MANGOCHO: MICRONESIA, YAP ISLAND ( WESTERN CAROLINE ISLANDS) feb 24th-2014

Yap

Island in Federated States of Micronesia

Yap or Wa′ab is an island in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean. It is considered to be made up of four separate islands: Yap Island proper,Tamil/Gagil, Maap, and Rumung. Wikipedia

Area: 387 sq miles (1,002 km²)

Island group: Caroline Islands

Yap or Wa′ab (Yapese: Waqab^[1]) is an island in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean. It is considered to be made up of four separate islands: Yap Island proper (MarbaQ),Tamil/Gagil, Maap (Yapese: Maap′), and Rumung. The three are contiguous though separated by water and are surrounded by a common coral reef. They are formed from an uplift of the Philippine Sea Plate, and are referred to as "high" islands as opposed to atolls. The land is mostly rolling hills densely vegetated.Mangrove swamps line much of the shore. Yap's indigenous cultures and traditions are strong compared to other states in Micronesia.^[2]

Colonia is the capital of the State of Yap which includes Yap proper and the fourteen outer islands (mostly atolls) reaching to the east and south for some 800 km (500 mi), namely Eauripik, Elato, Fais, Faraulep, Gaferut, Ifalik, Lamotrek, Ngulu, Olimarao, Piagailoe (West Fayu), Pikelot, Sorol, Ulithi, and Woleai atolls, as well as the island of Satawal (see map). Historically a tributary system existed between the outer islands and Yap proper. This probably related to the need for goods from the high islands, including food, as well as wood for construction of seagoing vessels.

2000 population was 11,241 in both Colonia and ten other municipalities. The state has a total land area of 102 km² (39 sq mi).^[3]

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EN COLONIA, LA CAPITAL DE YAP

En ese lugar estuvimos, nos tomamos un te frio, para refrescarnos, y es donde vimos al senor
con dos unas en el mismo dedo, el lugar se llama Lagoonia, aquí se puede ver el dinero de oiedra
Yap, es la Isla del STONE MONEY

Yap is known for its stone money, known as Rai: largedoughnut-shaped, carved disks of (usually) calcite, up to 4 m (12 ft) in diameter (most are much smaller). The smallest can be as little as 3.5 centimetres (1.4 in) in diameter.^[4] There are five major types of monies: Mmbul, Gaw, Fe' or Rai, Yar, and Reng, this last being only 0.3 m (1 ft) in diameter. Many of them were brought from other islands, as far as New Guinea, but most came in ancient times from Palau. Their value is based on both the stone's size and its history. Historically the Yapese valued the disks because the material looks like quartz, and these were the shiniest objects around. Eventually the stones became legal tender and were even mandatory in some payments.^[5]

Tomamos un taxi, que nos cobraria 10 dolares por un tour. el senor iba mascando el beetle nut , la senora iba atrás
con Doris , también mascaba y era la que preparaba la mascada para los dos, ya el no tenia dientes, le quedaban
un par de ellos y manchados de rojos

BETEL NUT

Areca nut

The areca nut is the seed of the areca palm, which grows in much of the tropical Pacific, Asia, and parts of east Africa. It is commonly referred to as betel nut, as it is often chewed wrapped in betel leaves. Wikipedia

A jar of lime powder (kambang); a bean-like green stick called mustard (daka) and green betel nuts (buai)

Betel nut chewing is a custom or ritual that dates back thousands of years from Asia to the Pacific, a tradition very much a part of modern life in many parts of the Coral Triangle. This custom is very much alive that it is hard to ignore betel nut chewing if you visit a country such as Papua New Guinea when the first thing you notice while talking to a local is the bright red-stained teeth and lips of the men and women. The chewing of three items betel nut, mustard stick dipped in lime powder acts as a mild stimulant which help locals suppress their hunger, reduce stress and heighten their senses. Almost all locals we’ve met chew it and when visiting public markets, lime powder and betel nut dominates the market scene – so much so it is hard to find fruits and vegetables normally associated with markets.

LA MASCADA

Betel nut use refers to a combination of three ingredients: the nut of the betel palm (Areca catechu), part of the Piper betel vine, and lime. Anecdotal reports have indicated that small doses generally lead to euphoria and increased flow of energy while large doses often result in sedation. Although all three ingredients may contribute to these effects, most experts attribute the psychoactive effects to the alkaloids found in betel nuts.