FSM

April 15, 2015 - We landed in Pohnpei airport. Small island capital out of the 4 other islands of Kosrae, Chuuk and Yap. From the sky, I took in the expansive views of turquoise sea dotted with green land masses. Thinking about my 18kg of dive equipment and underwater camera, I was hoping to dive Pohnpei's Ant Island, see the mysterious ruins of Nan Madol and trek some waterfalls.

We arrived in the small airport terminal and were surprised that no one was waiting for us. Our mobile phones didn't work so we were helpless and hoped that someone would come for us. After about 40 minutes, a lady walked up to us and asked if we were the officials that were expected to arrive. After a few minutes of discussion, she ushered us into her vehicle and took us to our hotel, the Seven Stars Inn. We were informed that there was a water shutdown and hence no water for the night except for the bottled mineral water in the fridge. Brushing teeth with chilled water is no fun!

The Seven Stars Inn was not named because it surpassed a 5 star rated hotel. In fact there are no such hotels in Pohnpei. The Seven Stars Inn was named after seven children of the owners. It was a homey atmosphere with good beds and clean facilities.

BreadFruit Tree
Picnic Food

The sun rises early in Pohnpei around 4.30 am, and we were awaken by the calls of jungle fowls and bird songs. A small group of ladies chatted loudly in Tagalog below our window and I later learn that 80% of the workforce on Micronesia is from the Philippines. Breakfast was served in a large dinning hall and two smiling Micronesian ladies waited on us. I ordered breadfruit to go with my meal.  ( Breadfruit is akin to potatoes and rice )

For the next few days , we had a full program of official visits and meetings. In the evenings, we tried sushi and local restaurants. One Japanese / Micronesian restaurant called Sei Restaurant was where I found bottled Noni Juice at USD10. For lunch, Joy was pretty good. Cupid's restaurant and Bar for stunning views and coconut cream pies!

Micronesian ladies
I visited the dive centre but it was a quiet season and no other divers to accompany me. I ended up at the Marine Conservation Centre of Pohnpei instead and made friends with the enthusiastic volunteers who promised to take me on their next research dives. I went trekking with the wife of the deputy foreign minister, who is such a sport! We had two guides from the conservation centre who would identify the flora and fauna.





Hello Picture Perfect
Friendship in Bloom


Steps of Nan Madol

Falls


Inspecting the Flora
One of the highlights of this trip must be the special foods found here. I learn to drink Sakau - a fermented gooey alcoholic drink made from Sakau vines. It is a social drink as it makes one drowsy and tempers quarrels. Also a celebratory drink, it is offered to tribal chiefs and elders at important occasions. In the evening air, the sound of pounding of Sakau leaves resonates throughout the island.



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