Fai Tira Blog Thursday 21th April

Fai Tira anchored at Nuka Hiva  08:55.09S 140:05.87W     

 

Sorry about the days’ delay.

 

We’ve been in the hypnotically beautiful Iles Marquises, now, for just over a week and although it was a wrench to leave Fatu Hiva, with all its’ mysterious, imposing, magnificent scale, the thought of what was to come remained a mouth-watering prospect. The coast line didn’t disappoint even though the anchorage at Taiohae Bay, was perhaps a little lacking in initial impact. Our arrival, bleary eyed from the overnight sail, was timed to coincide with the greeting celebrations on the quayside. We missed the dancing (shame) but were able to make the most of the huge generous breakfast consisting of a massive fruit selection washed down with iced water

 

 

Our arrival and a sea view of the magnificent coast line of Nuku Hiva

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As soon as we stepped on shore there was a refreshing and marked absence of the usual tourist trappings. It’s remote and expensive!

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After the initial greetings, slaps on the backs, hugs and catching up stories from the fleet crews, some of whom we hadn’t seen for three weeks.

We made a bee line for the ATM, extracted some money and found the bar owned by the infamous Rose who had arrived at this place some thirty years ago by boat, stayed and with her husband started what is still the only hotel on the island. It was subsequently sold, but is still a good watering hole, as witnessed by Pete swimming in the hotels excellent infinity pool.

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Back to Roses for the pig roast. Have to admit, not too excited about the picture of a couple of very dead animals, but the entertainment was fantastic.

The dancing was very, traditional, tribal, passionate, ritualistic. Macho and, at times intimidating and the singing beautiful, distinct and haunting.

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Re-fuelling the boat meant a late start for the short  trip and planned overnight stay at  Daniels Bay with the rest of the fleet. We arrived in the evening to this striking, and almost secret, location The channel is located between two walls of volcanic rock, one almost vertical and rising for hundreds of feet directly out of the sea. You aim straight at it before turning right, very late, into the narrow entrance that reveals a quite breathtaking lagoon enclosed totally by naturally sculptured,  and almost vertical cliffs of once molten lava; with at one end a steep sided green valley formed into a huge bowl like a massive amphitheatre and we were the audience. Every time I looked, its natural beauty caused a mental gasp.

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We’d read of the tough hike to the waterfall and that it’s 6-7 hour round trip was quite challenging, but also that the rewards just couldn’t be ignored.

So being, intrepid and macho ish, sailors (okay it wasn’t just us blokes) off we went.

However before then we had to discover another secret in order to moor the dinghy, by  finding the tiny entrance to a river where the water rushed almost unseen over a shallow sand bar into the lagoon.

Such an exciting place!!

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We passed through the attractive setting of the village, the church being just one of the many delightful features on display, before encountering the proper jungle, its beauty and many obstacles.

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The final destination proved to be stunningly beautiful in a variety of ways. The swim across the pool revealed yet another secret (apart from a huge eel skulking under a rock). It was a small and almost indistinguishable gap in the rocks. The other side opened into a large cavern revealing the waterfall, now fairly dry but still with magnificent scale as we strained our necks to see its source, in what looked like, somewhere way up in the sky.

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A view of the colourful flora and spectacular pinnacles, spoilt only by the one of two skinny old blokes.

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The next day we set off on 4X4 trip around the island. 

It was a day long affair lasting from 9am to 5am and started with the climb out of the harbour to the peaks high above with plenty of viewing points on the way for photo opportunities.

 

A selection of some of the views, including the lunch time stop alongside yet another fantastic bay, some of which I tried to capture in sketch form.

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The trip took in a visit to one of the archaeological sites.

Strange, in spite of the burning heat, the smell of wood smoke and masses of brown leaves underfoot gave that overpowering autumnal feeling of a day in the UK.

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The site revealed a proud and gruesome heritage of a life not so long ago when battles took place between the island tribes leading to acts of cannibalism where enemies were consumed, not for food but for the power they contained.

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Our knowledgeable guide pointing out one of the bone stores and view of the bay where we had lunch.

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Believe it or not this is one tree. It’s on the site and thought to be more than five hundred years old. It must have witnessed some horrific scenes, just behind where we’re standing and in amongst the tangle of roots, is a deep pit where they kept their prisoners, in what looked like, dismal conditions before beheading them for consumption.

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It’s now Friday morning. The other evening we said goodbye to johann and Carol, as their time crewing for Gaultine three has come to an end.

We’re off tomorrow and will be stopping at the island of Ua Pou before continuing on the 400 hundred mile trip to the atolls of Archipel Des Tuamotu. So more from us later.