Iolani

It's December first, and we have obtained cyclone coverage for the month of December, but have now decided to look for a good weather window to sail to Hawaii sometime this month. The deciding factor was the El Niño risk here in southeastern pacific. It just doesn't sound fun to be constantly watching and worrying about the threat of tropical storms. We did get permission to stay here longer, but only 3 extra months, expiring Jan. 27th, which I imagine we could extend again, but maybe not. The other factor was that if we were to leave here in April, arriving in Hawaii sometime mid to late April, or even May, it would be a mad dash up the island chain to position ourselves for an early June departure to Vancouver. That doesn't leave much time for fun or boat projects. So now we are working on a list of small details to get ready for a 2-3 week passage. The weather is unsettled at the equator now, so we plan to get ready asap, then sit tight til it looks like a mellow time at the equator, and hopefully the whole way to Hawaii, ( wish us good luck with that! ).

Meanwhile, we have had some great adventures here on Nuku Hiva. One day we attempted our favorite waterfall hike with friends, only to find the route impassable due to the second river crossing being too rough to attempt. We turned around to head back down, just as it started to pour. The path down the mountain was fine, but the river we had crossed earlier that morning had risen too much to safely wade across, and continued to rise visibly, about 12 inches in 15 minutes! We had seen the local tour guide with 2 couples up at the Marae, so we knew they would need to return also; we figured he might have a bright idea, and he certainly did! He whipped out his machete, chopped down a tall but skinny tree, and with the help of the 4 other men, positioned it across the river, spanning about 20 feet. Then we tossed all the backpacks across the Rapids. The women went across, following his example, by hooking our arms over the tree and scooching across, with our legs streaming behind us in the current. I went first, and wasn't afraid, but a bit worried my shorts were going to be swept off my body! It was quite an adventure. A couple gals were a bit more intimidated, crying a bit from tension, but they made it, the guide crossing with them and a rope tying them together. The men made it across all quickly ( I caught that on video) and finally the guide went across again last as he had been back and forth about 6-7 times, and he slipped at the very end, nearly swept away, but was grabbed by his long hair and made it ashore. Quite an experience!

We attended a thanks giving buffet at a restaurant owned by an American woman who sailed here in the 1970s and stayed. About 35 or more folks from sailboats showed up, now all acquaintances of ours. In addition to turkey and stuffing, there was goat in coconut milk, chicken cooked with taro leaves and the ubiquitous Poisson Cru.

The other noteworthy event here was a one day "Festival of Patrimonie"; a day of celebration of the Nuku Hivan culture, art and food. We got up early to see the closing of the traditional underground ovens. We saw them weaving Palm frond baskets to enclose cut up goat, pork and bananas which are then put in the pit, covered with banana leaves, hot stones, more banana leaves and a big pile of sand. At noon the feast was available to purchase, plates of the meats and bananas with coconut milk sauce. There were crafts tents, young men dancing, oration of Marquesan history and myths (which we could not understand, being in the Marquesan language). Late afternoon they had a costumed parade of the dance troupe that will perform at the big festival of arts on Hiva Oa. That festival happens every 2 years, on a different Marquesan island, and is attended by performing dance troupes from as far away as New Zealand, Easter island and Hawaii! The dancers changed into practice costumes for the preview of their performance in order to preserve their fancy costumes. The dancing can be repetitive and long, but I keep in mind it is a function of their culture and the point is to participate, not spectate. But the drumming, powerful and aggressive dance moves of the men, and wow costumes make it really fun to watch. There is one dance that is really beautiful, the bird dance, that features a single man and woman coming out of the troupe to do a gorgeous dance with the man gracefully dancing around the girl, hopping, but smoothly, on one foot the whole time, soaring, dipping, like the tropic birds that circle the cliffs here. The men are the ones that get to do the most ornate dancing, like peacocks. We have great photos of the parade, but will have to wait til after dec 16th to post them because they do not want any photos on social media until they give their big performance. Finally, the evenings last event was the first ever showing of Survivor here on Nuku Hiva; 3 episodes from 2002! We took a pass on that, and I think the locals were none too impressed either.