Saturday, October 11, 2014

Fatu Hiva

Fatu Hiva
April 14, 2006

If you ask me to pick my favorite trip, I just can't.  Every destination has its own unique charm.  But I have found certain locations that will always hold a special place in my heart.  One of these is Fatu Hiva, the southernmost - and most gorgeous - of the Marquesas Islands.  We were traveling on the beautiful, small cruise ship, the Paul Gauguin.  On the morning of our arrival to Fatu Hiva,  I woke at dawn, threw on my pareu and went up on deck to see the small island come into view. It was quite spectacular and reminded me strongly of the Na Pali coast of Kauai, with the sides of its tall volcanic peaks eroded into sharp ridges and deep valleys. We anchored in the bay near the tiny town of Omoa, one of only two towns on this remote island which has a total population of only about 500.


It was quite exciting to be one of the few to visit a spot that is still relatively “undiscovered” by most of the world. Visitors are still rare here…although there are regular visits by the supply ship from Papeete.

There was no dock big enough for the tenders, so we took little zodiac rafts from the ship to the tiny dock. It was a challenge to step off the zodiac onto the land, as the waves bounced us up and down, but there were helping hands extended to help those of us who were athletically challenged. We were greeted at the top of the stairs with beautiful leis, warm smiles, and singing voices.

Due to the infrequency of visitors, our arrival was a big day for the village. The entire population seemed to be gathered for the event. We headed first for the craft building where the Marquesans had set out their handmade crafts…lovely wall hangings of tapa painted with intricate traditional designs…tikis made of rosewood, sandalwood, stone, and coral…various other wooden carvings, spears, and knives…and umuhei, aromatic bouquets of sandalwood and flowers. Rob and I bought a two tikis - one wood and one stone - to join the one of coral which we had purchased on Mo’orea on a previous cruise, then we joined our new friends, Bryce and Karen, and took a walk through the village and up the one road into the valley.

Fatu Hiva would certainly match most people's vision of a perfect tropical isle. There were coconut palms, papaya trees, (Rob's favorite), drooping with fruit, huge breadfruit trees, bananas, noni plants (which are a big cash crop for the islanders because of the supposed health benefits in noni juice)…even a pineapple growing by the side of the road! You could actually live off the land here. Add a few fish and it’s a feast! It would have been wonderful to spend a bit more time here. The road winds over the mountain about 10 miles to the one other town of the island, Hanaveve, but we were given only the morning in Omoa.


At noon, we returned to the town square for a dance performed by the children and teens of the village. It was not a polished, professional performance like those on board the ship or in Papeete, but in some ways even more charming, as it was so authentic. 

We stopped in at the little village church with its beautiful wooden carvings, then returned to the Paul Gauguin and began a leisurely cruise along the west side of the island.


As always, there were several activities going on around the ship. Some of the local vendors had joined the ship to sell more handicrafts, the Gauguines were showing off the beautiful (and expensive) Polynesian quilts called Tifaifai, and there was more basket weaving, but it was so gorgeous outside that I just had to stay on deck where I had a nice chat with Mark Eddowes, the ship's anthro-pologist. 






































Soon we turned into the most gorgeous spot of the entire trip…the Baie des Vierges. (There is an interesting story about this name. The sailors who first visited here noted the rather phallic pillars of basalt standing guard over the bay and dubbed it the Baie de Verges, or Bay of Penises. As you might well guess, this did not sit well with the Catholic missionaries who followed, and the addition of one little vowel turned the name into the more wholesome Bay of Virgins.) I will rely on the photos to describe this scene, but they don’t do justice to the breathtaking beauty of the place. Sometimes wishes do come true because I was snapping pictures like crazy, wishing we could actually spend some time and explore when the announcement came from the Captain that, because of the perfect conditions, we would be given the opportunity to go ashore. Naturally, Rob and I hurried right down to take advantage of the offer!

Our arrival was greeted with great excitement from the children of Vavapepe. As we had not been expected to land, the village had not prepared for our arrival, so they were just going about their normal lives. It was Good Friday, and most of the village was just getting out of church. The children spotted us heading for the dock and came running down to the dock en masse to gape at us. We wished we had brought little gifts for them…pencils were an especially popular item…but alas, we had nothing to offer.

The women of the village also went running…but away from the dock to lay out their wares on blankets in front of their homes. Rob and I took another beautiful walk along the road that led back to Omoa. All too soon, it was time to depart this beautiful island, but we were not too hurried to enjoy an impromptu soccer match with a little boy from the village.


While waiting for the tender to pick us up, we enjoyed visiting with the funny, fat tiki god who stands guard over their harbor like a Polynesian Buddha.

Even our return to the ship was magical. We floated back at just the right moment to catch the sunset behind the Paul Gauguin. 

The "lesson" for the day?   There are rich rewards in seeking out the more remote spots in that are still relatively untouched by the modern world.

7 comments:

  1. How green and beautiful. Thanks for sharing all your photos.

    ReplyDelete
  2. So many gorgeous photos, Joan. This is the first I've heard of Fatu Hiva. It sounds fascinating and just the kind of trip Judy and I would like, so I wonder what the cruise was and how to get more information on it. Thanks for sharing this fascinating journey. xoA

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Annis, the Marquesas Islands are absolutely gorgeous. Fatu Hiva was my favorite, but each of the others we visited had special qualities. One of the islands was the location of the Tapivai Valley, where Herman Melville deserted ship and lived among the people for awhile...leading to his book, "Typee." Another of the islands was the final home of Paul Gauguin. We saw his grave in the cemetery there. The modern world has definitely touched these islands, but less than anywhere we have traveled so far. The Paul Gauguin cruiseship still has cruises to the Marquesas...as well as to other islands of the south seas...but it has gotten very expensive. I'm not sure which other cruise lines go there...very few, I think...but you CAN get passage on the supply ship that goes every couple of weeks from Papeete, Tahiti!

      Delete
  3. What gorgeous pictures! It sounds like an absolutely lovely trip...especially going to places that are less commercial than the really big tourist spots. I've mostly gone to touristy places...but need to think about exploring new options. Great post!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anna, thanks. Rob and I have mostly traveled the road MORE traveled, and those trips have also been wonderful...but I do have a special yearning to visit more "exotic" locations where life is truly unfamiliar.

      Delete
  4. I really want to read all 26 entries by you. Every one is like a new adventure!
    thanks for sharing. Do you think we will ever catch up to the others? not that anyone would judge--even the Pope said, "Who am i to judge?"

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Terry. I think I need to post one entry per day until I'm caught up! The only problem with that is that I'm concentrating more on getting something posted and not enough on the quality of writing. I'm not too happy with most of my entries on this new blog challenge, but at least we are getting the seeds of better future writing planted!

      Delete