Surf to Sand – French Polynesia to the Atacama – Nuku Hiva – Day 12 can be found here.
Today’s Chronicle can be found here.
A busy day on the horizon with our complicated combination village visit to Hanavave and zodiac cruise and perilous ridge run to and from Omoa.
I had intended to skip the morning’s activity by virtue of being out kayaking – but with the winds gusting up to 42 knots, it was not meant to be.
My wife was not particularly interested in the welcome ceremony – and the kids had homework to do – so she elected to stay back on the ship, though they may try to come over later for a brief walk.
So I went off to the village on my own:
We’d previously been told that it would be a 700 metre walk through the village to reach the community centre, but they have since built a more direct path – so it was a mere 300 metres instead.
I stopped briefly for the welcome reception:
But left once they reached the “audience participation” portion.
Instead, I took a photo of a horse:
And rather than go on the guided village tour, I wandered on my own. And what a lovely place to explore:
It’s funny how you can get a sense of a place as you walk through. It felt immensely peaceful here, and like the community is thriving. There’s steady construction, and the school looks to be full and busy – if those two metrics are anything to go by.
And the pets seem to be doing well:
But I just can’t get over the scenery:
I was just on the verge of boarding the return zodiac when my wife and kids showed up, so off for another walk – this time up to the scenic viewpoint atop the cemetery.
Then back through the village once more, with some additional animal-spotting as we go:
Then it was time to head back aboard.
Off to trivia – we did not know the common name of the star Sirius (the “dog star”), but I was pleased that I knew of the significant archaelogical tool discovered in Egypt in 1799 (the Rosetta stone). Our 13/15 was good enough for third place.
Lunchtime – our afternoon excursion wasn’t til considerably later, so we had time for a leisurely lunch at the Restaurant.
Today’s menu:
My wife had the tuna tataki:
And I had the fish and chips:
While the kids had pasta (not pictured).
Off for our zodiac cruise toward Omoa – for which I have decided to bring One Chonky Boy:
One of the challenges of this kind of lens is that it’s difficult to fit items in the frame – the minimum zoom is still quite extensive. But it did let me get a nice shot of the Cloud in the distance:
And of our zodiac buddy as they nose into a nearby cave:
We carried down along the coast, enjoying the stunning scenery:
Birds proved to be challenging to photograph, both because I need to accurately point my lens at them – no mean feat when the lens and camera weigh close to ten pounds combined. And even when I do manage to aim properly, there’s still a little matter of locking on the subject long enough to get it in focus.
But – thanks largely to Bogdan’s expert tutilege and many months of practice with my previous (albeit less chonky) set-up, I did eventually manage a few half-decent shots:
Particularly of the tropic birds:
I even managed to snag a shot of a frigate bird haranguing a smaller bird, possibly a starling:
Frigate birds are apparently incredibly nimble in flight, and able to harrass other birds either to hunt them or to get them to drop their food:
We carried on along the coast:
Admiring the volcanic scenery – you can actually see the lines of lava as they were laid down:
These seem to offer helpful steps for the goats:
Sailors arriving would often drop off goats on islands so that they would have a predictable supply of food if they ever returned:
But time to keep going if we wanted to make our timing in Omoa:
And we made it – right on time! Some stunning stone carvings in Omoa:
And a beautiful contrast between their achitecture and their natural surroundings:
We stuck around for another welcome ceremony:
And then it was time to hop onto a bench in the back of a pick-up truck which took us over the hills back to Hanavave, with more stunning scenery along the way:
There is only one road from Hanavave to Omoa, and it is very much a work in progress:
And it’s easy to see why, given the terrain:
Tough taking pictures with the mega-zoom, but it did provides some interesting close-ups:
The switchbacks were so sharp that the driver sometimes had to stop the truck and back-up so he could complete the turn. Not recommended for those with a fear of heights.
Back to the Cloud, where we could enjoy one last glimpse of Havave in the early evening light:
But soon it was time to sail away:
Back to the room to shower, change – and enjoy some canapes:
One more dash for the sunset:
And then off to the evenings briefing and recaps:
Looks like we should have the option to do a spot of snorkelling tomorrow in Tahuata – fingers crossed!
Time for recaps. Samara presented on French Polynesia flowers:
In French Polynesia, where someone wears a flower can tell you whether they are single or taken. A flower worn on the right side means they are available, the left side means they are taken, and a backward flower means they are immediately available.
Alex presented both on the history of Fatu Hiva, and the historical tools behind tattooing:
Manu presented on lava types, including the pillow lava that can form underwater:
Off to dinner at the Grill. I had the steak and prawns combined this evening:
And I tried the apple cinnamon rose myself (not pictured) – and it was fabulous!
Off to bed, as it’s our last full day in the Marquesas before we head across the Pacific to attempt our landing at Pitcairn.
Continue reading Surf to Sand – French Polynesia to the Atacama – Tahuata and Atuona – Day 14.