Sunday 30th March. 11am Marquesas time
We’re just getting over our wave of euphoria at having crossed another big pond. Thankfully it’s been another thoroughly enjoyable experience and we‘re also grateful that this vast expanse of water has lived up to it’s name as “the peaceful ocean”.
Our first night ashore – Wednesday – we join several other boats (Tallulah Ruby,Kealoha 8, Southern Princess, Strega, Asolare) at the Pearl Harbour Lodge to eat, drink and share tales of our crossings. It’s reassuring to hear that several other boats also lost their fishing gear and caught few fish! Kealoha 8 saw orcas but for the rest of us there was a distinct lack of large mammals! It’s been a smooth crossing for everyone so far,with no major problems, and we wish the same for the rest of the fleet still en route.
We wake up on Thursday feeling a little fuzzy headed but decide to embrace the day and make the most of the car hire we’ve organised. We pile into the dinghy with our empty fuel tanks to discover we forgot to lift the stern dinghy anchor lastnight! (that’s how close to the dock we are!). Although the plan is to transport the cans in the car to the petrol station a few hundred yards away,when the heap arrives it becomes clear that it’s barely going to take the 4 of us, never mind anything else! The car man, David Location, has no interest whatsoever in who is going to drive or anything other usual details; he points out a few idiosyncrasies and tells us to “Allez!” – the penny should have dropped at this point, but no…….We walk the tanks over, get fuelled up, then transport them back on the car seats. Ian and Ronnie (who is getting a bit frazzled by this stage) take the tanks back to the boat and we get ready to head off. Ronnie now has to be coaxed into the car as he’s for going straight back to the boat as the car’s too small; ”Ronnie you can’t not come and see the Island”, “ Oh yes I can, It’s just a ------- island!” “, Ronnie! Get in the bloody car !”
So off we set on our grand tour – Stewy and Annie crammed in the back, knees up to our chins, Ian Driving, Ronnie huffing and puffing in the front – this is going to be good….. We go to the village first to get some food and water, then check in at the Gendarmerie – very quick and efficient – then head west. The road ends 7km away in a beautiful little bay with a picturesque stone built church and a few houses. We stop at what we think might be a local hostelry, but no – it’s the local primary school! We have a wander around, then go in search of an old archaeological site that’s supposedly nearby. We head up a back road and appear to be going nowhere when the heap starts to overheat ( for the first time…..!) – we’ve only done about 5 miles since we started! We stop to let it cool down , then notice that up to our right is the site we’ve been looking for .It’s a vast tohua ( meeting place) with stone platforms and carvings set in the jungle on several levels. We spend an hour or so wandering over the site trying to figure out what it must have been like all those years ago (1500BC) and where they boiled the heeds! There’s supposed to be a human skull embedded in a wall somewhere but we don’t find it.The site is surrounded by some huge old trees , as well as banana palm and various fruit trees. It’s a fascinating place and seems to go on and on up the hillside .
The car has cooled for now so we head back to the village where we meet Brian and the Strega crew so have a few beers before heading east to Puamau, 30 km away.We time 20 minutes to the Airport turn off, when the road deteriorates from smooth tarmac to gravel, then boulder! There’s a fork in the road and no signs so thankfully a local man stops, having seen the bewilderment on our faces, and points us in the right direction. Off we go but shortly afterwards, the heap begins to really play up. The temperature guage is off the richter scale and we have to keep stopping to let it cool,and have rests going up the steep hills. The handbrake has little hold and we have a few hairy moments rolling backwards,particularly as we’re now mountaineering with steer 1000 feet drops, sometimes on each side of us! It’s particularly nerve-racking for Stewy and Annie who are hemmed in the back of the two door heap with bars on the rear windows and no means of escape! It takes us 2 hours to travel the 30 km to Puamau. David Location car hire man is now seriously out of favour with the Jus Do It crew - Annie’s for telling him to locate himself and a new car over to Puamau tout suite! In spite of all this, the journey is spectacular (and full of hilarity!). We go up and over numerous ridges , mountainsides and hairpin bends with 1000 feet drops to the sea below us. The road is a boulder track with no barriers and we have the feeling that the boulders could crumble away beneath us at any moment! We learn to drive on whatever side of the road is best – clearly this is what to do as the little oncoming traffic we do meet passes on either side – it doesn’t seem to matter !
