Guam to Chile - Blog Post 5

Blog Post 5 – Pohnpei and Nan Madol

September 13, 2024

Before it was fully light, Seabourn Pursuit took up position outside the barrier reef near the harbor entrance for Pohnpei and the town of Kolonia.  Pohnpei is about 21 KM in diameter, surrounded by a fringing barrier reef.  Pohnpei is also the capital of the Federated States of Micronesia and the island has a population of about 30,000.  There were a number of freighters anchored inside the barrier reef, but the lagoon has many shallow spots and is not really suitable for a ship the size of Seabourn Pursuit.

The trip into the municipal wharf was about 15 minutes-3 miles in the zodiacs.

Patrick had arranged an independent tour to meet Yvonne and David Hawkins.  David is one of the sons of Tom and Joyce Hawkins, long time friends in Anacortes.  I was given a great tour of the local area before returning to the wharf for the trip to Nan Madol.

Pohnpei

Japanese Tanks from the war

The preamble to the FSM Constitution

Capital Entrance to FSM

Nan Madol is a mysterious set of stone structures located at the southwest corner of Pohnpei, 93 artificial islets in the lagoon are linked by stone causeways.  Archeologists believe the structures were constructed in the 1200’s by the Sandeleur dynasty and were occupied up to about 1628. 

The name Nan Madol means "within the intervals" and is a reference to the canals that crisscross the ruins. The original name was Soun Nan-leng, "Reef of Heaven," according to Gene Ashby in his book Pohnpei, An Island Argosy.

The site measures about 1.5 by 0.5 KM.  Not much is really known about the dynasty or the civilization that occupied Nan Madol.  Nan Madol is sometimes referred to as “the Venice of the Pacific” or even as “Atlantis”. 

In the four hundred years since Nan Madol was abandoned, the jungle is slowly taking over and hence it is listed as a “Threatened World Heritage Site.

Nan Madol is at the opposite end of Pohnpei from the capital, Kolonia, a drive of 26 miles or 1 ½ hours on narrow, rutted, winding roads.  Our drive was in intense rain showers.

Arriving at the trailhead in heavy rain, we started down the trail, ducking under a tree that had fallen earlier in the day.  The trail is made of both chunks of coral and rocks, not level at all.  There were a series of crude bridges across flooded areas in the mangrove swamps.  The final approach to the ruins included wading through knee deep water on a sandy bottom.

Window construction

Mangrove Swamps surround the ruins

Unique and stable construction

Looking across the final channel to the main ruins

Blocks scattered everywhere

One of the many bridges on the trail

The basalt stones are stacked like logs in layers alternating directions, creating a very stable structure without any mortar.  In this climate, no mortar was needed.  The shape of the basalt logs is not round, but mostly 4, 5, or 6 sided.  Only the main temple has been excavated, but represents just a fraction of the entire complex.

Returning back to the trailhead, two more trees had fallen across the trail, so we had to scramble through the trunks and branches blocking our path.  Patrick’s van took up the last position as security for the bus ahead, which had engine problems.  Sure enough, some 25 KM from the wharf the bus finally stalled again, so we were sent ahead to get a replacement bus.  The local fire medics that had accompanied us on the trail were there also and stayed with the bus. Pohnpei is very rugged, with hills to 2500 feet, so the portable radios were useless until within a mile or so of the wharf.   The height of the hills also attracts intense rain, with Pohnpei getting some 7600 mm of rain per year, one of the wettest places on Earth.

A replacement bus was ordered when we got into cell phone range (Pohnpei has a proprietary cell phone system and USA phones do not work), so everyone arrived safely back in the dark to the wharf only an hour or so late.  The crew had beverages and appetizers waiting at the gangway for all of us who were delayed.

Patrick had just time for a quick shower before meeting Miriam and Julie for dinner.