Pacific Magazine > Magazine > March 1, 2007

Pac Travel

An Ancient Mystery

Cruising Magnificent Nan Madol

By STORY AND PHOTOS BY SAMANTHA MAGICK

A perfect spot for reading or pre-dinner drinks at The Village Hotel.

Many years ago two brothers, Ohlosihpa and Ohlosohpa arrived at Pohnpei from the far west. Desiring to build a political and religious center, they attempted construction at three different places around Pohnpei before arriving at the site of Nan Madol. They began work but struggled against the elements, particularly the strong tides. Then one day a man from Sokehs arrived on a magical rock to help. He turned his rock into a foundation that protected the area from the ocean waves. And soon men from all over Pohnpei gathered at the shore to work and pray together. Eventually the elder brother Ohlosihpa died without witnessing the completion of Nan Madol but the younger remained and became a King, calling himself Saudeleur and establishing the Saudeleur Dynasty on Pohnpei.

So goes the legend of Nan Madol in the Federated States of Micronesia, one of the Pacific’s most awe inspiring destinations.

Nan Madol—which means the “Land in Between”—includes 92 separate man-made islands and was said to have been built between 500 and 1500 AD. It has since then acquired an aura of mystery—about its builders, purpose and in particular, the method of construction.

A view of Nan Douwas (“inside the chief’s mouth”); the largest and most impressive islet at Nan Madol.

While Nan Madol can be accessed by land or sea, our journey by motorized boat at high tide added to the magic of the destination. We zipped through mangrove channels and were showered with cool salt water enroute to the ruins, which suddenly rose out of the ocean.

Once there, the antiquity and virtual silence of Nan Madol lends itself to quiet reflection. You can make your way around several of the islets; viewing the underground prison—a claustrophobic hole in the ground—and what’s believed to have been a sakau pounding stone, burial chambers and other structures. It’s possible to get up close to the incredible basalt stone walls. How the individual stones that make up these walls—some of them of immense weight—were transported to Nan Madol is one of the true mysteries of the site.

On Nan Douwas, you can walk the paths that ring the largest and most intact islet.

In Pohnpei our visit to Nan Madol was organized by Bob and Patti Arthur, our hosts at The Village Hotel, one of the Pacific’s original ecoresorts. The aim of such ventures is to tread lightly on the earth but The Village Hotel almost floats above it. Bungalows mushroom out of a profusion of vegetation: taro, bananas, coconut palms, bamboo, papaya, ferns and hibiscus. The rain smells and sounds good on the thatched roofs of the rooms, many of which overlook the lagoon. The keen eyed will see stacks of palm thatching stored under bungalows ready for the ongoing maintenance traditionally-thatched structures require. The bungalows are cooled by prevailing winds and fans, and the only noise at night is the swish of fans, perhaps your water bed, and certainly the night sounds of the jungle.

Originally from California, Bob and Patti have been acknowledged for their efforts, winning an Eco-Tourism Award. The U.S. Congressional Record states, “(they) have shown how sensitively designed projects can have a positive impact on the cultural and economic environment...”

Bob and Patti have been in Pohnpei since 1971. They have raised their four children here; now their grandchildren can be spied flitting around the hotel.  They are fabulous hosts, full of local knowledge and pithy commentary about local happenings.

They also serve up great meals that benefit from being eaten in the open air—all the better to invigorate your appetite. The sashimi in particular is plentiful and freshly caught and prepared that day.

There are many other activities to occupy your time in Pohnpei. You can visit battlefield ruins, attempt the walk to Sokehs Rock, and go diving or fishing.

Like Nan Madol, The Village is a place for reflection and conversation. There is no television or radio, but the hotel offers a small library with a diverse enough selection to meet most tastes.

Back at Nan Madol according to traditions, Pohnpeian resentment of the Saudeleur rulers grew as they refused to share or redistribute the wealth they had accumulated. Archeological evidence suggests 12 Saudeleurs reigned at Nan Madol prior to the defeat of the last by Isohkelekele who is believed to have come from Katau with a war fleet of 333 companions in 1628 A.D. to end Saudeleur domination of Pohnpei.

The ocean reclaims and then uncovers much of Nan Madol with each tide, just as history ebbs and flows. You’ll leave this part of Pohnpei feeling renewed and having experienced at Nan Madol and The Village Hotel a truly unique part of the world.                                     
                             

Nan Douwas (“Inside the chief’s mouth”)

Nan Madol is 60 minutes by car from Kolonia.
Admission is $3 per person The Village Hotel can be contacted at ++691 320 2797 or visit www.thevillagehotel.com