Tahuata

The island of Tahuata is just South of Hiva Oa. A chart of the island from Charlie's Charts of Polynesia will help you see where we are. It was December 11^th and we had to get back to Tahuata before the crowds arrive for the festival. We anchored near Hapatoni in our favorite bay Hanatefau on the SW side of the island.

When we were here before the bread machine was out of order, so by request we delivered 10 baguettes to our friend Tahina. Later we find the bread machine had been fixed, so it was not really necessary. Thank god they fixed it, with several thousand people about to descend on the island. Hanatefau was were we saw several green flash sunsets when we were here in October. So we watched hoping for another one.

This anchorage had some of the best sunsets we have seen in all of French Polynesia.

In order to see a green flash, you must have a clear shot to the horizon, with no clouds interrupting the view. So it was not to happen this night, but still quite lovely!

Close up, sometimes it seems I can hear the sun sizzle as it drops into the ocean. And I love how the tops of the little wavelets reflect the glow of the setting sun.

 

The next morning our friendly neighbors, the dolphins show up (we were told) to have sex in this bay!! We never actually saw it, but it seems like a good probability, because there are many of them and then they start jumping for joy. First, just a splash.

But with patience, and having my finger on the ready at the shoot button, I lucked out with this shot.

Then they swim around again.

And this guy must have had sex, he is doing a back flip!! He has a very white speckled belly.

Then they swim close together again. Only 9 showing in this shot, but there were likely at least a dozen of them.

We took the dinghy on the 1.5 mile ride North to Vaitahu, the main village where the festival will be held. The locals were practicing their dance, so we stopped in for a preview.

David, the fellow in red shorts with tattoos, is also a very good carver. He lives in Hapatoni village. Each Island will have its own dance troop for the festival, which come from all the villages on their islands.

It was interesting to note that many of the drummers from Tahuata were women! Drum on ladies!

Each dance tells a story. Sometimes on their feet, sometimes while sitting.

This young lady had the moves down pat!

Now the men are paddling onto the floor.

Dancing circles around their women.

I could feel the beat of the drums and Ukuleles pounding in my chest.

There are already half a dozen boats anchored in Vaitahu Bay and expecting a large crowd, not just of sailboats, but local boats too.

Transportation to Hapatoni by road requires 4 wheel drive!

The stage is empty waiting for the dancers to arrive, with an interesting almost spider like drawing on their wall.

Back at the Quay, the kids were having fun jumping and splashing around in the water.

Back in our tranquil bay of Hanatefau, it is time for another spectacular sunset!

Clouds are moving in and so are more boats!

The faster way to Vaitahu, this boat crosses the sunset in front of us on the way back to the village.

The sun is going, going........

Gone.

And the speed boat makes it back home to Hapatoni before dark.

Sailing Back to Southern Marquesas

December 5^th, 2017. It was time to sail back to the Southern Group of the Marquesas, from Nuku Hiva to Hiva Oa. To give you some perspective this is a photo from Charlie's Charts of Polynesia. Nuku Hiva is at the top left and we are sailing to Hiva Oa, the largest of the islands, middle right. Each degree of latitude is 60 nautical miles.

We sailed out of the Bay of Taiohae as the sun set over the horizon. We often start a passage in the evening, usually for timing the arrival during daylight hours.

The seas grow inky black as the sky glows orange.

By the next morning the seas have grown boisterous and the wind close on the nose.

In this wide open ocean we often see fairly large waves, when two swell directions come together.

By the second day, the bright sun turns the water an incredible blue, but the wind is still blowing and the boat is making quite a spray!

We spotted this big slab sided local fishing boat, possibly from Tahiti. Seemed he was sitting still in those big swells, but rolling a lot!

It was a long slog, but we finally arrived in Atuona, Hiva Oa again. Map photos courtesy of Charlie's Charts. We have to pick up some supplies and then head toward the upcoming festival. Plus see a few sights we missed our first time here.

Atuona used to be the capital of the Marquesas, before it was moved to Taiohae in Nuku Hiva. The harbor is not actually at Atuona, it is in Tahauku, the next bay over.

They are still working on the Quay, which has been going on for a long time.

Actually they have been building on this island for a while I suppose, because we saw several large pieces of machinery, being eaten up by the jungle growth.

This Bulldozer is almost unrecognizable.

We decided to take a dinghy cruise and check out the sights from the water view too. This is the mess hall for the local French army base.

This fairly new boat yard (opened just one year) seems to be doing a great business.

Some locals hanging out under the trees above the cliffs.

Looking back into the bay, you can see Avatar anchored by the Quay under construction. And up on the hill, one of the few pensions (small hotels) on Hiva Oa.

This rocky point separates us from the main part of the village.

Mt. Temetiu, 1213 meters (3639 feet), dominates our view.

The black sand beach of Atuona and the Vaioa Valley.

The surf crashes on the rocks on the way back to the harbor in Tahauku Bay. 

These homes must have spectacular views!

Mike and I rode our bikes up out of town, following the Vaioa river.

This looks to be a man made berm, but the eels sure like it. There are 3 in this photo!

I got a close up of these two, about 3 feet long! This is one of the fresh water eels that live in many rivers of the Marquesas and the same legendary one that became the coconut tree!!

It is a big wide valley with tall mountains! Reminds me of a giant mouth of a volcano!?!

Mike stops by these gorgeous flowers. Note the lovely road conditions.

This guy is obviously a Mercedes truck collector, or maybe he is just trying to keep one running and needs all these for parts?!?

I never saw a bus here, but this sure looks like a bus stop.

We passed the house of a drum carver. His drums were quite impressive, but sadly we did not see him around to talk to.

Another house was fully decorated with flower pots! And they have a pamplamouse tree too! (the giant grapefruit like tree)

Riding our bikes up a hill (and well eventually pushing because it was steep) we could look down on the black sand beach and Taaoa Bay.

And the village of Atuona sitting under the peak of Mt. Temetiu.

We pushed our bikes up to the top where the famous graveyard lays.

Belgian born singer/songwriter, Jacques Brel, arrived here on a sailboat in 1975. Seduced by the beauty and tranquility, he decided to stay. He was trying to get away from his fame in Europe and became a regular guy, loved by the locals. He often used his Beechcraft airplane to take people to the hospital, when needed, all the way to Tahiti. He sadly passed at age 48 from Cancer, but left a legacy in his last song he wrote “The Marquesas”, which is still sung with pride by the locals.

By tradition many of the graves are covered with white sand and decorated with flowers.

This guy must have enjoyed life with this impressive wall of Marquesan decorated blocks.

Some cool carved stones adorn this grave.

This is the most famous grave, the artist Paul Gauguin, who died here in 1903!!

I loved this statue of a woman riding to heaven on the back of her dog.

This graveyard is quite large and continues up the hill for some ways.

This poor young woman only lived 35 years, from 1872 to 1902!

Some of the graves were so old, the names were long eroded away and their stones cracked and deteriorating. Sad.

I am not sure why, but it seems many graveyards have a great view. I guess so we can contemplate life, while visiting the dead. The big blue horizon is right there.

Another stunning view of Mt. Temetiu and the Vaioa valley.

We ended up coming down the back side of the hill ending up in Tahauku Bay with Avatar waiting for us.

View from the back of Tahauku Bay, looking all the way out through Taaoa Bay in the distance. Thank you Hiva Oa for showing us some of your beautiful secrets.