"Treasures of Cruising the World" with Bill & Mary Ann: Report #20 Taiohae, Nuku Hiva French Polynesia January 19, 2018 Friday Mostly sunny & 75 degrees Part #1 Of 4 80 Pictures

Today was a day of surprises, none of which we expected. Well maybe a little. You know when you get a gut feeling that if something is going to go wrong, it will? Here’s the story…..

Breakfast was early, and we did want to keep it light and quick. No problem as the dining room opened at 7:30am, and we planned on taking the first tender boat ride over to shore. Most of the time, we don’t take the first boat over, but almost two years ago, we happened to catch a local fellow baiting the waters for sharks. It was quite thrilling to see them close up, right below our feet on the pier. The tugging and thrashing of several sharks almost pulled the fellow into the water. So, we thought it could happen today if we go over early.

We escorted ourselves down from deck four, and got onto the first boat. Once it was full, we heard a strange noise, followed by an alarm. Seems that one of the engines stalled, and there was no fixing it. Bouncing up and down, we got fumigated while waiting for help to get us going again. Well, it never happened, so Henk M, our hotel director, had to have all of us debark slowly, and wait for another boat. In order to hold our disabled boat, another tender had to nose it at the aft, and hold us steady. We half expected to see the windows shatter, but luckily, they did not.

So we all waited in the holding area on deck A before another boat appeared. Then something nice occurred. Bottles of water were handed to each of us as we left. Good thing, because it was going to be darn hot and humid all day. All is well that ends well, as we got to shore before 9am. The drummers were performing a welcome ceremony, and the local ladies were handing out the single tiare flower to all. There were many 4 x 4 vehicles lined up to offer the guests tours, some of which were the HAL tour for 3 hours. This excursion would take the folks in a caravan, where one English-speaking guide would do the talking at each site. The drivers spoke little if any English. After a couple of stops in town, they went into Taipivai Valley, where crops are grown. More villages, churches, and temples exist in these soaring mountains. One interesting fact is that the show Survivor was filmed here in 2001. One last stop at the black sand beach at Hooumi, and the tour ended back at the pier where shopping for souvenirs could be done. All this for $140.

Having done this tour years ago, we went in search of the shark show. Our hopes were dashed when all we found were the fishermen dicing up tuna steaks, and the ladies saran-wrapping it for market. No shark baiting was happening today. Drats.

So we began our slow walk through the tented tables, checking out their offerings of carvings, drawings, jewelry and t-shirts. The more colorful part of this area has to be the produce market with the freshest fruit and veggies for sale. We would be back later to pick up some of those small tangy bananas.

Numerous postcards and shell jewelry were available in the tourist shack. They also had some island booklets with maps and tourist info for some of the next ports we will visit. Invaluable info that we do not have with the ship’s brochures.

Our destination was the Keikahanui Pearl Lodge, located on a hillside on a road at the opposite end of the bay. Recalling that their lunch time did not begin until well after noon, we needed to take our time getting there. That was perfect for one of us that is nursing a quite sore foot due to a recurring heel spur, most likely activated by wearing new shoes. A reminder to fellow travelers: bring your old shoes with you, as comfort is utmost number one when putting on significant walking miles like we do.

One of the fun activities we enjoy is bird-watching. And this island does have a few hidden treasures in the bird department. Flocks of white terns live in these trees that line the Taiohae Bay. Sometimes you have to stop and watch for a while to see them hiding on the branches of the flame trees. Along the way, you can always find large rocks to sit for a spell, which worked just fine for one of us. Crossing over a fresh water channel, we spotted a small heron, all alone, fishing along the shoreline. Further inland, we did see some pretty little yellow seed-eaters, but could not ID them. One or two green and yellow birds looked like a pigeon. We mistook them for parrots in previous years, but upon closer examination, their beaks were not the parrot type.

Taking a right turn halfway on the bay road, we found the Notre Dame Church, a most unique Catholic church built from rocks found on the six of the largest Marquesas islands. Huge carved doors are made from local rosewood, we believe, and are original from the time the first church was built. This church had been remodeled or rebuilt back in the 1970’s. Martha happened to be on a tour with a ship group, so we stopped to chat. She was on her way to the valley next with a group. Then one by one, several folks we knew stopped to talk. Never realized how many people we have come to know over the years, but that is part of the fun of touring on your own, like we are doing today.

A little ways past the Monument to the Dead, built to commemorate the death of French colonial sailors in the 19^th and 20^th centuries, local workers were busy constructing trellises for shade. Made with large bamboo and palm fronds, this appears to be the site for the next big concert that takes place here every year. There was even a large hole dug in the ground for pig-roasting. Years ago, we did have a ship’s party here, but it got rained out big time.

