Wednesday May 6th 2015
We have been in the Marquesas here in French Polynesia for one week now, and it’s safe to say that we love it here !
FATU HIVA: Trading, Dancing, Good Food and Mantas !
First of all was Fatu Hiva, a breathtaking island far removed from the influences of the modern world, we spent 6 days. As this was our first stop we did not have any French Francs (the currency they use here), but as I mentioned in our last blog entry, the people of Hanavave, the small village bordering the Bay of Virgins, are not interested in money, they want to trade goods with the cruisers. So every day I looked like a walking garage sale coming in to the dinghy dock carrying all sorts of knick knacks we had gathered on board. And everyday we were greeted by the same friendly faces and left with our dinghy filled with fresh fruit!
We became friends with Sopi, his wife Lea and his brother-in-law Jean Baptiste and his wife Iris. Both Sopi and Jean Baptiste carve beautiful wooden ‘Tikis’ which had caught Mark’s eye. Made of ebony or rosewood, these are somewhat expensive art pieces, so clothing and old shoes were not going to be enough to trade. We spent a few days negotiating with Sopi and his wife, until we finally reached an agreement: A pair of Walkie Talkies, a frying pan, an iron (which I did not even know I had on board!), and a pair of men’s shoes were adequate payment, and Mark walked away with a beautiful Tiki and a big smile on his face.
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| Fatu Hiva's striking coast line |
Sopi and Leah hosted a traditional Marquesian dinner for us and our cruising friends: It consisted of “Poisson Cru”, as well as dishes of porc, chicken and manioc, all bathed in a coconut cream sauce, served over rice, and some boiled bananas. Since it was a rainy day, we ate in Sopi and Lea’s home, it was very nice and the food was de-li-cious !
One day, our cruising friends and us decided to try to go to the other village, Omoa, which is on the East side of the Island, about 3 n.miles away. A flotilla of 4 dinghies made our way down the coast. On the way there we enjoyed the sight of the strikingly beautiful coast line and many caves and mysterious bays on the way. When we got to Omoa, the swell was impressive and the dinghy dock was not looking very inviting (with metal bars sticking out and waves crashing against it, so we made a decision not to try to land after all, and went back the way we came, a fun day out just the same !
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| Meg drinks from a coconut |
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| The waterfall on Fatu Hiva |
The arrival of the supply/cruise ship into the bay on Friday was a big event. We found out that it only comes once a month. As well as supplies, it brings about 40 tourists, so the villagers had a very special day planned for them (and us!), an enthusiastic demonstration of their culture, music and dance. What a treat !
One day as we were returning to the boat from a great hike to a waterfall, we spotted giant manta rays swimming right below us, and so Meg and I quickly gathered our snorkelling gear and jumped in after them, at first we could not see them anymore, but then, all of a sudden there they were, swimming towards us !!! I was holding Meg's hand, and had to reassure her at first as these gentle giants swam directly below us, their wings graceful in the water, an absolute thrill for both of us and a life long dream, come true for me !!!
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| The goods that we traded for fresh fruit |
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| View from the shore in Hanavave |
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The Artist, Jean Baptiste, proudly holds the Tiki which we traded for.
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The ladies from Hanavave demonstrate the use of coconut milk on skin and hair.
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| Traditional Marquesian Dance Demonstration |
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| Various sites on Fatu Hiva |
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Jacques Brel, Song Lyrics. "Ne Me Quitte Pas"
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| An old carving on a rock, found near Hanavave village |
HIVA OA: Baguettes, Sacred Tikis, and Final Resting Place of Artists!
On Sunday, we got a visit from the local customs officers, and although they were very pleasant and professional, their visit gave us the extra motivation we needed to finally leave Fatu Hiva and the friends we made there and to get ourselves properly registered into French Polynesia, so we headed to Hiva Oa !
We had a blustery sail over (quite fast as it only took us 5 hours to over the 42 n.miles), and arrived before dinner. The anchorage was quite ‘rolly’, so the next day, we set out a stern anchor to stabilize the boat and what a difference that made !
We have really enjoyed Hiva Oa so far. It’s a much more populated island, with lots of comforts for cruisers who are coming in after a long passage! The best part of course are the french baguettes, cheese, sausages etc... What a treat for us to walk into town and finally get to eat all this tasty food ! We rented a car (4 WD Toyota) and drove up and down the island, visiting scared archeological sites and driving along high mountain ridges over looking some breathtaking views below.
Here are a few descriptions of Hiva Oa which might help you envision the sights, in your minds eye.
*A quiet bay with gentle ocean waves drifting in, the beach is covered in polished black volcanic stones and pieces of broken cowrie shells, in the water, a man and his horse are bathing.
*At the top of a high cliff , a dirt road bends right along its edge, at the very end of this point sits a shack with 20 goats or more huddled inside. Across from this, there is a steep hill with a cross on top, and below the cross, a little alcove, in which a goat has wedged itself into, quite contently.
*A tropical forrest, no one is around, you hear the call of a rooster, he is close by. There are stones arranged in terraces embedded deep within the vegetation, you smell fermenting fruit all around you, the ground is littered with mangoes, coconuts and other fruit you don’t recognize, you walk towards a rectangular clearing, and you start to see faces in the stones, more and more Tiki faces greet you as you walk up the stone steps. You are standing in an archeological site which is thousands of years old, scattering of stones surrounded by a wild forrest of palm, banana and tall fruit trees.
