Serious question: Are the ladies in Yap, Truk, and Pelau still topless? Old advertisements from the 1970s always showed topless ladies but recent books always show them attired to Western norms. I'm considering a trip to Palau/Belau next year for the first time and I'd prefer dive destinations that don't have run-of-the-mill Americanized cultures topside.
Topless in Micronesia
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Yap is a caste based culture similar to India. The lower your caste (ie class) then the less you matter to everyone else.
As sad as this sounds it is true.
The low caste women still go topless. These are mostly people living in outlying areas, but also the women who clean the streets.
There are also two women who greet people arriving at the airport who are topless. This is more of a "Hey this is our traditional culture thing" rather than a caste thing. These women do not go around topless the rest of the time as they are more upper class.
THis may be a sad situation in some peoples eyes but that is the way it is.
Truk i do not know.
Palau, very Americanized. Except for that godawful electric organ based music at the local bars...
But definitely worth a visit, great diving. The cultural side of things is somewhat limited. You may want to hang out for a couple of days, get on a liveaboard for a week to get in the max diving and short boat rides, and then spend a couple of days on island at the end...
As sad as this sounds it is true.
The low caste women still go topless. These are mostly people living in outlying areas, but also the women who clean the streets.
There are also two women who greet people arriving at the airport who are topless. This is more of a "Hey this is our traditional culture thing" rather than a caste thing. These women do not go around topless the rest of the time as they are more upper class.
THis may be a sad situation in some peoples eyes but that is the way it is.
Truk i do not know.
Palau, very Americanized. Except for that godawful electric organ based music at the local bars...
But definitely worth a visit, great diving. The cultural side of things is somewhat limited. You may want to hang out for a couple of days, get on a liveaboard for a week to get in the max diving and short boat rides, and then spend a couple of days on island at the end...
jlyle
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We've been to Truk, Palau, and Yap. Yap was the only place that some women were topless and some men still wore loincloths (red or blue, depending on what group they were affiliated with). Palau is up-scale and people are dressed like they would be in Hawaii or Guam. Truk is more off the beaten path, but the kids dress like the kids here in Los Angeles, Nikes, baggy pants, "wazzup, bro?". If you're looking for some remnants of past cultures, I'd say go to Yap.
[BTW, the topless women we saw in Yap were rather large.]
[BTW, the topless women we saw in Yap were rather large.]
scubashooter
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Jim, there are slim women in Yap. And underneath the caste system and the "authentic" cultural experience, they still read Cosmopolitan etc.
You want the best authentic experience without interference, learn to bbecome invisible and head to Nicobar.
You want the best authentic experience without interference, learn to bbecome invisible and head to Nicobar.
jlyle
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scubashooter:Jim, there are slim women in Yap. And underneath the caste system and the "authentic" cultural experience, they still read Cosmopolitan etc.
You want the best authentic experience without interference, learn to bbecome invisible and head to Nicobar.
Sorry, no offense intended to anyone, just stating the facts as we observed them.
singlemalt
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And how is clothing Americanised? ... if anything it is Europeanised .......
You will find that the women are all clothed ... do a layover at Pattaya if you want boobies (tounge in cheek)
You will find that the women are all clothed ... do a layover at Pattaya if you want boobies (tounge in cheek)
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