Nuku Hiva, 6-20-2017--Road trip

By David

Before relating our adventure of yesterday, we'd like to acknowledge an extraordinary gift that made yesterday's adventure possible, as well as many future adventures that we hope to share with you. About a month ago Christine Curtis, a friend from Tucson, wrote to us offering a gift to encourage us to take advantage of opportunities for exploration in the islands along our journey--specifically for activities that might not otherwise fit into our budget. We will be using that gift to fund exploratory activities that we will report on, today's post being the first of these. We, and all of you who enjoy reading these posts, have Christine's extraordinary generosity to thank. So, a huge thanks to you Christine! 

We had quite an adventuresome road trip yesterday, with rain being the theme of the day. 

Rain, often hard, fell during much of the night. The weather broke at dawn, encouraging us onward like fools. Our companions for the day were Amy and Matt, a couple in their 30's from England. They're currently a year out aboard their 37' sailboat Florence. We met them recently and quickly struck a rapport, with similar interests in camping, sea kayaking, sailing on a budget, etc. They proved to be great companions for the day's exploration.

We rented a vehicle and covered much of the east half of Nuku Hiva, where most of the archeological sites are, as well as much of the island's most striking scenery. It was also a journey into literary history as we retraced the steps and anchorages of Herman Melville, Robert Louis Stevenson and Jack London. 

Our rental vehicle was a Toyota Hilux, probably the most popular truck in the Marquesas. Fortunately it had 4-wheel drive, which would become more and more useful as the day went on. 

From Tiaohae Bay where we've been anchored, the road switchbacks steeply up through thick jungle until it tops out several thousand feet above sea level where the air is noticeably cooler. There, we took a right turn over to Taipivai Valley. This is where Melville spent some time with a native tribe in 1842 and was the setting for his semi-autobiographical book Typee. It's a great read and when published was more popular than his better known masterpiece Moby Dick.

From here on I'll let the photos and captions tell the story. 

Kevin, owner of Yacht Services, who lined up our rental truck. If you're a sailor in Nuku Hiva, he will do pretty much anything you need done.  An American who arrived here on a sailboat about 10 years ago, married a Marquesan woman and settled here.

Controller Bay, where Melville's rescue in Typee took place.  It's also where Jack London anchored his yacht the Snark in 1907.

This is the beach where Melville parts with his beloved Fayaway in Typee.  The river and bay are quite brown from runoff due to the previous night's heavy rain.

Typee Valley in Melville's book is now known as Taipivai Valley.

Our wonderful companions of the day, Amy and Matt.  A big thanks to Matt, who did all the driving, much of it in challenging conditions due to rain and flooding.  And, being from England, it wasn't even the right side of the road for him.

The two of us in Taipivai Valley.

Mist hangs above the idyllic Taipavai Valley

Waterfalls thunder down the cliffs above Taipivai Valley

Climbing out of the valley, we reach the divide and look down on Hatiheu Bay on the north shore of Nuku Hiva.  

Just south of the village of Hatiheu are several of the most extensive archaeological sites in Polynesia.  At the site is a gigantic banyon tree.  It's estimated at 600 years old.  A pit on the other side of the trunk is believed to have been used to hold victims before sacrifice. 

Stonework at one of the archaeological sites.

It doesn't show up in the following photos, but rain, heavy at times was falling during most of our visit at the archaeological sites.

A pit believed to have been used for storing breadfruit

Pearl gives scale to massive stone walls

Tiki near the ceremonial site

Grind holes similar to what we've often seen in the American Southwest

Stone altar reportedly used for human sacrifice

North shore of Nuku Hiva

Catholic church at Hatiheu village. Note the ancient tikis flanking the towers.

Hatiheu Bay.  Robert Louus Stevenson anchored his 93 foot yacht Casco here in 1888.  He thought it the quintessential South Sea setting and wrote glowingly of it.
Shortly after this photo was taken the skies opened up again and it poured for hours. 

A flooded road ended our excursion to the village of Hooumi.  When I suggested that we go for it, there was dead silence in the truck.  I let that sit a few seconds, then added "Just kidding."  It seemed to break the stress of the increasingly tenuous driving conditions and everyone had a good laugh.

Waterfalls sprung up out of nowhere all along the road.  

A muddy torrent pours from the mountainside onto the road.

Finally we climb out of the flooded roadways and up to the central plateau where we find wild horses grazing among pine trees.  It was like a scene from Montana.   

More of the central plateau at about 4000' elevation.  

At the end of the day we descend back down through jungle and past waterfalls that had barely existed when we left in the morning.