Nan Madol

Kasalehlie koros! I had a great day today. I went on a water-guided tour to Nan Madol, a waterfall, and snorkeling. I was a little worried at first because it was rainy – in fact it has rained everyday I have been here – but once we reached Nan Madol it cleared up and the weather was beautiful.



Nan Madol – meaning “in between places” (in reference to the canals) was a civilization made up of 92 total islands. The earliest civilization is traced back to about the first or second century A.D. By the 8th or 9th century construction of the islet began and the distinctive architecture seen today wasn’t completed until the 12th or 13th century. Each island served its own purpose. The elite center was a place of residence for the nobility and of mortuary activities presided over by priests. Madol Powe, the mortuary sector contains 58 islets in the northeastern area of Nan Madol. Most of the islets once were occupied by the dwellings of priests. Some islets serve special purposes, such as food preparations on Usennamw, canoe making on Dapahu, and coconut oil preparation on Peinering. High walls surrounding tombs are located on the mortuary islets of Peinkitel, Nandauwas, Karian, and Lemenkou. I’d recommend google-ing it for more information.

This place could be considered one of the wonders of the world because of the way it is built. The stones had to be transported from Sokehs rock or other places on the island by rafts. Some stones weigh more than 5 tons and local lore says that the stones were lifted and placed by magic. It is kind of like the Stone Henge and the huge stone on Easter Island in that many today can't understand how it was built.

Nan Madol was so majestic. As soon as you see Nan Madol you know it is someplace special; you know there is history. The stories and traditional beliefs give this place an aura that I have never felt before. We explored Nandauwas which was an ancient burial ground. Four walls are built up about 22 feet high to make a square and there is no roof. Inside there were a few burial chambers and an underground chamber. Some believe this chamber to be a jail while others think it is meditation chamber. From that island you can see many of the other islands and visions of people canoeing through the channels and people bustling around the island occupied my thoughts. It is really hard for me to put into words what I was feeling. It is truly a special place.

After Nan Madol we went to a beautiful waterfall on Pohnpei. On the boat ride over we saw the belly of a huge manta ray feeding – a sign of things to come. The hike was only about 10 minutes, but the scenery was beautiful. Pohnpei has been so grey since I have been here that I haven’t really notice how lush, green, and beautiful the foliage is. There were also many beautiful flowers that accompanied us on our hike. We went swimming in the waterhole right there at the waterfall and it was a refreshing treat.

We then boated over to a man-made island for lunch. The island was just remnants of the bottom of the channel floor that had been trenched for ships. From the island you could see and hear the waves crashing on the reef. Pohnpei is surrounded by a reef about a mile off the island. The waves sounded like an airplane. It was an extremely peaceful lunch.

Finally we went snorkeling. Unlike on O’ahu and Guam, we were in deep water and not in a reef. We were right in the middle of a school of small fish which meant there would be some bigger fish feeding. The first thing I saw about 10 feet below me was a white-tip shark. I couldn’t believe it – the first time I have ever seen a shark. It was small though; only about 3 feet long. However, the manta rays we were swimming with were huge. We swam with about 4 of them and they were only about 5 feet away. I’m not going to lie, I was a little scared. I am still not used to the aquatic life – nothing to fear in Lake Michigan, but the ocean is another story. Anyways, the manta rays feed by making loops through the schools of fish, so they kept flashing the white of their bellies. It was a great experience, but I still have to adjust to the wildlife.

Nan Madol was probably the top priority on me “To See” list and I am grateful that I got a chance to see it! Next on the list is Sokehs Rock. Hopefully I’ll see that this weekend. If the weather permits, I am going to explore Kolonia on my own. I want to see the Spanish Wall and some other landmarks around here. I am having a great time. Miss you all. Menlau for reading. Kasalehlia. Justin