Yesterday we took a day tour of the island. Our guide, Richard, drove us all around the island while describing a great deal of Marquesan history, as well as all the flora and fauna.

One of the highlights was a trip to one of the archaeological sites on the island. The picture is of a large, four to five hundred year old banyan tree which was a part of the archaelogical site. It was located right near a house belonging to one of the priests of the time. There is a picture from the mid 1800's of the tree containing hundreds of human skulls decorating it. At some point when the site was excavated, lots of human bones from some of the early french, who fought with the marquesans, were found in bone pits which surround the area.

Another highlight was lunch on the north side of the island at a small place where we feasted on Wahoo grilled and fried, Pork in a tomato sauce flambe'd with rum, Goat in Coconut Milk, Goat in curried coconut milk, bread fruit and manioc.

We also collected piles of papayas, mangoes and limes.

Today, on the other hand was a work day. Stephen and I spent most of the afternoon getting gasoline and diesel. We tried to bring the boat over and med moor to a big cement wharf used for the supply ships. But the swell was too big and our windlass has been acting up so we were a bit too uncomfortable with the arrangement. So we had to Lug about 70 gallons of diesel and gas to the boat. The wharf, having been built for ships, was pretty high off the water so we had to raise and lower the jugs by hand with a rope. And to make it even more fun. Gas and Diesel run nearly $8 a gallon. Though we were able to get the diesel duty free--reducing the diesel price about 40%.

Tomorrow we are due to hike the 2 hour hike to big waterfall. Though, its been raining a lot, and the area is supposed to get a bit sketchy in wet weather, as it loosens rocks that can fall from the heights.