Naoero

Located deep in the central Pacific Ocean, Naoero is one of the world’s smallest and most isolated countries. Once one of the richest nations in the world thanks to its vast phosphate deposits, decades of mining stripped away much of the island’s interior, leaving behind a jagged limestone landscape. By the time of my visit, it had become better known internationally for hosting Australia’s offshore immigration detention center and for having one of the highest obesity rates in the world.

Getting to Naoero wasn’t particularly easy. It was the only country in the Pacific where I needed a visa, and the only way to obtain one was by repeatedly emailing the head of immigration until he eventually responded and processed my application. My first memory of Naoero was sitting in the hotel shuttle from the airport. I was exhausted and hoping to get some sleep after landing in the very early hours of the morning, but that wasn’t possible because another passenger enthusiastically chatted with the driver for the entire ride. Eventually, I gave up and introduced myself. His name was Klim, a traveler from Russia who, like me, was chasing an ambitious goal. Except his mission went even further. He and his wife weren’t just trying to visit every country. They wanted to visit every territory in the world as well.

The next day, Klim, his wife, and I rented a car and set off to explore the island. We drove around its entire coastline and ventured into the rugged interior before making our final stop at one of the government offices. After my failed attempt to meet the president in Micronesia, I figured I’d try my luck again. The president wasn’t available, but we were welcomed by Naoero’s Minister of Communications, who generously presented each of us with a hand-carved wooden map of Naoero containing a piece of the island’s infamous phosphate rock.

Naoero was never going to be the tropical paradise many people imagine when they think of the Pacific. Yet by the end of my visit, I realized it didn’t need to be. Naoero was about the adventure. Klim and I stayed in touch, and just a few months later we met again, this time in Russia, where he showed me around his hometown of Saint Petersburg. I’ll always enjoy telling people where our friendship began.