Jungle Rock

Well, blog followers, these last two days we've been just down the coast at Baie de Taioa where we visited the beach and the village of Hakaui. (Hak-a-oo-i for those wanting to learn Marquesian).

There, we met Paul, or, in Marquesian, Paul, who led us on a guided 15k round trip through the jungle to the 3rd highest waterfall in the world.

It was like walking through a fruit and veg market. Bear Grylls would have no problem putting on a few kilos here. Nuts, both wee ones and the big, "mind your head" coco variety in abundance. Star fruit trees, avocados, mango, Noni fruit (the latest health drink in the USA), pistachios, breadfruit, bananas and pampelmousse or grapefruit if you don't shop at Waitrose.

The Valley of Kings where we were walking was once home to 30,000 people. Then the missionaries came, and the sailors, then the French and British navies bringing religion, pigs, dogs, rats and disease. Ah, the benefits of the sophisticated "west". The ruins of the settlements are still there, poking through the encroaching jungle. The pits where they cooked their feasts and trapped wild boar still exist.

After three hours walking, scrambling over rocks and several river crossings we sighted the waterfall and, as billed, it was high. We all got sore necks craning to look up at it then a massage, come pummelling once you got your head and shoulders underneath it when you got a real sense of just how high it was. All very spectacular, fresh and nice to have a bath.....finally.

At the outset, on the way through the village we had told Paul's aunt that we'd be back for the $10 lunch.

- beef in coconut milk
- Roast pig
- Breadfruit purée in coconut milk
- Breadfruit balls
- Deep fried bananas
- Green papaya salad
- Rice
- Homemade lemonade

and, other than the beef, none of it came from a shop.

After the late lunch it was back to the boat, out through the surf as the tide was in, which was quite exciting and then fought off bed until nearly 7:30.