We pass through a small village on the way and watch a young man riding his horse along the beach , and then out into the waves! He gets off then swims, taking his horse with him through the surf by the reins.It’s quite a sight. We see wild goats scrambling over the cliffs, several domestic (but wild) looking cats, wild hens and chickens. There are various palms, banyan and fruit trees everywhere – if the heap doesn’t make it we’re not going to starve! On the north coast the landscape becomes more barren and bare. By the time we reach Puamau, we are in desperate need of some food and drink. Our first stop is a little grocery store with tables outside. It looks busy and it soon becomes apparent that most of the local ladies are having what looks like a bingo tournament! The women are warm and friendly but clearly don’t want to be too distracted so , as they don’t sell beer, we get directions to the only restaurant in the village – Chez Marie Antoinette. There we meet the man who earlier gave us directions. There’s what appears to be several family members ( aged 2 to 100) all sitting around the back yard chatting and laughing. We are able to explain what we want in our very limited French but don’t have a clue what is said to us as although the locals understand French they use their own Tahitian language. The restaurant is closed but the young woman kindly agrees to open it for us and explains she is preparing typical Marquesan food. The shutters of the restaurant are opened and we sit in a spotless little room surrounded by a colourful garden littered with ancient carved stones and ruins, with a view of the sea through the trees. We’re soon served a delicious meal of coconut chicken, prawn and vegetables, seafood salad, rice , roasted root veg, caramelised banana and a soft sweet fruit in milk. It’s delicious washed down with beer and fruit juice . Thank the lord! While there we hear singing and see some girls practising traditional dancing – the lads are delighted - it seems the days of the grass skirts are not over yet! We hear there’s a local festival in the village over the weekend.
The heap has now cooled down , we fire some water into the radiator and off we go! We soon find the next archaeological site – supposedly one of the most significant in the Marquesas. There are 5 large ti’i (tiki- human like stone or wood sculptures) sited on large stone built platforms, and a strange carving of a female figure reclining on a stone plinth. This site has been excavated and is well maintained – an information board advises that human sacrifice was practised here. The carvings and tiki are strange and eerie – big googly eyes, 6 fingered hands and big willies! – we don’t fancy getting stuck here for the night!
With a few more stops to pour more water in the radiator, we head home with Dick Dastardly at the wheel (Ian) and manage to knock an hour off our return journey in time for sun-downers at the Pearl Lodge. By the time we get back the big end’s away! We head into the village for a quick bite at a delightful local restaurant, enjoy some good crack with Tallulah Ruby, and head home for an early night.
Friday morning we awaken refreshed, get some shopping and fiddle faddle on with a few jobs until Mrs Haggarty arrives.She’s had a long and tiring journey all the way from the Isle of Arran.. We welcome her with a floral garland and while heart of gold Ronnie goes round a few boats giving advice , we ply Mrs H with G&T all afternoon . Ronnie delivers Storyteller’s new pump, and they very kindly lend us some spare gas as we’re running low and haven’t been able to find any. We head into the village for pizza, then a local dance until 2 or 3 in the morning – no-one’s very sure what time we get home! All the locals are great dancers and we’re all asked up to dance on a regular basis – even Ronnie can’t refuse! These locals sure know how to move and although we make a sterling effort the photographic evidence the next day shows we’ve a lot of practising to do! Strega lend us their hire car and eventually we get everyone ferried home.
Saturday; We head into the village to visit the Gaugin museum before leaving but unfortunately it’s closing at 11. We see a little of it then Ronnie and Annie hike up to the cemetery at the top of the village to see Gaugin and Jaques Brel’s graves. There’s a great view from the top but we’re oozing alcohol by the time we get there so we’re soon back down in search of a drink! Ian, Stewy and Karen go for the shopping while we’re away then it’s back to the boat and up anchor heading for Tahuatu.
We motorsail across on the headsail and while admiring the rugged coastline we’re joined briefly by a dozen small dolphins who play with the bow, then head on their way. We arrive in a beautiful bay in Tahuata, and after a torrential downpour we all go ashore to the golden sanded ,palm fringed beach for a swim and an explore. Ian, Ronnie and Annie go snorkelling where they see lots of new fish among the coral . We’re not very relaxed so don’t spend too much time – the sun is nearly down and there’s reportedly a lot of big sharks around here! We meet 2 young Americans, John and Keith, who are sailing their 31’ Westerly “ LONGSHOT” round the world, having just finished university.(www.travelwithkeith.com). We invite them,( and Phil and Fay )round for sundowners and we hear their very comical tales of their voyage so far from New Jersey. A great night, the drink flows , and the stories get taller as the night goes on ….
Sunday morning – Ian is up with the lark , so so are the rest of us!, and it’s up anchor and away, in company with Tramontana heading for our next island, Oa Pua!