After sailing 1,000 miles from our last stop at Fakarava, we reached Nuku Hiva early this morning, our first island in the Marquesas. We had to set our watches 30 minutes ahead (which caused lots of confusion because mobile phones/smart watches didn’t do automatically). We disembarked at 7:30, down the gangplank as we’d docked at a wharf in Taiohae Bay, the tiny administrative capital of the Marquesas. (This is where Herman Melville, a 23 year old sailor, jumped a whaling ship in 1842 and later wrote Typee and Moby Dick)
The island is quite big and covered with lush green jungle. The houses look very smart and inviting. We got into groups of four and then got into 4x4 vehicles, all driven by Polynesian women. Our first stop was at the Cathedral of Taiohae, we couldn’t get inside, but did manage to look in several doors (they were doing a re-furb). We then went to see performers put on a welcome song and dance, complete with drums, grass skirts etc., they were quite fierce looking. We then continued touring the island, we went very high up on hairpin bend roads and had several photo stops - the scenery was awesome. Next we went to an archeological site of Mea’e Kamuihei in the jungle, with its giant banyans and petroglyphs. The Nono bugs and Mosquitoes were ferocious here. After that we had a traditional Marquesan lunch and a very welcome beer. It is very humid here and quite hot, but luckily it was overcast and that kept the heat down. After that we were dropped off back in the village were we could wander around, or shop, before walking back to the ship. We passed the French Governor’s house, overlooking the bay, with lovely gardens, and further along a well kept cemetery. When we got to the ship, there was still some unloading of cargo going on.
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