Leo's island is not a distance that can easily be taken in a canoe from Koror. Therefore, Michael decided to ask his friend Daniel, who is familiar with speedboat handling and shipping routes, to bring the canoe towed behind a speedboat which owned by the volunteer office.  Daniel was an American and, like Michael, a US government volunteer. Daniel is a construction engineer who provides technical guidance to local people. He is very tall, wide-chested.  Miyoko felt intimidated with Daniel’s sharp eyes and stern look, but Daniel is really a kind person. The boat owned by the Volunteer office was made of wood and very small.  For some reason, it is painted red. It has a tiny motor. Can it pull a canoe in the ocean?

     The day of their departure, Miyoko got up early, cooked rice, made rice balls, sprinkled salt on them, and wrapped them tightly with seaweed.  Next is to make sandwiches. With this heat, meat sandwiches get spoiled very quickly. Miyoko knew that peanut butter and jam would last relatively longer. So she made a number of peanut butter and jam sandwiches and wrapped them in paper. Michael and Daniel worked together to load the packages of belongings onto the red boat.

     The tools, clothes, miscellaneous goods, Miyoko's stationery, tent, all were tightly wrapped in plastic to prevent them from getting wet. It's a tiny boat with only a board to sit at the middle.  The packages were placed under their feet. Michael brought some drinking water in a large plastic container. Daniel brought in spare gasoline. Miyoko is in charge of taking care of Banana. Miyoko didn't give Banana water and food from the morning.  A cat is fine not to drink or eat for a day. 

     Recognizing the rushing movements and tense atmosphere of unusual people, Banana was scared and nervous. Banana was about eight months old then. The kitten era was over and he just became a young cat.  He was still small, light and supple. On the day of departure, Miyoko wrapped Banana in a large bath towel and held him tightly in her arms. Miyoko didn't have a pet carrier. Michael’s canoe was firmly tied behind the red boat with a thick, long rope.  Daniel steered the boat, so he sat at the stern.  Miyoko sat at the middle of the boat facing Daniel with her back in the direction of the boat.  Michael rode alone in the canoe to guide the direction and keep an eye out for the rocks and coral mounds rising from the reef. At the pier in Koror, Palauans made a circle around them, observed the behavior of the three foreigners with a great interest. The news that Miyoko and Michael went somewhere would soon spread throughout Koror. 

     They wanted to leave Koror early in the morning, but with a lot of errands, it was almost 3 o’clock when the little red boat finally left Koror.

     It was a windy day from the morning. It's a headwind. The little red boat, pulling the canoe, squeezed through a number of uninhabited islands, cutting the waves one by one, bouncing through the sea.  Miyoko was turning her back upwind.  Miyoko's short hair soon all stood up in the strong wind. While being held tightly in Miyoko’s arms, Banana put his face out of the towel with his huge golden eyes.  But eventually he sank deep into the towel. Miyoko doesn't know if Banana fell asleep, or was so afraid that he just stayed still.  In any case, she was relieved.

     The wind made a tremendous noise around Miyoko’s ears. When the boat went out into the open sea, the waves became larger.  Miyoko's jacket soon got wet as the boat hit by waves one after another. Miyoko curled up and held the Banana-hidden towel tight so that Banana wouldn't get wet.  

     Leo's island should be within an hour and a half from Koror on this small wooden boat if it were a fine day with no waves. However, the wind was getting stronger and stronger. Looking up at the sky, Miyoko could see that the heavy gray clouds were moving low. Miyoko thought it would be a problem if it rained. The rain at sea is very cold. The little boat went on, but it would not reach Leo's island after two or three hours with this pace. It didn't rain after all, but the sky got darker and darker, and finally the sun went down without a sunset. It was a dark night with no moon or stars. This small boat has no lights to warn other boats if they are near. Fishermen don't go out to sea on this rough night, but for some reason there may be a speedboat or two moving in this weather. It is very dangerous to sail at night without lights.

     The waves started to swell. The little boat was fighting the waves hard, but Miyoko was not sure if it's moving forward or being pushed back by the waves.  Miyoko has stopped looking at her watch.  Miyoko could see the canoe behind the boat with a ghostly black shadow of Michael sitting in it being lifted above or sunk in the waves and disappeared.  Daniel, who was familiar with the routes around here, had to take waterways carefully, but it was not easy with this rough weather.

     The small boat was lifted high and fell into the valley of the waves, and lifted by the next wave, and so on.   It also sways violently to the left and right. It's hard to sit in the same spot on a boat. Daniel sometimes shouts something at Miyoko, but she could hear nothing. 

     It's been about four hours since they left Koror.  Daniel suddenly turned the boat. It seemed that the boat was heading to a nearby island. A black island was getting closer and closer but it was not Leo’s island. Miyoko has been to this island many times.  It is half sandy beach, and half deep forest, much like Leo's island, but larger.  As Daniel goes around the island, the waves gradually settle down. Eventually, Daniel brought the boat slowly into a half-moon shaped shallow sandy bay. In the bay, there are only gentle swells.  When Daniel turns off the engine, there was such a tranquility and stillness in the air that the storm in the sea they just left behind seemed a different world. 

     Miyoko, holding a lump of towel containing Banana, stepped out of the boat into the shallow water up to her knees. She was so much fighting against the movement of the waves for many hours that her legs were stiff and jerky.  Michael got out from the canoe far behind and walked to Miyoko and Daniel.  Daniel said "Let's stay here tonight." In fact, if you come this far, Leo's island is just across the strait. However, both Miyoko and Michael agreed with Daniel. All three were very tired beyond belief.  They were at the mercy of the movement of the rough waves for too many hours.