Day 13 March 19 – Nuku Hiva, Marquesas Islands

Day 13 Thursday March 19th we arrived into Nuku Hiva, our first visit to French Polynesia. We had an early morning start and had to tender into the port so we ate a quick breakfast in the cabin. Ketan, the cabin’s butler called and said there were some openings on a tender at 7:45am so we hurriedly got down to pick up a boarding ticket.

We had a tour today booked with Richard Deane and there were six other passengers with us on the tour. It was a great day as Richard got us around the island up and down steep inclines and declines.

Nuku Hiva, the largest of the Marquesas Islands, has a total population of approximately 3,000–3,120 residents. The main town and administrative capital is Taiohae, which serves as the hub of the island and holds a population of roughly 2,200 people

• Taiohae (Main Town): As the largest settlement and center of activity, Taiohae is located on a large, protected bay on the southern coast and houses the majority of the island’s population, including essential services like the bank, hospital, and shops.
• Other Settlements: While Taiohae is the main hub, smaller, remote villages exist in other valleys, such as Hatiheu and Aakapa on the north coast, though these have much smaller populations.
• Island Total: The total population of the Nuku Hiva commune (which includes all villages) was 3,025 in the 2022 census.

Quick breakfast in the cabin. I went with dry cereal and a fruit plate.

Jackie had oatmeal and boiled eggs.

We were met by these performers when we arrived on the tender into the city of Taiohae.

Our transportation for the day. All of the tours operated using these vehicles. We rode four passengers in the vehicle with Richard and four in the back section. After lunch we switched out.

Our first stop of the day was this fantastic overlook where we could see the ship anchored in the bay. The town of Taiohae is at the bottom of the photo.

Ensemble Tahakia Kamuihei Teiipoka is a cultural site located in Nuku Hiva, known for its spectacular views and rich history. This site features traditional Polynesian architecture and offers visitors a glimpse into the local culture and heritage. Surrounded by lush landscapes and dramatic cliffs, it serves as a perfect spot for exploration and photography. The area is also appreciated for its serene environment, inviting travelers to connect with nature and the Polynesian way of life. These thatched roofs were unbelievable.

The carving on the posts holding up the buildings is impressive

How the inside of the head person of a clan’s house would have looked

Each higher level of stone is where the chief of the clan’s house was located.

Photo of Jackie to show how large some stones are

This tree is 600 years old.

Aʻakapa is a small village on Nuku Hiva, in the Marquesas Islands. It lies on Aʻakapa Bay.

The small town has a population of about 100 residents. The amount of coconut trees seen in this photo is just crazy.

Statue of Mary overlooks the small town of A’akapa. The statue is high above the town.

This is a coconut farm. Again, the amount of coconut trees is mind blowing. In this photo shows where the sea (Pacific) meets the river. So, where salt and fresh water meet.

We stopped for lunch at a restaurant named Yvonne located in Hatiheu. The formal name of the restaurant is EURL HINAKO-NUI (Chez Yvonne KATUPA). EURL HINAKO-NUI, also known as Chez Yvonne Katupa, is a charming restaurant located in the idyllic setting of Nuku Hiva, French Polynesia. This culinary haven captures the essence of local flavors and hospitality, making it a top destination for tourists seeking to indulge in authentic Polynesian cuisine. The restaurant is renowned for its fresh seafood dishes and traditional recipes that reflect the rich cultural heritage of the region.

The restaurant menu (written in French).

The beer served at the restaurant

We met this couple Peter and Bea on the tour. As like other passengers, just super people. It was great learning about their travels and bucket list locations. They have done quite a bit of travel in their young lives. They live in San Diego.

Jackie and Bea both had the raw tuna. Both said it was excellent.

Lane had the beignet shrimp and these were also excellent.

Peter had goat as his meal. He liked it, Bea tasted it and said it was good. Jackie and I passed on it 🙂

Richard Deane our tour guide had this dish. We thought it was beef with rice and gravy. Actually, it is cooked tuna and rice with soy sauce over the rice.

Notre Dame Cathedral — this information is copied from wikipedia.

Notre Dame Cathedral (French: Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Taiohae; Cathédrale Notre-Dame des Marquises) is a 20th-century church that serves as the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Taiohae or Tefenuaenata. It is located in the Meau Valley near the capital centre on the island of Nuku Hiva.

