it means "big mountain"

 Last weekend, three other volunteers, ten or so local guides, thirteen dogs, and I began our journey from Salapwuk, Kitti to the top of the tallest mountain in the FSM - Nahnalaud.  The first day was spent hiking over grueling mountains, through swift rivers, and across long expanses of muddy jungle.  We spent the night under a rock overhang facing the peak of Nahnalaud and enjoyed deer, pigeon, and chickens caught by the pack of dogs or shot out of the sky with rifles.  We woke up early the next morning and after waiting for the rain to clear, began our hike straight up to the summit.  Using our hands just as much as our legs to pull us up the steep face, we finally arrived at the top where we were engulfed in clouds.  Twice, the clouds briefly gave way to allow us a stunning view of the Kitti lagoon, but we were otherwise lost in a sea of mist.  Instead of returning via the same path, we departed Nahnalaud from the other side of the mountain and lost track of any definable trail.  Bushwhacking with machetes, our guides led us over a jungle of decomposition towards our starting point in Salapwuk.  Our steps were uncertain as we trudged through knee deep mud, rocks covered in slime, logs eaten apart by months of rot, holes in the ground disguised by leaves, and prickly vegetation that left our legs scratched, bruised, and sore.  It was one of the most strenuous hikes I've ever been on, but also one of the most rewarding.  Due to camera issues, I was not able to get as many pictures as I would have liked, but you can check out Mike Hilbert's blog if you want to see some more.

Looking over the edge of one of the waterfalls on the Six Waterfall Hike I wrote about earlier this year.

Standing at the top of the heart-shaped waterfall at the end of the Six Waterfall Hike.

Matt, a former WorldTeach volunteer who joined us on the hike.  This river snakes several miles through Kitti and later becomes the river in the mangroves from which we launch our boats.

Taking a break for lunch during the first day of hiking.  Mike, Andrew, and Matt are filling up on a healthy dose of deer that the pack of dogs managed to bring down.  Tropical deer tastes more like chicken or dog than it does like the venison we are used to in the U.S.

Setting up camp under the rock overhang where we spent the night.  The cave is decorated with graffiti from teenagers who make the rite of passage to the summit of Nahnalaud.

Mike looking out from the cave toward the hazy summit of Nahnalaud in the distance.

I didn't get any good pictures from the summit of Nahnalaud but this is a great view North from one of the smaller peaks neighboring Nahnalaud.  Kolonia is just barely visible in the distance.

A panoramic view from our bird's nest looking North.  The peak of Nahnalaud is behind us to the right.

spring showers bring May flower-apples

Sorry for the lack of updates – the spring semester has brought with it many new commitments and responsibilities that have occupied my time.  To say that that second semester is better than the first is a big understatement though.  I have two senior honors classes where I am teaching Pre-Calculus and a sophomore honors class that I’m teaching Algebra I.  My seniors are getting ready for the COMET (College of Micronesia Entrance Test) that determines whether or not they can attend COM National or State campus in addition to receiving several thousands of dollars of Pell Grant money from the U.S. Government.  Many of my students’ families are relying on them to pass this test in order to receive this needed money.   It will be hard for me to take credit for their success though because they had a fabulous Algebra II teacher last semester that did most of the legwork in their preparation.  It has been amazing to get students who are prepared, motivated, and enthusiastic about their work…I’m confident that they will all do very well on this test.  We’ll see how the classes go after the COMET is done though – luckily, my classroom lacks rafters for my students to swing from.  

A typical sight on a walk home from school - elementary school children starting large fires and playing in them.  They were swatting the flames with sticks and the wood catching fire sounded like booming fire crackers.  I could see my kid self being friends with these guys in a parallel universe.

The smoke from the fires forced us to run down the street for fresh air.

But it's never too smoky to resist a photo opportunity with my favorite neighborhood kids.

My free time has been spent doing a lot of official WorldTeach stuff (mid-service evaluations) but there were some fun things peppered in there as well.  For instance, on WorldTeach’s tab, we got to go snorkeling through Manta Ray Pass and I swam just 20 feet above a gigantic manta ray with probably an 8-10 ft wingspan.  Unfortunately, I have not done any significant fishing since Pingelap – a huge bummer, but hopefully I’ll make it out again soon.  This weekend, I made plans with a man from my church to hike Nanalaud – allegedly the highest peak in the FSM.  It’ll take a day to hike to the summit where we will spend the night in a cave of sorts, and then hike down the next morning.  I will be sure to post many pictures from that excursion once we return!

Coming back from snorkeling Manta Ray Pass.  In this picture, we're above a reef by the Northeastern side of Pohnpei.

A signature Mike Hilbert picture.  We just finished lunch on Langer Island - the location of an old Japanese military outpost.  You can still explore abandoned bunkers, cannons, and an old airplane hanger.  The concrete slab we're standing on is the remains of the runway used by Japanese planes.

 Last weekend, we stayed in Kitti for a “local” weekend instead of our all too common “mehnwai” weekends.  There was a gathering which drew all the Protestant sister churches together for one big church festival.  On Saturday, Gabrielle and I sat down at 10am for the first service, and did not leave the church until 6pm with the exception of a short lunch break.  Everyone always talks about how you cannot be a true “Ohl en Pohnpei” (man from Pohnpei) unless you have sakau, pigs, and yams, but I don’t think you can be considered a man unless you sit through 6+ hours of church without falling asleep.  My old host father, Eksel, was kind enough to nudge me awake a few times when my head got a little droopy.  I guess that means that I’m not a boy, but not quite a man either.  Maybe if I spear a shark next time I go out, I’ll get some street cred back.

On Sunday, the congregations dutifully returned for the last day of service and I witnessed a really interesting phenomenon.  Instead of people making donations to a basket as it is passed along, the basket was placed in the front of the church and people made their way up to the alter to make a one dollar donation to the host church.  One by one, people began singing a song until the whole congregation was belting it out in unison and everyone was lining up at the front to make their contribution.  Then, they began circling around the perimeter of the pews and returning to the front to make another dollar donation.  This magnanimous dance circle continued for the next 45 minutes never once stopping its donations.  Some people only made it a few times around the circle and others – namely, some of the politicians or businessmen – stayed in the circle for the entire duration of the ceremony.  In the end, after three men finished furiously counting the one dollar bills, it was determined that the church had raised over $1400.  It was amazing to see people who struggle to live on their meager allowances get together and collectively give away so much of their hard-earned money.  In all my dealings with people, I’ve never see a place like Pohnpei that has so little to give, give so much. 

For now, I've got to start preparing dinner for the wife but I'll soon fill you in on my Track & Field coaching and upcoming hike.  Happy February!

A path that we walk through to on the way to and from school.  I like the trees shading us in this section of jungle.  Gabrielle can be seen in the distance.

Tropical apples plucked from a tree right behind our house.  When they are ripe, they taste like a mix between what flowers smell like and what Granny Smith apples taste like - a nice flowery apple.  You can plop the whole thing into your mouth in one bite, and neighborhood kids are always coming over to fill up their pockets.