Nauru! Another place where I’ve had to explain to everyone where it is. A tiny potato-shaped island 42 kilometres south of the Equator, Nauru is one of the smallest and least-visited countries in the world. Phosphate is what originally made Nauru rich and famous as, once upon a time, the locals cruised around the island in flashy cars and most of them didn’t have to work. Sounds like utopia, being on a tropical island without a care in the world. Around the turn of the millennium, the phosphate reserves all but dried up and the island fell on hard times, depending on aid from Australia and other countries. Mining did serious damage to the island’s environment and much of interior is a lunar-like wasteland. This morning I arrived at a most inconvenient time, as the Nauru Airlines flight took off from Fiji at 1 AM and landed in Nauru at 4:30 AM. The plane would come to only about five centimetres from touching down only to take off, loop around, and then land in the other direction. After a bit of a sojourn at the airport, the same flight attendants who served me coffee on the plane would give me a lift to Maruan’s shipping container, complete with air conditioning. Much of what’s in other countries isn’t in Nauru. There are no physical geocaches and the only CouchSurfing host hadn’t logged on since before the pandemic. Maruan, who has a CouchSurfing profile, responded when I messaged him on Facebook and he agreed to host me for $25 per night. After a few hours of sleep this morning, I was dreading at arriving on a Sunday but Nauru isn't nearly as sleepy as Tuvalu as there are quite a few shops open. Rock pinnacles define the coast.
Many people who have been to Nauru are part of a Facebook group called Every Passport Stamp (EPS) and I had an opportunity to meet Lillie today. She and I are both part of EPS. Her time in Nauru is short but, among countries, she only has Libya and North Korea left to visit.
A few weeks ago, I was debating whether to come to Nauru. I booked Tuvalu back in September, but I weighed up the pros and cons of coming here, considering that I'd be in the region but also thinking I could spend a month in India for about the same cost as three or four days in Nauru. It’s the only Pacific country where you must arrange a visa in advance; fortunately, mine was approved in less than a week. With that “you only live once” attitude I decided to visit Nauru, and after a day here I’m glad I did. Come evening, the Anibare Boat Harbour is a gathering spot where kids go swimming and locals bring out the barbie and esky, and hold a big feast. It would theoretically be possible to travel around most of the Pacific without ever having to buy food as it often appears in front of me before I have a chance to buy it. I was planning to have dinner at one of the Chinese restaurants but someone offered me a plate of food before throwing myself off the boat ramp and into the sea. This evening, after a refreshing dip, I hung out with Maruan and his friend, Azara. She works as a checkin attendant for Nauru Airlines and we stayed up and chatted the night away. Things would get a touch emotional during an online chat between Anikka and me but she's a great friend, and things are sure to smooth themselves out. Despite being on another extraordinary journey, my mental health isn't the best, and hasn't been for quite some time. Azara looked over my shoulder and noted that I write very caring responses. Maruan asked if I'd be fine sleeping in the hut by the beach, which was fine as long as I could keep the mosquitoes at bay. As with Fiji and Tuvalu, the mozzies will eat you alive here if you're not prepared.
Nauru is a milestone country for me as I've now been to 75 countries and territories (60 countries and 15 territories). What few people who have been to Nauru has warned me that there isn't a lot to see here but this is my home for the next four nights. It may not have taken Tokelau-like effort but it was still a bit of work (and money), so I shall see. However, I am sure to enjoy it.
