We're happy to have chosen Hiva Oa as our first stop on our travels among the Marqueses Islands. Many of our cruising friends arrived within the same time frame as us, so we got together to swap stories of our respective crossings over Happy Hour, or during dinner at a local restaurant. Atuona is the town that is located near 'Traitor's Bay', and is where the official country check-in procedures occur. In Atuona we were able to pick up Polynesian Francs at the local bank, buy a few groceries, and fill up on fuel (one jerry can at a time) at the gas station. There is a fair bit of swell in the bay, so stern anchoring is recommended - in fact stern anchoring at the dinghy dock is also a good practice - to limit the chaos, as it is always crowded. As many as 8 dinghies at a time tie up onto a single post at the small concrete platform. They bump and weave around each other in the swell, so scrambling across each other's dinghies to get to or from the dock is part of the deal. We were feeling adventurous one morning and packed both bikes into our little dinghy (testing our skills at the dinghy dock) so we could explore the Island by bicycle. No mishaps to report! We had a great, if not torturously steep ride uphill on the one-and-only road that follows the coastline. We rode through lush tropical forests and peaceful acreages, passing the odd horse, stray chicken, or dog along the way, and stopping to eat ripe mangoes that had fallen from the trees. When Kim's legs just couldn't take it any more we'd stop and take the opportunity to enjoy the spectacular views of the surrounding Islands, bays and mountainscapes. We also took a full-day guided tour of Hiva Oa with friends, which provided us with an opportunity to learn about the history of the Marquesan people and their culture. Yes, it's true�... cannibals existed until 1900! We stopped to see petroglyphs, visited Paul Gauguin's gravesite, and walked through an ancient ceremonial ruin with the largest remaining tiki on any of the Islands. Today we are the only boat in Hanamenu Bay, which is situated on the Northwestern part of the Island. Once again, the swell is significant (typical in almost all bays on the Marquesas Islands) so we are stern anchoring to reduce the rocking motion. Tomorrow we plan to row to shore and hike up to a nearby river which is supposed to be great for bathing in, and to pick some fruit in the valley to replenish our stock onboard. The water temperature is 36.8 degrees Celsius in the bay, but the swell kicks up the sand, making it too murky to swim or snorkel in. The air is thick with humidity and the scent of the nearby vegetation. What a beautiful place! Sorry but we still don't have internet coverage to upload photos.