Sokehs Island, Pohnpei,

Federated States of Micronesia

Jessica and students;

Gnomad has been in Micronesia for a whole year now but has just begun to explore.  Yesterday we/he climbed to the top of Sokehs Ridge on Sokehs Island.  Sokeh's is one of the islands that is within the barrier reef of Pohnpei, the capital state of the Federated States of Micronesia.    The FSM consists of four states, Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae and it is an exclusively-island nation and a former US Protectorate, now associated with the US in a compact of free association.  The nation is culturally diverse and many of the small atolls speak unique languages.

Sokehs is famous for two reasons; this was the home of insurgents who rose up against German occupation of Pohnpei and who were massacred in the process.  There is a mass grave of victims of the Sokehs rebellion near Kolonia town in Pohnpei.  Sokehs ridge is also the site of Japanese gun emplacements dating from World War II.  It is this historic site we climbed to yesterday.  Here we found 5" guns that were likely to be capable of firing at ships offshore up to 10 miles.

In about a month, we plan to set sail downwind towards the western states of Micronesia and then Palau and the Philippines.

Cheers,
Philip and Leslie
yacht Carina
Kolonia, Pohnpei, FSM

December 8, 2013