MM's: Fatu Hiva

OMOA

We timed our arrival at the island of Fatu Hiva so we could hear the legendary singing at their Sunday morning church service. It turned out to be a transcendent experience, one of the highest points of our entire Marquesan immersion.

Most of the villages have small stores: open early in the morning, closed for lunch & a long break, then open again in the late afternoon. Supplies are limited and vegetables are rare; we were excited to find cucumbers and cabbages!

Petroglyphs aren't common, so we were happy to see this beautiful one...

...but we wouldn't have found it in the forest without the help of Soso, who volunteered to show us the way!

The grooves on this rock were made by people sharpening their spears for hunting and fishing

A woman demonstrating how to make tapa, bark cloth that is painted with traditional designs

The obligatory phone booth

Anchorages aren't protected in the Marquesas; we had to get used to a lot of wind and swell

HANAVAVE

 The anchorage at Hanavave (better known as the Bay of Virgins) is one of the most photographed in the world.

The surrounding mountains are often shrouded in clouds, so I was glad to get some good light in these two photos.

We took two great hikes, one to Vaiee-Nui Falls and the other to the top of a high ridge overlooking the village & bay.

A large percentage of the villagers were enthusiastically rehearsing for a dance performance for Bastille Day (July 14; like our 4th of July). They said it was okay if I took some photos; the light isn't great, but I felt privileged to capture a few shots.

 The accompaniment was drumming and chanting...

Male dancers started on one side,

Female dancers on the other; they ended by crossing paths.  

The dance rehearsal location by day. Dance rehearsals are at 7:00 p.m., and soccer is at 5:00 (most people are in great shape!); the women play soccer at this field, and the men play on a concrete basketball court by the wharf (makes for a lot of fast action).

Vegetables are scarce, but there's plenty of fruit! Green bananas are readily available; people sell them from the trees in their yards for $5 per stalk. Most cruisers have at least one stalk hanging in their cockpit; we also found a steady supply of pamplemousse (large grapefruit) and oranges (which are orange on the inside, but green or brown on the outside).