Worth doing some reading in advance and making time to do a guided tour of the island and the... read more
Worth doing some reading in advance and making time to do a guided tour of the island and the... read more
Well, it's maybe not so mysterious as it's been studied quite a bit at this point but it is a must... read more
More than likely, unless you are just here for diving, then you have come to witness the fascinating stone money of Yap. I was surprised to see so much of it scattered around the entire island. I was just expecting a couple of money banks, but these fascinating stone money pieces are everywhere. Rent a car or arrange a driver to take you around. A driver is smarter as you need permission to access private land throughout Yap. Some of the money banks are immense, with some really grand money pieces. Do your homework and read up about the money and it’s importance.
Worth doing some reading in advance and making time to do a guided tour of the island and the various stone money locations.
Well, it's maybe not so mysterious as it's been studied quite a bit at this point but it is a must see. The small stone discs are everywhere, even in town, so at first I thought they weren't real. But then we drove around the island(four linked together I believe) and the discs were everywhere. Some were very old, some newer, and we learned how to tell the difference. The village with the most photographed row of discs was somewhat remote and mysterious us because we were the only people there at the time. There is a beautiful Men's ceremonial house nearby on the coast and it is also very beautiful to visit.
I would say that the one thing most people may know about Yap is from history class and the idea of money and how Yap's stone money is an early and unique example of money. Seeing them in person and hearing about the history from a local guide is a historic experience.
. . . and wanted to go to Yap to see it, which I did for the first time in 2002. I've been back about a dozen times since (I'm a diver) and I still find the story of Stone Money, let alone the fact that stone can be used as a currency, to be fascinating. Many nice Stone Money Banks in Yap. Bonus will be if you get to see a ceremonial Stone Money Carriage where they actually transport it. (Pix is from June 2018 ceremony.)
Unmissable if you're in Yap...they are all over the place, but the coolest one I saw was near the southern tip in Gael Village...it's what makes Yap unique