Nuku Hiva, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia

            Tuesday, 12 Feb 2019 – At 8:30 AM, we opened our draperies to see gorgeous scenery of mountains (or just big rocks) rising up from the sea; our ship was pulling into Nuku Hiva.  We enjoyed breakfast while sitting by a window in the Terrace Café; then we took photos of the surrounding area from the top deck.  Moving quickly, we went for a half-hour swim.  The pool was cool, but calm and empty, so we had a really nice swim.

            At lunch we watched out windows as the ship’s tenders transported passengers ashore before meeting in the Insignia Lounge for our excursion at 1:30 PM.  The name of our tour was, “Visit to Taipivai Valley.”  First, we boarded one of the ship’s tenders for a five minute ride to the pier.  The tour was conducted caravan style with a group of 15 4WD vehicles, which held four passengers each, plus the driver.  We were in vehicle number 2, along with Charlotte and Joan from Philadelphia.  Cruising to Sydney, Charlotte has been widowed for six years, and Joan is divorced.

            French Polynesia is a collection of 118 islands and atolls scattered across an impressive nautical surface area the size of Western Europe.  An atoll, sometimes called a coral atoll, is a ring-shaped coral reef including a coral rim that encircles a lagoon.  These tiny islands and atolls, only 67 of which are inhabited, make up a total landmass of only 1,600 square miles.  (Rhode Island is 1,545 square miles, total.)  The islands are situated just south of the equator and halfway between Los Angeles, California, and Sydney, Australia.  French Polynesia is divided into five groups of islands: the Society Islands archipelago (a sea or stretch of water containing many islands), composed of the Windward Islands and the Leeward Islands; the Tuamotu Archipelago; the Gambier Islands; the Marquesas Islands; and the Austral Islands.

            Nuku Hiva is the largest of the Marquesas Islands.  The coastline of Western Nuku Hiva is characterized by steep, but fairly regular coastline, indented occasionally by small bays leading to deep valleys, which lead into the interior.  There are no villages on this side.  The coastline of the eastern part of the island has few places to land by sea and takes the brunt of the ocean swells.  The north on the other hand, is indented by deep bays, the largest of which are Anaho and Hatiheu.  The south has fewer bays.

            Our driver was a very large woman who did not appear to speak much English.  Joan sat in the front seat and we shared the back seat with Charlotte.  We drove to the Taipivai Valley, one of the richest archeological sites in the Marquesas Islands.  The Taipivai Valley was made famous by the American writer and former sailor, Herman Melville (1819-1891), who deserted his ship and hid in this valley.  Captured by the indigenous natives, he lived in the Taipivai Valley for three weeks, a period during which he observed their way of life.  This experience was the inspiration for his novel, Typee.  This landmark was most recently made famous by being the base camp for the Survivor TV show, filmed there in 2001.

A Memorial Near Notre Dame Cathedral

            Our first stop was the open-air Notre Dame Cathedral, which was adorned with great carvings, including an eagle on the lectern, a large crucifix behind the altar, the Stations of the Cross, and others.  The church was built in about 1974.  Our next stop was along the coast, where historically, the ships would send their landing craft ashore.  The original building is still on location, except the roof has been replaced with plastic material that lasts about 25 years.  The original thatched roof needed replacing every year; this roof has the same outward appearance, but is much more durable.  Several stone structures also line the shore, apparently designed to resemble those on Easter Island. 

            We made two other photo stops along the way, where we could see the water and valley far below.  Our next stop was the site of Te A’Aitua where we enjoyed light refreshments that included breadfruit and various tropical fruits.  Handicraft items, such necklaces, bracelets, and carvings, were set up for sale on tables.  Our final stop was a black sand beach, where the locals come on weekends for a little rest and relaxation.

            Along the way, we saw many horses and a few cows grazing on the edge of the narrow, winding road; some tethered, some not.  Most of the area was covered with trees and heavy undergrowth, without much area for grazing.  We also saw numerous wild roosters and hens.  We saw one small, dark pig running way from our vehicles, which may or may not have been wild.

            Finally, we were back at the pier where the last ship’s tender was waiting for us.  After resting a bit in our cabin, we went to the Terrace Café for dinner.  Jesse would have liked to dance, but Sally was too exhausted.  It had been hot and somewhat uncomfortable, crammed into the windy (un-air conditioned) middle back seat of that truck!  So instead, we watched a cute movie, “A Simple Favor.”  Before retiring, we sat our clocks back by one-half hour.