The construction of the cathedral began in 1973 on the site of an earlier 19th-century church by the same name. The new cathedral opened in 1977. It is the largest church on the Marquesas Islands.

History

In the 19th century, France began expanding its colonial empire into Asia and the Pacific Islands, conquering Tahuata in 1842. Soon, the rest of the Marquesas Islands fell under French rule. Even though the colonial administrators chose to focus most of their resources on Tahiti—believing it was the more valuable of the two islands—Catholic missionaries, nevertheless, continued spreading the faith. Their persistence paid off and an apostolic vicariate was established on May 9, 1848. Construction of the cathedral most likely started after this time. It was built on land that was treated as sacred ground by the ancient Marquesans^[5] and was completed in the later part of the 19th century.

Almost a century later, construction on a new cathedral commenced in 1973; it was completed four years later in 1977. The two bell towers and a section of the wall from the old cathedral were preserved and are now utilized as part of the entrance to the cathedral compound.

The entrance of the cathedral is flanked by statues of Saint Peter and Saint Paul carved from rosewood. The exterior walls of the church are made of wood and stone, with “elaborately carved” doors at the entrance. The stones were given by each of the six inhabited islands of the Marquesas

The interior of the church is noted for its mixture of European and local Marquesan features in its design. This is demonstrated in numerous pieces of art adorning the cathedral. An artwork entitled The Passion, the pulpit and the Stations of the Cross were all carved from whole tamanu trees, with the stations having been carved by Damien Haturau. The first station shows Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane at the Mount of Breadfruit—as opposed to the Mount of Olives. The pulpit has the symbols of the Four Evangelists carved into it, with the floor behind it laid with Ua Pou flower stones.

I teased Richard our guide and told him there must be some bad people that come to church on Sunday. He asked why would I say that? Told him the kneelers don’t have cushion, so ya’ll have to really suffer for your sins. He laughed and said yes…..it is very difficult to stay kneeling.

Used for baptisms.

Matthew the Evangelist, the author of the first gospel account, is symbolized by a winged man, or angel.

Mark the Evangelist, the author of the second gospel account, is symbolized by a winged lion—a figure of courage and monarchy.

Luke the Evangelist, the author of the third gospel account (and the Acts of the Apostles), is symbolized by a winged ox or bull—a figure of sacrifice, service, and strength. 

John the Evangelist, the author of the fourth gospel account, is symbolized by an eagle—a figure of the sky, and believed by Christian scholars to be able to look straight into the sun.

With this piece the six islands of French Polynesia are recognized. Also, the baby Jesus holds in his hand a breadfruit.

Richard took us to his home and it was unbelievable to see the amount of fruit and spice trees and plants in his yard.

His yard has beautiful plants growing

He has a number of vanilla trees growing. It was interesting to hear how he plants them and works the leaves by reburying them as they continue to grow.

Richard walking through his vanilla plants. He had I think it was four long rows planted.

How the vanilla looks after the leaves have dried and then he packages and sells the leaves.

I asked him how he got these bananas down? He said you have to cut the entire tree down but no worries as it grows back fast.

He pulled a lime off the tree for us to smell and taste. It smelled wonderful and tasted like a lime should taste. 🙂

On the way back to the ship, we had Richard drop us off at a grocery store as we needed a couple of things, but also, we love walking through stores and markets in a foreign country. The store was small, so not many items, but here are a few pictures I took.

It was a short walk back to the tender pier and here are some photos Jackie took on the way back.

Statues on the shoreline on the way back to the tender dock. This is a great capture by Jackie

Tender dock — easy getting onto the tender in the port harbor. At the ship, it was a little exciting 🙂

Photos of the Taiohae harbor as we prepare to sail away

Captured a sunset behind the mountains of Nuku Hiva

The day in Nuku Hiva was a good one although the heat and humidity took a lot out of us. We got back to the cabin and just sat on the balcony for a hour drinking and eating cheese/crackers we bought at the grocery store. Finally, we got up and decided it was a no go for any dining outside the cabin so we ordered from the dining room. Jackie was asleep by 8:00pm and I fought with the ship Wi-Fi to put together the Nuku Hiva blog.

Tonight we received the revised itinerary we were expecting but dreading. I will analyze it today while at sea (this might be a two-cigar effort 🙂 ) and post the new itinerary and my findings for the March 20th blog. Thank you again for following our journey!!!