of the water running everywhere is so rejuvenating. I sat in the knee deep water staring into the waterfall for a good hour. Then I sat under it, in a place where the water flow wasn't thundering down.

Along with construction of the zip lines and the rail conveyance, they have added some umbrella seating on a deck and a thatched hut which will probably sell refreshments once it is finished. I only wish they had selected a more harmonious color scheme for their refreshment area, (browns and greens that blended in,) rather than the reds & blue that stand out in this beauty spot. I hope the peaceful harmony of the falls won't be lost when it is inundated with tourists.

Climbing out was okay for the part where the river was, savoring the last chance to immerse in the water of a catch basin that formed pools... but all too soon you have to deal with the uphill part, a serious bear of a climb. The seat of my khaki shorts can attest to the numerous times I had to"sit a spell" (and they may never be clean again, so staining is the ochre colored clay mud soil)