Hey, Cindy.

I just wanted to write to say thank you for everything you arranged and for making my recent vacation to Palau and Yap unforgettable. These are difficult times, to be sure and the horrible events of last week caused me to be in Yap four more days than I planned. But I have no complaints.

On a happy note, I dived 25 times (13 in Palau and 12 in Yap) and I now have 55 dives under my belt. I dramatically improved my skills and had some absolutely incredible encounters with both the coral formations and wildlife, from schools of juvenile gray reef sharks, manta rays, eagle rays and barracuda to moray eels, cuttlefish, damsels, nudibranchs, leopard sharks, turtles, wrasses, clown triggerfish and clownfish.

My favorite dives were, in Palau: Blue Holes, Blue Corner, Siaes Tunnel, Jake Floatplane, Peleliu Wall, Chandelier Cave, Teshio Maru, and New Drop-Off. In Yap, my favorites were Yap Caverns, Valley of the Rays, Goofnuw Mini-Wall, Sunrise Reef and Manta Cleaning Station, in Miil Channel.

My divemasters were outstanding - especially Matthew Young, who I was later told is one of the most sought-after divemasters in Micronesia. I was lucky enough to have him as my divemaster. Alberto Reija-Garcia and Olga Spoelstra of Yap Divers weren't only outstanding, but became friends, putting me up for three nights in their two-bedroom apartment when I was stranded and couldn't afford to continue staying at Pathways.

Sam's and Yap Divers proved to be the best companies on those islands I could've picked. Kayaking tours in both countries greatly surpassed my expectations, as did most every dive. West Plaza By the Sea proved to be perfect for me, as for as location and comfort - I spoke Tagalog with everyone at the hotel (I speak the language because of a course I took at a community college to prepare to meet my fiancee's family when I traveled to the Philippines with her and her family two years ago.). Staying at Pathways was a very worthwhile experience and so was taking the cultural tour of the village of Kaday.

I wish I could've had a little time in Guam to explore - and I thought I would, accidentally because of the flight cancellations and strandings, but it wasn't meant to be this time. As you know I tried to call you, but that was just to say hello and let you know I had arrived.

So Cindy, thanks again for everything.

Take care,

Gil Griffin