Subject: Report # 21 Taiohae, Nuku Hiva, French Polynesia January 20, 2016 Wednesday Chance of rain & 79 degrees Part #1 80 Pictures
Report # 21 Taiohae, Nuku Hiva, French Polynesia January 20, 2016 Wednesday Chance of rain & 79 degrees
Well, finally, after about nine days at sea, the Amsterdam arrived to the Taiohae Bay of Nuku Hiva, French Polynesia. As a special welcome to this part of the South Pacific, the Polynesian Location Team performed a ceremonial dance on the bow of the ship at 9am. The crowd grew as we got closer to the island. We have had a similar experience when arriving to Bora Bora on previous trips, because the scenery is so stunning. Unfortunately, we will not be stopping in Bora Bora this time, so that's probably why they planned this ceremony for today. Even nicer, they had a table set up with cold juice and trays of Nuku Hiva rolls or as we really know them……Panama rolls.
While there, we happened to have a chance to talk to Henk M regarding the priority tender service card we had received earlier in the trip. We thought it was odd that the directions for debarking for the President's Club had changed. Apparently we had gotten the wrong card that said we had to go around the line in the hall on deck one, present our card, then get in line with the rest of the crowd, who were 4 and 5 star members.
The way it works for the President's Club members was always for us to get escorted by a staff member, who takes us to an inside elevator. We call them the "secret" elevators. That way, we enter the waiting area on deck A, take a chair, and wait for the next tender boat. It is so much better than being paraded in front of the crowd, and taken down the stairs. Does not make you popular, so we don't do it. After we asked Henk about the change, he checked with his wife Christel, who said the cards we had gotten were incorrect. By the time we got back to the room after the ceremony, a new card had been printed with our names on it, and a message was left on our phone for us to meet her in her office before going ashore. Now that is what we call efficient and very thoughtful. Later on at dinnertime, we found out Barb had gotten the same note, as well as a follow-up phone call of apology. Seems that many of our group had gotten the wrong info.
Here's another little bit of info we gathered today. For weeks now, we have been meaning to ask why the guest lecturers do not have their talks re-played on the room TV's. Henk M immediately contacted Gene, who let him know that the policy had been changed, and the talks were no longer allowed to be repeated during the day. Some kind of legalese reason. We assume it is fleet wide. We certainly did not expect an immediate answer, but both fellows moved quickly to answer our inquiry. Under pressure, Gene, the CD, was trying to hold the passengers back from crowding the hallways and landings, waiting for the ship to be cleared. No one was obeying his orders. He still took a moment to explain the new rules for the lecturers. He's got our vote.
We heard that there was going to be a medical debark today of a person that needed to be flown to Papeete to the hospital there. We think that is the second one to leave the ship for a serious condition. We heard it was a heart attack, but cannot verify that. Too bad.
Now that we have entered French Polynesia, here are a few facts. The population is spread over five archipelagos: Marquesas, Tuamotus, Australis, Society Islands, and the Gambiers. The total number of islands and motus is 117, and they are spread over an area the size of Europe. Pretty impressive. Since the distance between the archipelagos was so great centuries ago, each area developed a different culture with specific traditions.
The best time to visit is from May through October, which is considered the cool and dry season. We agree. It was by far more pleasant last November when we stopped here. Today, you could have swam through the humidity it was so high. Even though rain was in the forecast, it never happened. Of course it didn't, because we packed the umbrellas all day.
Nuku Hiva has trails to hike or horseback ride, valleys to see with vistas and waterfalls, and villages to visit. You can build up an appetite for raw fish with coconut milk (poisson cru), or Mediterranean-flavored carpaccio and Asian sashimi. The drink is Hinano beer, and their slogan is: take it slow. A random fact: 300,000 tiare flowers are picked daily in the islands for flower leis and fragranced coconut oil.
The island of Nuku Hiva is 127 square miles, the largest in the Marquesas, and the second largest in French Polynesia. We think the island of Tahiti is the largest. Taiohae is the administrative capital of the Marquesas with most of their buildings dedicated to that purpose. The village of Taiohae is quite pleasant with friendly natives, roaming horses, and many archaeological remains from the past. The highlight is the Cathedral of Notre Dame des Marquesas, full of wooden statues carved from sandal wood. There is also a tribute to author Herman Melville who lived here for a short time, and a cemetery dating back 100's of years.
There was one tour conducted by the ship that took the folks on a drive to the interior of the island, past some archaeological sites, to a few villages and beaches, and back to Taiohae. The price? About $130. for 3 hours in a non-air conditioned 4 wheel drive on bumpy roads for 3 hours. We sort of got the impression few people booked this tour. In fact, you could have bought a similar tour right from the visitors center for $30 to $50 per person.
Going to shore on the very first tender boat was a good plan today. We beat the crowd, and could take our time walking the village and the shoreline like we always do. It was early enough to catch some of the fishermen casting their lines at the pier. They had already caught enough red snapper for their dinner. Sometimes, when you hit the island at the right time, you may see the guys cleaning the big fish, throwing the scraps in the water, which attracts the sharks. A few years ago, there was an invasion of the predators in the bay. We could see the dorsal fins of these sharks from the tender boat as we headed for the pier. That was sobering, and also a good reason to stay out of the water while here.
Our hike took us to the nearby restaurant where the passengers were already jamming the free internet. A few shops were busy nearby, as was the veggie and fruit market. We spotted some of those tasty bananas they grow here, and told the vendor we would be back to buy some later. Can you believe $2 for 16 bananas?
