The last week in Marquesas

ANIMA
Manuel Ribeiro
Tue 24 Apr 2018 19:04

As mentioned in previous blogs, we have been making new friends in boats that are following a similar route and become very familiar to us. Rainer and Yvonne, a very nice couple with german origin and living in Costa Rica, started in the Mediterranean last summer and have been sailing around the world in a high tech, very stylish 63 foot monohull ”La Pecadora”, which they sail without additional crew.

 

After Hiva Oa, we went back to Tahuata and anchored off the white sandy beach. This time we did not meet the manta rays, but instead we had a very nice sundowner (sunset drink) with a couple which had a boat with a familiar name: São Nicolau… registered in Alaska! Leonie and Wolfgang, a german couple living in the US, bought their boat in Cascais and were clearly excited sharing their happy memories from Portugal, where they have family which they visit often.

 

On the next day, we sailed to the largest Island in Marquesas, Nuku Hiva, where the capital of the archipelago is located: Taiohae. The anchorage is quiet and close to the town center, with more facilities than Hiva Oa. Daniel’s bay, 5 miles to the west, is the starting point of a very nice walk to the 3rd highest waterfall in the world, some 400 m high, with some quite spectacular views. On a white sandy beach, as we were walking in the water, we saw some sharks approaching. Although small, we instinctively retreated to the safety of dry sand, as we watched them swimming around.

 

Now, after 2 weeks in the remote Marquesas islands with dramatic landscapes, almost vertical cliffs with lush vegetation and very welcoming polynesian population, we are now setting sails to the Tuamotus atolls, where we plan to arrive in 4 days.