Taiohea Bay, Nuku Hiva, Marquesas

May 23-28

Nuku Hiva

Taiohea Bay, Marquesas

We have spent most of our time on Nuku Hiva relaxing and doing errands. This is the capital of the Marquesas and it has all a cruiser needs to provision a boat before leaving for more remote places. The lazy bag for our main sail needed to be sewn together because we managed to rip it on the way here. We have been getting fuel and water, faxing papers that needed to be sent, and getting things we need at the pharmacy…etc… We got to experience almost everything here. Theo has a nasty rash on his thigh. Nothing we have on the boat is making it better, so we got to visit the hospital. They were very helpful.  Hopefully his problem will get resolved in the next few days.

Taiohea Bay

I will take you through a typical day for us… Coffee, jump in the dinghy and tie up to a very crowded dock that has a slippery ladder that we climb and then hoist ourselves up to a concrete slab… (For anyone who is planning to visit this bay, be aware that this same ladder will destroy your inflatable boat during low tide. We see deflated dinghies all the time outside Yacht Services). Once stable we look to the left and, if we are lucky, the fisherman will be there with their fresh catch of the day. This is usually Wahoo, Tuna or Lobster. Once we buy our fish, we watch as they throw the fish scraps and heads into the water which causes a frenzy of 6 foot sharks very close to where our dinghy is tied. The locals call them Marquesan cows.  We will have to climb down the slippery ladder later with all of our “extra stuff” and lower ourselves onto a very rocky inflatable boat. Knowing what is lurking nearby, we are always very, very  careful… especially when we have fresh raw fish in our bag.

 

Fish Market scenes

 

Just caught tuna.

Hungry sharks by the dinghy dock

Just a few steps away is a busy Café (Snack Vaeaki) that has free Wi-fi. We go there every morning to check our email and news. Then we usually go to the market to stock up on whatever vegetables are available that day. I have really enjoyed the fact that there are vegetables here. The other day we went to a restaurant and I had a green salad (not cabbage) AND green beans… a very good day for me!

After lunch onshore, it is usually back to Et Voila to repair what has broken and clean up. There is always something to do. Then we have an early dinner and read a while. We have been going to bed when it gets dark and waking up when the sun rises. Very nice for us.

We love the way everyone helps each other here. For example, we had met a young man in Hiva Oa. He had asked us if we could buy him a carved rosewood box in Fatu Hiva. He didn’t buy it when he was there and he regretted it…he wanted it as a gift for his mother. We agreed we would buy it and if we ever ran into him again, we would sell it to him. Here in Nuka Hiva, we saw the boat he was crewing on. The young man was gone, but we gave the box to the captain of the boat and he will send it to him. In exchange he gave us 5 very clean fuel cans that we needed very much.  Easy…simple. It is always this way. If you have too many groceries, someone from the market will drive you back to the dock. If we are seen struggling with heavy fuel cans, a person will come over and help us load them. If you want to know where fresh drinking water is, someone will show you where to find it on the island. The cruisers say “Pay it forward”… in other words, just help the next person. That is what we do and it feels good.

We are ready to move on. Needless to say, we have not been swimming here, so we will go to Hakatea Bay (aka: Daniel’s Bay) for a few days. After that, we are off to the remote Tuamotu. We may not have internet until we reach Tahiti towards the end of June.

Lesson: Do not tie up your dinghy in front of the fisherman’s tables. They will hose of the fish parts and blood into your boat. you will smell bad and be more interesting to the sharks as well.

Quote: “I never had a policy; I have just tried to do my very best each and every day”. Abraham Lincoln

French: Un café tres chaud   Translation: Hot coffee

Jusqu’ou allez-vous?  Translation: How far are you going?

Vous etes tres gentil  Translation: You are very kind

Aller  Translation: To go

 

Books: The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

The invention of wings by Sue Monk Kidd

Ocean sightings: Manta rays, hungry sharks

Nono’s: Zero