Atiheu
20 July 2009 | Nuku Hiva - 8 49.596'S:140 05.120'W
Linda
Next bay to the West is Atiheu. (say Haa-Tea-Ahh-Oooh) This place has caught my attention. A couple bad beach landings in the both the inflatable kayak and dinghy have provided excellent entertainment for the locals. The kids really rooted and hollered as we got soaked. We finally figured out there was a dinghy dock of sorts on the other side of the bay. Much better!!!!
Getting fruit here isn't easy. It grows everywhere, but every tree and bush belong to someone so you don't just wander by and pick some. In Taiahoe they had a little produce market everyday (near the dinghy dock) so we picked up what we needed or what they had that day. Our supply of bananas, pamplemousse and papayas were running a short, so at the little grocery store we asked if they sold fruit (which they never do). She asked in French if we would be there the next day and we I said yes she offered some from their garden. The next morning when we came ashore (and got swamped again), her husband Alex was waiting on the beach. We walked up the road to their home, complete with dogs, cats, chickens. etc. where he has two big stalks of green bananas, papayas, pamplemousse and something else that we haven't figured out yet what it is! Now we're getting somewhere with getting to know the locals. I love it! I took (Mrs. Alex) some fancy chocolates that we had on board and she was elated.
Just up the road a half mile or so is a historic ceremonial site with tikis and the stone walls that make up the structure of the ma'ea. We wish we had some historical information about these sites and what exactly went on there. Being cannibals though, we just let our imaginations go wild.
The other Marquesan native that we have read a lot about but didn't encounter until here is the no-no fly. They are indeed as nasty as we had heard. Can someone write us a song called the 'Marquesan No No Fly, Itchin' and a Scratchin' Bloodbank Blues'?