We made our way to the Cathedral of Notre Dame des Marquesas. It is a most unique church, built with rocks from all of the Marquesan islands, and filled with sandalwood carved statues resembling the natives. The acoustics in this wooden church are also well-known. Bonnie told us that she happened to visit the church when the singing group, Jack Pack, were trying out the song, Amazing Grace, inside the cathedral. Brought her and one other lucky lady to tears it was so moving. Funny, that's not the first time that a singing group from the ship has done the same thing. It happened last year also.
By the time we got to the end of the main road, we had passed by the sites and taken at least 100 photos. The prize at the end of the road was hiking up the hillside to the Keikahanui Pearl Resort, where we totally enjoyed several ice cold Hinano beers with two Mediterranean Italian paninis with crispy, hot French fries. Since this spot has been eliminated from the ship's map, there were only seven of us up there taking in the vista of the beautiful bay where the Amsterdam sat at anchor. Surrounded by many yachts and colorful racing canoes, it sure was a moment to remember. The conservative infinity pool was sure inviting, but we had not come prepared to take a dip in the water. Truthfully, we could have gone into the pool with our clothes on it was so hot and sticky, but there were two darling youngsters swimming in there, and we took pleasure in watching them dive and splash for an hour. Oh how nice to be so young and carefree. All too soon, we had to begin the walk back to the tender boats. The last boat leaving was 5:30pm, and we sure wanted to get back before that.
It was surprising how many folks we stopped and chatted with that we have known from other cruises. Passengers and crew members. We all agreed that this port was a delight…..so laid back and not touristy….a great way to begin our South Pacific portion of the grand voyage.
Just as we had planned, we picked up those little bananas, and the nice vendor gifted us with huge, ripe mango as a bonus. While we waited in line for the next tender, we listened to the native band that included drummers and scantily-clad dancing Marquesan dancers. The young ladies seem to be quite proud to display their elaborate tattoos of geckos and flowers that seem to undulate as they dance Tahitian style. So exotic.
As the boat passed in between the anchored yachts, the people onboard waved as we watched them hanging wet clothing on lines to dry. Some were scrubbing the decks, or polishing the brass. Others were fishing from the decks. What a way to spend their lives on the seas.
Coming into the air conditioning on the ship was a touch of heaven. The sail away began around 5:30pm, where the crew offered the drink of the day, the Polynesian Cooler for $6.50 along with marinated chicken skewers. The Polynesian Location Team mingled with the guests dressed in full island costumes. As they strolled the deck, they handed out fragrant frangipani blossoms to the ladies. We heard that they will be onboard until Tahiti, where they leave and probably join another ship. The folks have really enjoyed their stay here.
We all had stories to share at dinnertime. We had heard of another passenger accident, when someone got hurt while on the shore excursion. That require another visit to the local hospital, but at least that person was able to come back to the ship all bandaged up. The choices of courses were good tonight. Green pea soup and a pho soup were tasty. We had entrees of Chinese noodles, chicken breast, and a particularly tasty pot roast with mashed potatoes. The beef must have been filet mignon, it was so tender. We did keep dessert light.
The heat and humidity had gotten to most of us, so we ended the evening by 9:30pm. The entertainer was Pete Neighbour, a trumpet playing jazz artist. His show was good, but we found it difficult to make it through to the end. Captain Jonathon had mentioned during his sail away talk that we may be in for some showers tomorrow on our way to Rangiroa. It may turn out to be another movie day.
And we did get another ½ hour back on the clock this evening. This time, we did appreciate it.
Bill & Mary Ann
Sunrise in the South Pacific
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Weather could go either way
First sighting of land
Viewing the sailing into Nuku Hiva
Part of the Polynesian Location Team
Steep basalt volcanic peaks of Nuku Hiva
Polynesian dancers
The crowd got bigger
Tahitian dance
She had all the right moves
So did she
Traditional dance
Greener hillside compared to last November
Emerald green despite dreary skies
Outcropping
Views from the ship's bow
Juice and Nuku HIva rolls
Experienced dancer
Telling a story
The way down from the bow
Priority tendering, eventually shared with 4 and 5 star members
Better be back by 5:30pm
No, not a real dog, but someone's mascot
Taiohae Bay
Maitre d'hotel, Tom G & Paul, Culinary Manager
The internet café and a few shops
Small fishing boats
A few fellows fishing for dinner
A red snapper
Enough for dinner
A new tender landing building in progress
BBQ chicken skewers
T-shirts and pareos
Seeds, beads, and seashell trinkets
The local produce market tent
Cute little Marquesan toddler
A craft building
Tropical flowering tree
A tiki display
One way to cool off the horse
The dog liked the surf too
The small spit of beach near the tender landing
Both are enjoying the bath
As good as it gets here
Bill under the golden chain tree
Administrative buildings
Fairly calm waters today
Nice setting
Post office
The flowering season
Local police
The official crest
A unique bank
A memorial
The best and only graffiti we saw
Had to watch these rogue waves
One of a few stores
Recent rains keep the grass green
Tiny scurrying crabs
A lone bird on patrol
Roads were muddy today
The way to the Cathedral
The entrance to the cathedral
Notre Dame des Marquesas
Elaborate wooden carvings
The baptismal fount
The conservative altar
Solid wooden ceilings
A different type of church
Also a good place to cool down
Sandalwood carving at the door entrance
A shrine in the garden
The courtyard and entrance
Wildflowers
The "gate keeper" of the elementary school
Stones are from all of the 12 Marquesan islands
Breadfruit
The road back to the shoreline
School buses
The creek was flowing today
