Pohnpei-Between Time & Tide . An Introduction -- continued


An Introduction -- continued

ravelers who come seeking another Waikiki search in vain--there are no natural beaches on Pohnpei Island. Rather, the island coast is fenced by a tangle of salt-tolerant botanicals--imposing xylocarpus with wall-like roots, island chestnuts, nipa palms and, most prominent, the mangroves. The dwellers of the coastal swamps thrive in the brackish water and nutrient-rich silt that accumulates from heavy run-off. The branches speak with the chirps and tweaks of bird voices, crabs scurry noisily among the twisting and spike-like roots and the water shimmers with the movement of small fish. But perhaps not everyone is moved by the twisted beauty of the mangroves. If the beach-lust awakens, the solution is as simple as taking a boat ride out to one of the barrier reef islands, many of which have small sand beaches. And if the yearning still fails to be quenched, there's always Pohnpei's eight outer atolls with their infinite white sand beaches and crystal-clear reefs.

Pohnpei Island Muncipalities

Kolonia Town⁽¹⁾ is the colonial Pohnpei, but the heart of Pohnpei lies outside town limits. Exploring an island with a circular road is as easy as choosing between right or left, which, in Kolonia, would be east or west. Moving east out of Kolonia brings you more in touch with the Pohnpei you can see from the airplane--great, glassy inlets spanned by bridges, towering walls of coconut palms, forest tangle threatening to devour the road, occasional thatched cookhouses, outrigger canoes, squealing hogs, and laughing-screaming-running children everywhere. First, comes Nett (nech) with its majestic rivers; then U (oo), the bustling mythical home of sakau en Pohnpei (local kava). Next is Madolenihmw (ma·to·len·eehm) with its air of wildness symbolized by the ending of the paved road--a battleground of humans and victorious jungle. Down in the south, you find Kitti (kee·chee), a land of ominous tree-less hills and vast, mysterious mangrove forests. Finally, nearer to the end of the 58-mile circle, you come into Sokehs (so·kehs) with its massive natural stone monuments spiking up from the landscape. These are the five municipalities of Pohnpei Island, each still under the influence of a high chief and each broken into smaller community units, called kousapw (koh·sap). The municipalities are all unique, displaying different shades of the same Pohnpei, and they are all essential to the full Pohnpeian experience.

Main Street, Kolonia (1996)

(1) KOLONIA TOWN is the result of four colonial governments on the island; Spanish, German, Japanese and American. Pohnpei's only urban area may or may not be a 'town', depending on your definition of the word. But whatever you call it, for those who know it well, there is a certain homely attraction. A long, straight street lined with old, rustic store-fronts bisects the sprawling grid of narrower avenues that lie on the northern arm of the island. A first look at Kolonia conjures up mental images of frontier towns. But Kolonia is not even a one-horse town. What you'll find a lot of here are cars . . . and video stores. Currently, about 10,000 of the island's more than 34,000 residents live in Kolonia or commute from areas nearby. MAP OF KOLONIA | MORE ABOUT KOLONIA

Text by Alex Zuccarelli 2003.
Image/Photo Credits: Ahnd photo courtesy of Jay Karolyi ©2000-01. Gallery; 1 courtesy of Cheri Zuccarelli ©1999, 2 courtesy of Jay Karolyi ©2000-01, 3 ©Trust Territory of the Pacific Archives, 4 courtesy of Daniel Moor ©1999. All other photos, images and maps property of Alex Zuccarelli.
All photographs on this page were used with the written permission of their perspective owners, except where otherwise indicated. In a few cases--typically old, historical photos--I was not able to determine the original source or photographer.

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On-Line Resources