- landfall on the lush island of Fatu Hiva after 25 days at sea
- a week of dumb-founded awe at the raw beauty of the lush tropical jungle virant colourful flowers, volcanic peaks and coconut palms,mango trees,
- explored waterfalls - some of us jumped off the rocks into the swimming hole some 30 feet down!
- the awe of the beauty never did wear off
- feasted in a local's home on traditionally cooked bananas, lobster, shrimp, mangos, coconut, fish and chicken
- we officially checked-in to French Polynesia at Atuona on Hiva Oa: struggles with officialdom, banks and phonecards and re-learned the virtue of patience, Marquesan style
- then sailed south to the island of Tahuata:
- amazingly beautiful sandy beaches, crystal clear water, and hours of fun in the surf
- wake-boarded behind the dinghy (in shark-infested waters!)
- haven't seen a shark yet since leaving Mexico (but we know they're there)
- we really discovered bananas!
- always a warm welcome by many locals
- feasted with more villagers in their homes, picking scrumptious fruit from their trees
- explored old restored ruins of centuries past when island life was very different than today
- reading and learning about the history of these islands, culturally, politically, and in literature and art has been fascinating
- amazed by the indigenous artwork, making of tapa, wood and stone carvings, tikis, etc.
- we collected a few samples
- learned to speak French (well a bit of French)
- sailed the north coast of Hiva Oa, then to Ua Huka, a very different place altogether
- Ua Huka is called the "wild west" of the Marquesas
- it's overrun by some 1500 wild horses and as many goats, roaming the barren hills (mostly eaten)
- its like a western desert, very windy and with difficult anchorages
- lots of fun on the beach there with fellow cruisers - learned to play botchy-ball
- spotted several dead horse carcasses on shore - it ain't quite the dream world that it sounds
- but it's close
- Taiohae Bay on Nuka Hiva was home to us for a week, with about 40 other cruising boats
- though it is the island group's administrative center, it's still a very small town
- population 2000
- went to the fair, and saw amazing art, fruit ,animals, dug out canoes in progress, and lots of arts and crafts
- Liz got two traditional tattoos- beautiful!
- we sailed around the island of Ua Pou, feasted in the homes of some more kind and friendly folk
- there are children everywhere - playing on the wharves and swimming in the water
- kids borrowed our kayak all day every day we were there
- went to the high school's open house, and a children's festival that weekend
- watched traditional dances, food and celebrations
- a religious procession: it started with drums on the beach at nightfall:
- two canoes, rafted between struts and lit up by flaming torches, carried a statue of Mary
- the procession wove between the cruising boats that lay at anchor
- a Marquesan woman sang from the wharf, very loudly, in Marquesan
- the shrine was carried down the beach where about 100 villagers chanted, following to the church
- another waterfall hike at Baie d'Hekahatau, and more trading of CDs, shoes, fishing line, etc. for still more fruit (loading up for the next leg)
- there we met another local family, the son of the hereditary Marquesan priest, enjoying a luxuriant life, growing plants, fruit, vegetables, hunting boar and goat, fishing from his canoe and living quite comfortably with little else
- the villagers seem very content with their simple live
- who wouldn't?
WHAT NOW?
We have arrived yesterday in the Tuomotu, the next island group southwest of the Marquesas, 420 miles (a 3 day passage) on a close reach into SE winds between 30 and 40 knots the whole way. The seas were steep and confused, and the going rough. We are glad to have discovered a desolate and small atoll, with no other cruising boats and a population of less than 50, though the anchorage inside the lagoon was exposed to the wind. We shared the anchorage with a Kiwi/British family aboard their boat, Yamana. A trip to the village replenished the baquette supply and an evening concert at the boarding school (for all the villages on many surrounding atolls) brought more traditional song, dance and play.
The Tuomotu are a group of "atolls" which are very different from the newer volcanic mountain islands of the Marquesas. After a coral reef forms around a volcanic island (like Tahiti and Bora Bora), the island recedes back into the ocean (this takes a really long time) and the fringing reef remains leaving a very large lagoon, many miles wide. Sometimes the reef is solid all around, but sometimes there is a pass to the inside, where coral heads rear ugly from nowhere, so its tricky navigation inside. Sometimes we have a man aloft in the rig with polaroid sunglasses to watch for the coral ahead. The atolls are quite barren, there is no fruit (other than coconut) and the threshold population is about 50. They sustain themselves (barely) on the copra and pearl industries. We'll be visiting a few atolls before sailing on to Tahiti, about 300 miles further west sometime in July.
When we get to Tahiti, we'll be able to update the blog and send more pictures (so please don't ask until then).
SPEAKING OF PICTURES!
Photos of our travels down the US and Mexican coast and the Marquesas are posted on the Picassa website. There aren't many (compared to what we took) but it took a long time to download these and you must appreciate we have had much more interesting things to do than wait for computers to process data.
Cut and paste this address into your internet browser:
http://picasaweb.google.com/findingcandine
The Picasa website is new to us, so if you experience any problems let us know so that we can make it work.
POSITION
Our position on the map and satellite image is still posted regularly on the Winlink website.
The address is the same but the website has changed. Goto:
And Click on Maps, scroll down to user positions, and type in our amateur radio call sign:
VE0TIM
That's all for now. Enjoy the photos.
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1 comment:
What an adventure for all of you!! Great pics. Awsome update on the blog..Keep at it ...Im living vicariously..
Thanks!
chefneil@shaw.ca
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