Received on 07MAY02
Hello Friends,
Te Henua Enana (Land of Men) is the Marquesas, shooting vertically
straight from the sea like giant cathedrals with pointed spires. Long green
valleys, with lush vegetation. A Garden of Eden with fruit and cocoa nut
growing in abundance. Taiohae on the largest island Nuka Hiva was the rally
base, and administration centre for the 15 islands (only 6 are populated)
The town was much smaller than I had expected. It was Good
Friday there was a crowd on the dock as we arrived in the dinghy, they
had flowers around their necks in their hair and many carried flowers,
and we watched as they held a service, and then with someone carrying the
cross they paraded along the sea front, singing hymns in beautiful harmony.
This was our first experience of the Marquesans.
When the French came there were 80,000 inhabitants in the islands
today there are less than 8,000. The Marquesans are huge strong people
some have their bodies covered in tattoos that tell the story of their
lives. They hunt wild pig in the mountains; catch fish and farm fruit and
vegetables. Their main industry is Copra, which is heavily subsidised by
the French, and seem content with their lot.
There are many sacred sites and archaeological remains. The Tohua
(Meeting place) Paepae (paved floors or platforms) built from huge stones
3/6 feet in diameter and Tiki statues of stone guarding these ancient sites.
Fortunately cannibalism is no longer practised. We came across French archaeologists
they were uncovering human skulls and turtle shells in a circular pit,
where it was said people were put to be fattened before they went into
the pot.
Our next destination was the Tuamotos a series of low flat atolls
4/6 feet above sea level, sweeping east west across our path to Tahiti.
The first atoll we visited was Raroia 600nm southwest, a circular atoll
10m in diameter, with just one pass into the lagoon. It was important to
get the timing of entry at slack water, because the current through the
pass can reach 9 knots. Once inside the lagoon with someone on the
bow or partway up the mast, preferably with the sun high and behind you
to watch for coral heads we wound our way to anchor off the only village
on the atoll. This was paradise swimming and snorkelling in the lagoon.
The next day we took Kalypso across the lagoon to the little island where
the Kon Tiki ran aground on the reef. We were joined by Windfall and had
a joint BBQ ashore and spent the night there.
We left Raroria a couple of days later heading for the atoll
of Tehenea 85nm SW, an overnight sail. This atoll was unpopulated it was
25 miles long with islands distributed around its perimeter. We drift snorkelled
a small pass on lines attached to the dinghy, visibility was about 30yds
underwater. We saw beautiful coral bright blues, purples and pinks. Lots
of fish marine life a turtle, blacktip and lemon sharks the largest a 6
ft lemon shark. We spent 4 days here in perfect isolation, then we
headed NW to Kauhi 60nm a slow overnight sail to arrive at the pass 10.00
the next day. There was a village across the lagoon which was 9miles across
and well buoyed.
The village was Tearavero and has a population of 200. It was
beautifully kept, as we walked around the village we handed out lollipops
to the children.
We visited a black pearl farm in the lagoon and saw how they
were produced. I did my first scuba dive here diving to 3.5 metres and
stayed under for 10 minutes.
On Sunday we went to church for the morning service. The singing
in church was very beautiful. Later that day we saw some children
swimming towards the yacht, they stopped for a rest at a coral head that
was just under the surface and had a post marker sticking up out of it.
Four children then continued on towards the yacht which was about half
a mile offshore, they got to the yacht and came on board and John and I
went in the dinghy to get the other two who could not make it. Later
on we saw another group swimming out to us and eventually there were 13
children on board. They were very well behaved and they had biscuits and
lollipops and Coca-cola. They entertained us for a number of hours before
we took them ashore in the dinghy.
At 03.30 the next morning we crossed the lagoon and thro the
pass heading for our last atoll Toau in the pilot book it said there was
a population of ten but when we got there it was deserted except for one
person who we saw in his boat. On our last night in the Tuamotos we had
a beach BBQ.
The passage to Tahiti was boisterous with squalls coming thro
at regular intervals and the only time that Ann was not happy. We
caught another large fish we could not get it aboard because of the conditions
so cut it free, we think that it was a Blue Marlin about
6 feet long.
We arrived in Tahiti at 07.00hrs on Friday the 3rd May mooring
stern to near the town centre of Papeete.
Best wishes, to everyone
Brian
Brian's Travels Index