Tourist Weekend

This last weekend I took a break from my Peace Corps and family responsibilities and had some fun around Pohnpei. There are many amazing things to see and do on the island, but I have been too busy to take the time to enjoy them. So I decided it was kosher to act like a tourist for a couple days.
On Friday night, the majority of us Peace Corps volunteers spent a night drinking at the only restaurant/bar in the vicinity. It is called Jed’s Cantina and has a picture of a alligator on the front. The name and appearance are quite oxymoronic. Jed is a hillbilly American name, Cantina is a Mexican bar (but this place doesn’t serve any Mexican food), and the alligator is just thrown in to complete the ridiculousness. Nonetheless, it is the only place within 30 minutes that serves food that has a vague resemblance to American cuisine. We have been eating fish, rice and breadfruit for every meal so our palates have been yearning for a morsel of home country cooking. The 20+ of us piled into this little restaurant and all ordered cheeseburgers and fries. Of course we also proceeded to get saucy on some liquid intoxicants. It was a much needed release from the stress of training and a good time for people to vent away from our Peace Corps bosses. We have had very few chances to drink alcohol together, so it was a great bonding experience for our group. Relationships were strengthened, nerves were calmed, stomachs were satisfied, and alcohol cravings were quenched. We were definitely acting like typical loud flamboyant American tourists, but the locals didn’t seem to mind. No tourists come to Kitti, and I think they were quite happy that we splurged our money at their lonely restaurant.
The next morning I awoke to the phone call of my buddy Brian. He called at 7am and told me that he was going to Nan Midol with his family and I was invited to tag along. Nan Midol is the main tourist attraction on Pohnpei, so I immediately accepted. A truck pulled up about an hour later and I hopped in the back with 6 other people including another couple of my Peace Corps friends. Traveling in crowded pick up truck beds is the preferred method of conveyance in Pohnpei. We squeezed together and embarked on the half hour drive on the winding road across the island. Our destination was the ancient ruins of Nan Midol.
Nan Midol is a surprisingly historical and fantastical place. It is a 2000-year-old structure built of gigantic stone blocks. The blocks are expertly carved into pentagon and hexagon shapes and then stacked like Lincoln logs to make the walls of an ancient palace. The stone blocks are enormous and their origin is unknown. Nobody knows how the giant blocks were brought to this site and nobody has any idea how they were stacked together in such a perfect formation. Some on the stones weigh thousands of pounds and are over 10 feet long. How was this impressive feat accomplished without the aid of modern technology? No wheels, no metal, limited man power. Surrounded by crashing waves on one side and dense forest on the other. Nobody has a concrete hypothesis about how these blocks were transported, carved or assembled. The local explanation is magic. There are no written records of its construction or the civilization that dwelled within. It truly is one of the world’s most interesting mysteries.
After our day of wandering around the crumbling ruins of Nan Midol, I napped for a couple hours and prepared for my next weekend adventure. I met up with a different group of Peace Corps friends and took a boat out to small lagoon island about a mile off the coast of Pohnpei. The little atoll was named Nahlap. It is a popular vacation getaway spot for the locals and has about a dozen small huts scattered along the beach. The island is only about 30 yards wide and about a half mile long. However, it is covered by white beaches and beautiful reefs on both sides. Nahlap is the stereotypical pacific island scene that most people imagine. Quaint huts, palm trees and clear waters are the all the eye can see. We swam around in the 80 something degree water as the sun set across the horizon. As the night wore on we drank beer, rum and sakau as we lingered in the shallows of the shoreline. It was the stereotypical island experience that I was hoping for.
The next morning we snorkeled around the reef and scoped out the tropical sea life. They had a water slide on the dock and we had some fun slipping into the water with the little kids. I finally got a chance to wear my Vibram Five Finger shoes and walk along the reef. I hadn’t brought out the ridiculous looking multi-shoes yet and I was happy to finally put them to use. Some people laughed, but most were jealous. I am sure that come in handy as my journey wears on. The hotel/hut rental also had kayaks that we took out for a dollar. The entire trip only cost me $10. The only downside was a close call that I had with death. As I was snorkeling around the reef, I stopped to readjust my mask and went to put my foot down on a large flat piece of coral. I placed my foot on the edge and a stonefish squirmed away. I recoiled quickly and turned back around the make sure what it was. And sure enough, I saw a large flat stone fish about 10 inches in diameter settle back into his hiding place on the coral surface. In case you don’t know, stonefish are some of the deadliest sea creatures on the planet. One sting and your life could be over. Best-case scenario, excruciating pain cripples your legs and it could take months to recovers. Stonefish are also infamous because they are one of the best-camouflaged creatures in the world. They change their appearance like a chameleon to match their environment. This particular stonefish was almost indistinguishable from the flat coral surface. His skin exactly matched the intricate pattern and varied color shades of the coral. The only way that he was noticeable was his pea size eyes poking out of his flat body. Fortunately, I was about 6 inches away from this sly poisonous fish ending my Peace Corps service early.