Fun Friday
Good Morning we have made it through another week and now it's time to go on our weekly Friday adventure. Today we are going to go visit Marshall Islands and Micronesia
1.) Alele Museum, Library and National Archives located in Majuro Very nice museums which show the traditions of the Marshall Islands: old clothes, weaving, fishing, and navigating, the stick charts are very amazing. Photos of people from the German time, photos of the atomic bombing tests in Eniwetok and Bikini. So much about the history of the Marshallese people, especially how they thrived on a tiny coral atoll.If you are a mariner, don’t miss the history of the Marshallese navigator.
2.) Bikini Atoll Bikini Atoll the test site for the USA atom bomb program, sank about 9 ships, but destroyed over 100.The ships in the lagoon at Bikini are awe inspiring and if you can dive Kwajalein as well you have really struck a winner.
3.) Kalalin Pass This fantastic coral reef features an area called "the aquarium" that often provides the dive of a lifetime.
4.) Bokolap Island This popular scuba diving site features thousands of fish and a World War II U.S. torpedo plane in 115 ft. of water.
5.) Castle Bravo Crater On March 1, 1954, the United States carried out its largest nuclear detonation, “Castle Bravo,” at Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands. The Bravo detonation in the Castle test series had an explosive yield of 15 megatons—1,000 times that of the weapon that destroyed Hiroshima and nearly three times the six megatons that its planners estimated.
6.) Ivy Mike Crater - Ivy Mike was detonated on November 1, 1952 The first Ivy shot, codenamed Mike, was the first successful full-scale test of a multi-megaton thermonuclear weapon ("hydrogen bomb") using the Teller-Ulam design. Unlike later thermonuclear weapons, Mike used deuterium as its fusion fuel, maintained as a liquid by an expensive and cumbersome cryogenic system.
7.) Canoes of the Marshall Islands This non-profit organization teaches the skills of canoe building to high school drop-outs, while also offering drug and alcohol counseling and encouraging them to re-enroll in school and complete their education. They build all their canoes the traditional way, though they adapt and modernize as well (for example, there is a traditional canoe that they engineered a solar paneled engine for). For $20 per person for a 1 hour-ish tour, they will take you sailing around the lagoon, which is a calm, relaxing way to experience the Marshall Islands. It's located right next to the Marshall Islands resort, and you can check in with them in the morning or the day before to see when the tides are, which will determine the best time to go out on the canoe.
If you're into diving then Micronesia is the place for you. Let's take a short trip through this island
1.) Truk Lagoon You could return many times for a dive holiday and not see the same wreck twice. Loads of beautiful soft and hard corals, brilliant colours and great fish life. Take your underwater camera, sunscreen, a hat/cap and whatever diving gear you own but you can rent some there.
2.) Green Banana Paper Company A Must See Stop and Shop if on Kosrae. Really impressive to watch and learn about this eco-friendly, ingenious way of turning banana tree stalks into paper and wallets. Also doing great things for the local economy and workforce. They have a full operation that takes discarded banana trees, trims them down into strong fibers, then turns it into paper pulp that is used to create sheets of paper that are cut into wallets and business cards. Zero waste operations
3.) Nan Madol This center of an ancient civilization is surrounded by 92 islets. Really a fascinating complex of ruins in a stunning location. It’s surprising that this unique spot hasn’t been better researched and organized. But a wonderful excursion and magic place to explore.
4.) Stone Money Worth doing some reading in advance and making time to do a guided tour of the island and the various stone money locations.the longhouses and stone money was everywhere. One of the Rai or stone money was carried in the exhibition for everyone to see. It is used to pay for land and property taxes. The early stones were mined on Palau and other islands starting between 500-1,000 AD. The stones are still used for some transactions such as marriage or land.
5.) Kolonia If you want commercial tourism then you WONT get that here. No night clubs, resorts with sandy beaches etc. This island is very low key. Wi-Fi is limited, TV is virtually non-existent, unless you frequent some food places that have cable TV. Kolonia is the biggest of the FSM towns. As pointed out by others this is not a tourist destination but a place where people live and shop. The local supermarket has a better selection of products than other locations in the FSM. The vegetation is lush. At places like Oceanview you can appreciate the natural beauty of the island.
6.)Pohnpei Surf Club hours of operation are 7am-6pm The Pohnpei Surf Club provides the best logistics and accommodation for divers, surfers, fisherman, land and ocean tours to Nan Madol, Ant Atoll, snorkeling, waterfalls and others. We do have a fleet of safe, reliable, comfortable boats and the best rooms on the island. Bar, restaurant and marina located steps from your room.
7.) Kepirohi Waterfall $10 USD for tourists. $3 if you are local. It’s a beautiful waterfall and you can swim. Pebble path in. Pay at the entrance An easy path to walk, no wheelchair access of course, a short walk from where you park your car (roadside). They stand quite tall above the foliage, overshadowing the structure where you can sit and just admire the view. The water is crystal clear, and the air is clean. Take a camera to capture its full beauty, if you choose to swim be cautious, but the water near the shelter is shallow enough to wade in. There is a little shop (local) near where you park but we didn’t purchase anything. Cash only
8.) Micronesia Air (MASI) In November of 1987 Micronesian Aviation Systems Inc. (MASI) was founded as a pioneer in aviation education and scenic air travel on the island of Guam. With over 30 years of service, MASI continues to pride itself in assuring that tourists and flight school students alike are satisfied with its quality air services.
9.) Utwe-Walung Marine Park A community-based conservation area that preserves some of Micronesia's most pristine mangrove and forest ecosystems.
10.) Lidudu Niap Falls There is a gravel path and then steps down to a viewing platform. Although allowed there are caution signs for anyone wishing to swim here.A very rough, pot-holed filled road out there and a small cash payment to the local family living at the entrance. You are greeted by a large memorial for the drowned victims of this double-layered waterfall.
11.) Yap Art Studio Gallery Yapese watercolor paintings, wood carvings and hand woven products by Micronesian artists from all the Pacific Islands of Yap State, Federated States of Micronesia.
12.) Grotto Snorkeling and Seaside Circuit Go Karting Grotto Snorkeling: There is nothing like snorkeling at the Blue Grotto. It is one of those amazing experiences you will never forget. The Grotto is a cavern that is connected to the ocean by a series of tunnels. The sun shining into the water here fills the cavern with a strange blue light. You will find lots of sea life including napoleon wrasse, pyramid butterfly fish, green sea turtles, tuna, octopus, and black tip sharks. The Blue Grotto is one of Saipan's beautiful places to see!
After your Grotto Snorkeling jump behind the wheel of an FK9 Go Kart and experience the twists and turns of the longest go kart track in Micronesia located at the Marianas Trekking Adventure Center. Seamless and Fun!
There is so much history packed into the islands. Go enjoy yourself and soak up the beauty of a beautiful beach at every turn. I hope that you take the time to really deep dive and immerse yourself in the history of this country.
I hope that you have enjoyed this week's tour and come back next week for another amazing adventure. Remember to always be kind as it costs nothing and if you see someone without a smile stop and give them yours a smile is contagious.
Written by: BeautifulChaos318
