Free & BrEasy - Mont Tekao is in our dreams

A short 24 hour sail north westwards found us in the Bay of Taiohae, the administrative capital of the Marquesas Archipelago. The bay is ringed by steep green towering cliffs, a volcanic crater with a sea entrance blasted through the rock. The bay is large enough for a cruise liner to anchor which it promptly did, making us all giddy with watching the frantic disembark- and then rembarkation before it set off again in the evening. Such a different form of cruising than ours!



We managed to refuell without serious damage. We had to anchor "Mediteranean Style" off a large concrete jetty, with stern lines. They decided to close early for lunch and with two and a half hours to wait, our anchor chain dragged in a strong cross wind and we were perilously near to smashing into the jetty. Cast off and try later! Eventually and only after two of Alejandro's dives to unwrap lines from our propellors, we refuelled, anchored and then gratefully refuelled ourselves!



The lovely people of Taiohae laid on a welcoming party for the World ARC fleet. We were all very loudly welcomed in Marquesian and each given a garland of flowers, followed by ethnic drumming and beautiful dancing including the bird dance. Then followed a party where they offered us an unlimited selection of local foods and a demonstration of coconut dismembering techniques!



Taiohae is so welcoming and calming that we soon found ourselves adjusting to Marquesian time. Long mornings and afternoons simply vanished in the seaside bar where the whole fleet gathered to crowd the internet bandwith. Short walks to the carved stone figures (Tikis) at an archeologcial site (a Paepae) on the bay, took hours, interpted by refuelling stops for the delicious crushed grapefruit drink. It was too hot to move faster and the Tikis were whispering, slow down, whats the rush? Stay for a week, a month, a life! In an effort to breakaway from the whispering we did manage a long hot walk over to the next bay which we had totally to ourselves apart from the company of a few horses and goats. We frolicked in the surf like kids ignoring the stinging nono flies!



The island is the largest in the Marquesas and we decided to hire a little Suzuki Jimmy 4x4 to explore the coastal routes. Climbing out of the bay up the steeply winding road over the volcanic ring rewarded us with countless stopping places for views over the bay. Amazingly, rain forest clung to even the steepest cliffs like a wall of green. At every hair pin bend there was a horse tied up like some local form of automobile rescue in case of car problems. Eventually we were over the ridge and down through the trees with spectacular views over the coast. Very soon the metalled road finshed and the 4x4 experience started! We went down through the jungle to the archeological site at Hatiheu. A huge banyan tree was busy demolishing the stone floors of an ancient village built by the Taipi tribe which was being absorbed into the jungle! A civilisation long gone and I guess bulldozered by advancing western technology. We continued to a wonderful bay for lunch and then rattled and bumped our way throught the next 3 hours of a tortuous rocky stone track through the craggy north coast of the island. The jungle gave way to arid rock and grass and eventually after we were back on the metalled road, we went through pine forests and then grassland reminiscient of Canada or Scotland. The winding road worked its way up the 4000+ feet Mont Tekao into the mists where we lost our views. Horses and cattle appeared out of the swirling clouds like ghosts as we climbed higher and higher. The horses and cattle are allowed to wander freely in the road, grazing in defiance of the trucks. The varied topography of the island is due to the rain fall being focussed on the east side of the island where the prevailing winds are forced up over Mont Tekao and give up their rain. The west coast is actually called 'Terre deserte'.



So Mont Tekao dominates the weather here and the Tikis whisper their charms for us to stay. Will we escape to go to the next group of islands (the Tuamotu Archipelago) or will we stay in grape fruit-drugged Nuku Hiva for ever and ever? Can you wait for next weeks exciting log!!