*A small cemetery, up high on a hill overlooking the vast ocean, the graves are mostly white and simple.You approach one which is more ornate, it rests under a small tree, it has a beautiful polished stone sculpture beside it, and a mosaic, you read the inscription on the stone: Paul Gauguin,-1903, a little further down, another grave, it is clearly cherished. There is a pile of little rocks beside it, on each rock are painted words, beautiful words & lyrics, the inscription on the stone reads: “Jacques Brel 1929-1978”.
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| This ancient Tiki reminded me of a cosmonaut |
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| Goats and shelter on the high cliffs on Hiva Oa |
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| Meg and a goat, Hiva Oa |
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| The archeological site on Hiva Oa |
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| Ancient Tikis, Hiva Oa |
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| View on Hiva Oa |
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| The ancient archeology site on Hiva Oa |
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| Paul Gauguin, 1903, gravesite Hiva Oa |
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| Jacques Brel, 1929-1978, gravesite, Hiva Oa |
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| Magnificent Fatu Hiva |
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| Hiva Oa |
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| Hiva Oa |
Hello 4Ms!
ReplyDeleteI'm loving your updates on here and on Facebook.
Do large comments like this burn up your data rates?
You likely know this but I learned a few things:
Jacques Brel; 8 April 1929 – 9 October 1978) was a Belgian singer-songwriter who composed and performed literate, thoughtful, and theatrical songs that generated a large, devoted following—initially in Belgium and France, later throughout the world. He was widely considered a master of the modern chanson. Although he recorded most of his songs in French and occasionally in Dutch, he became a major influence on English-speaking songwriters and performers such as David Bowie, Alex Harvey, Leonard Cohen, Marc Almond and Rod McKuen. English translations of his songs were recorded by many top performers in the United States, including Ray Charles, Judy Collins, John Denver, the Kingston Trio, Nina Simone, Frank Sinatra, Scott Walker, and Andy Williams. In French-speaking countries, Brel was also a successful actor, appearing in ten films. He also directed two films, one of which, Le Far West, was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1973. Having sold over 25 million records worldwide, Brel is the third best-selling Belgian recording artist of all time.
Brel devoted the final years of his life to his passion for sailing. On 28 February 1974, he purchased the Askoy II, a 19-meter (62 ft) sailing yacht weighing 42 tons. He began planning a three-year voyage to circumnavigate the world. In July, he set off on his world trip with Maddly and his daughter, France, aboard his new yacht. In August, while sailing around the Azores, he learned of the death of his old friend Jojo. He returned to France for his friend's funeral and stayed on to attend the September wedding of his daughter, Chantal. In October, following medical tests in the Canary Islands, Brel learned that he had a small tumour on his left lung. In November, he was rushed to a hospital in Brussels, where he underwent an operation on his left lung. He was suffering from an advanced stage of lung cancer. Knowing his days were numbered, Brel issued a statement indicating that he wished to die alone in peace.
In January 1975, after 27 days at sea, the Askoy II anchored in the Fort-de-France Bay. From February to July, Brel cruised around the West Indies before going through the Panama Canal. In November, the Askoy II reached Atuona Bay at Hiva-Oa in the Marquesas Islands archipelago after spending 59 days crossing the Pacific Ocean. Jacques and Maddly decided to live in the Marquesas Islands, living on the Askoy II off the island of Hiva-Oa.
In 1976, Brel returned to Brussels twice for medical examinations. Against the advice of his doctors, he returned to the Marquesas, where the tropical climate was particularly unsuitable for his lungs. In June, after selling the Askoy II, he rented a small house in Atuona on the island of Hiva-Oa. In July, he renewed his pilot's licence and took advanced flying lessons with his friend Michel Gauthier. He purchased a twin-engine plane, which he named Jojo in memory of his lost friend. This enabled him to travel more easily from Hiva-Oa to Tahiti. He also used the private plane to transport food and other supplies to the inhabitants of the neighbouring islands.
From January to June 1978, Jacques and Maddly lived quietly at their home on Atuona Bay on Hiva-Oa island. In July, after his health began to fail, Brel was flown back to France and rushed to a hospital in Neuilly-sur-Seine, where doctors discovered a cancerous tumour. He remained in the hospital for six weeks and then spent the rest of the summer in Southern France. On 7 October, he was rushed to hospital Avicenne in Bobigny near Paris. He died of a pulmonary embolism at 4:10 am on 9 October 1978 at the age of 49. On 12 October, his body was flown back to the Marquesas Islands, where he was buried in Calvary Cemetery in Atuona on the southern side of Hiva Oa island in the Marquesas, French Polynesia—a few yards away from the grave of artist Paul Gauguin.
Lotsa love,
Craig Sims
Thanks for the research Craig! I didn't know a lot about Jacques Brel before coming here, but after being in Hiva Oa, I'm going to be checking out his music a bit more.......Mark
DeleteLove the tiki purchase! ;-) And appreciate Craig's research, too. Thanks!
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