Last week was only a two day school week (I know, cool right?!) because it was what's called Liberation Day on September 11th. Liberation Day here on Pohnpei is a national holiday, although I'm not 100% sure what is celebrates. I think it has something to do with the Pohnpeians and World War II, maybe it's the day that they were freed from slavery? Not exactly sure. Regardless, it is a day that is celebrated by all and huge sporting events are held around the island. Although we did not go to view any sporting events, we chose instead to go visit Liduduhniap waterfall.
Here on Pohnpei, waterfalls are considered sacred by the locals. It is thought that spirits of passed ones linger at the waterfalls, so it is extremely important to be quiet and respectful while visiting them. If you are too loud or being disrespectful, it is thought that the waterfalls may take your life (which has happened before in the past). For example, a couple years ago during the last Microgames, a group of visitors from Palau were at Liduduhniap (I think) and being extremely loud and noisy. Locals warned them to be quiet because of the spirits, but they did not listen. Soon enough, it started raining, and when it rains here it pours! It quickly turned into a flash flood, and they were carried down the waterfall and perished. Not a fun story, but it shows the importance of respecting the local culture!
Liduduhniap was beautiful, and a two-part waterfall. We payed the local family $1 for visiting the waterfall on their land, and made our way down the very groomed path. At the upper waterfall, we were able to stand on the riverbed and watch as the water tumbled over the giant waterfall. I felt like I was on the edge of the world! Then, after climbing down the path on the side, we were able to go to the second waterfall and sit at the bottom of the pool, looking up at the water falling down. Honestly, I could feel the majesty and spirituality that the locals talk about. Something about this place is so beautiful, and so pure. I sat there for a while, meditating and just taking in the scenery all around me. It was a very beautiful day- quiet, respectful, and scenic.
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| *Not my own photo, my camera is MIA :( |
The next weekend, we took a hike with some fellow WorldTeach, Peace Corps, and menwai on the island. Our guide was a local Pohnpeian, and he helped guide us up the twisty and turn path through the jungle in Uh (one of the municipalities on the island). Once you get into the jungle with a treetop roof over your head, although it is not necessarily sunny it is EXTREMELY hot and sweaty. Not to mention sticky, slippery, and wet. So we took a 10 hour trek through the jungle, all of which the entire time I was dripping in sweat and slipping on moss-covered rocks. If you've ever seen the tv show LOST, that's literally what I was living. I was basically walking through the jungles of LOST (which is my freaking DREAM!!). Our guide used his machete to help cut our path as we walked. It sounds like a horrible time, but honestly it was really fun. The hike was beautiful, and we were able to see some Japanese cannons and bunkers leftover from the war. When we got to the top, which was around a 2,000 ft cliff overlooking the lagoon and island, I swear I've never seen a prettier lookout on the island so far. It was cool to look below me and see the birds flying over the treetops, while dangling my feet over the edge and feeling invincible. It was a beautiful day, accompanied with great friends and a great end to our weekend.
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| Best of friends! |
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| Our guide for the hike |
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| The view at the top was spectacular! |
Now, to the most important and heartbreaking announcement.... there's no cheese on the island!! I repeat, NO CHEESE! :( Being a true Wisconsinite cheesehead, I'm basically dying. Throughout the past couple weeks, I've gone store to store and cannot find any more cheese. Only a couple frozen, $30 bags of shredded mozzarella, which I cannot find in my heart to purchase quite yet. Not only an absence of cheese, but potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, green lettuce.... it goes on. At times, in-between boat shipments, the island can run quite short of many fresh produce. You would think that there would be some local produce, and there is, but it's hard to find any especially because I'm living right in the middle of town. If I were in one of the outer parts of the island, maybe I could have access to more farms, but right now I can only get what's shipped into Kolonia (town). So that means there's a lot of Chinese cabbage, yams, taro, onions, and cucumbers all the time. And tons and tons of bananas. Not that those are bad.. but I would like to have more of a variety sometimes. I can only hope that the next boat comes in soon, because then we can have access to a lot more produce from California, like grapes, tomatoes, fresh lettuce, and cheese. If you don't know, taro is a root that many locals eat on the island. They usually boil it in coconut milk to give it a sweeter taste, but to be brutally honest I think it still tastes like wood haha. But the locals love it!!
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| Local taro root |
Laura Tracy
C/O WorldTeach
P.O. Box 2378
Kolonia, Pohnpei 96941
FSM (Federated States of Micronesia)
Stay cool everyone- I know I wish that I could!!!
Kadinmadau
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