Road Remedies

CASUAL FRIDAY
ROCK ISLANDS, Palau – Sun bakes the turquoise and jade right out of the ocean. We paddle kayaks through a horizon of pure heat.

The cave takes the edge off. We loiter in the cool, reviewing the old schoolyard knowledge: Stalactites cling tight. Stalagmites might grow.

"Who's feeling adventurous? Follow me!" our guide Ron shouts, then dives off a stalagmite nubbin. His boat slingshots into motion, a small Mary Celeste ghost ship.

"Is kayak towing adventurous?" I sass, when he corks upward.

"I meant to unclip the lead," red-faced, he disappears into the dark water.

I follow. Daddy didn't raise no chicken...

"Up here," Ron calls. He's scaled the cave's arch, maybe 20ish feet above the deep channel. "Wanna jump?"

"H#ll yeah!"

***

My last cliff plunge was into the Colorado River three years ago. I lost a contact lens, which spiced the remainder of the whitewater rafting trip: lo-fi, 2-D nonstop action!!!

***

But Palau is storybook, start to finish. I push into space, streaming downward, then blast into the fishbowl of the Pacific. I surface with full vision and a wild monkey grin.

"How was it?" a voice dopplers across the cave.

"Beats a cubicle any day!"