Finally passing the picnic-type area where locals park their kayaks, we made our way past a couple of horses, a cow, and the local high school. Then we approached the end of the road, where we hiked straight up towards the Pearl Resort. Many vehicles were parked up there, so we expected the place to be full of diners. Well…..surprise number two of the day…..it was closed for renovations. Drats, again. Before we left home, we did think that maybe we should research these special places we frequent, but ran out of time to do it. Oh well, if nothing else, we got in a great walk.

Ice cold beer was on our minds, so we went to the nearest little restaurant and bar at the bottom of the road. It was named He’e Tai Inn, and was located near the museum, a converted house with some historical pieces. Only a small group of locals were eating there, so we asked if they served lunch, and would they take the US dollar. Their answer was lunch was ready now (12:30pm), and yes, they happily took US dollars. No credit cards however.

Three adorable puppies were roaming around the veranda where we sat. The mama stayed close to them. Not resembling the female, we realized these puppies looked like pit bulls. Suspicions were confirmed when we saw the suspect male, a large pit bull, chasing more girl dogs. What a life.

First thing we ordered were cold bottles of Hinano beer, the best brew of French Polynesia, in our opinion. The menu was printed on a blackboard, 3 feet by 4 feet, on a pedestal. The waitress just moved it so we could read it. She did the same for the rest of the folks that eventually filled the tables. They did not serve paninis, but they did offer us salads and French fries. That sounded good, as we were not exactly sure what the French entrees were except for fish and more fish. Finishing our light meal, we ordered profiterolles with creamy ice cream in the middle of the pastry crust. The bill came to $38, but we had expected it to be more. Previous years, we found the beer to be close to $10 each. Who said Polynesia was cheap? It is not.

We back-tracked slowly, watching the local rowers in their long boat racing in the bay. Some brave kayakers were following the tender boats like they always do, catching a ride in the boat’s wake. Several sailboats were moored in the bay today also. The photos we took today make the area look cool, but believe us, it was the warmest day that we can remember. Good thing we had four bottles of water to keep us hydrated.

There is a small shop on the hillside where the concert t-shirts are sold. Hoping to find the 2018 version, we were disappointed to find none. Actually, nobody was minding the shop when we stopped by. That is island living, a very different way of life.

We did pick up those bananas, but did not find any treasures in the way of jewelry this time. Some pearl items are sold here, but they are more of the culled variety. They were the black pearls, common to this part of the world. And of course, our collection is maxed out.

The tender boat was waiting, and we were ready to go back. Nice thing is that the last ones on, are the first ones off. And that was us. Our clothes were stuck to us by the time we got back on the ship, so that air conditioning was most welcomed. Since sail away was after 5:30pm, we had a couple of hours to work on photos in our room.

Around 6pm, we went to deck nine, armed with the good camera. Watching the waters around the ship, we saw what looked like a floating plastic bag right under the surface. Then it moved. From the shape of it, we surmised we were seeing a manta ray feeding. Then we saw a few more drifting along, although no one standing near us spotted them. Once the captain began the side thrusters, the mantas disappeared. Speaking of the captain, during his talk before our departure, he mentioned the story of two tender boats failing today. Engine problems, which eventually did get fixed. That’s when we heard about another boat accident while we were in Fuerte Amador. The story went that the tender driver ran into a local yacht, putting a good-sized hole in it. And somehow the windows of our tender were broken. Oops…..glad we were not on that ride.

The sun set quickly on the horizon as we left the bay, ending a nice stay here. During the day, we heard various comments about this port. A few people thought it was far from tropical, after seeing the dryness of the lower hillsides. Looks like a desert to me, they said. It’s not paradise like we have been led to expect. We wanted to say, just wait, it does get better, but we didn’t as some folks are stuck in the half full glass, and refuse to see the beauty that definitely surrounded us today. The outline of Ua Pou, one of the six populated islands of the Marquesas, was visible in the distance. Even though Nuku Hiva is the largest of the islands, Ua Pou is the most populated with over 2000 natives. Out of the 12 islands in this archipelago, only 6 are inhabited by about 9200 people (2012 census).

Dinner was with friends Leta and Bill. They have a table for two, and it sure was nice visiting with them. Our food was prompt, and hot-hot-hot. Although we had finished our three courses by 9:15pm (their usual time), we lingered over interesting conversation until closer to 10pm. We do like our larger table, but occasionally, it’s nice to break away. And besides, Barb was also missing because she went to a birthday dinner for Don’s birthday.

We also got another ½ hour back on the clock tonight, a strange occurrence that happens in only a few parts in the world. We think the time difference has something to do with the fact that the five archipelagos that make up French Polynesia cover an area the size of Europe. Pretty impressive.

Bill & Mary Ann

Arriving to Taiohae Bay in Nuku Hiva