Today, as an overseas French territory, the local population is thriving, and there is a renaissance of the old culture.
Both boats anchored in Taioha'e Bay, shown behind Helen here. There were about 100 yachts anchored there, drawn like us by the Matavaa festival, which is celebrated annually on each of the 6 inhabited Marquesan islands in turn.
as many yachties as tourists.
One day, we were all treated to a traditional meal cooked in a pit.
The missionaries and the French government attempted to replace the traditional culture with French laws and religion, and almost succeeded.
The pre-contact population of the 6 Marquesan island has been estimated at 60-100 thousand, but was reduced to 2500 in 1926.
Today it is over 10,000, and the achievement of semi-autonomous status in 1984 has been followed by a massive renaissance of the culture.
We enjoyed the 3-day Matavaa festival where people come from all 6 islands to dance, celebrate and compete.
Many people have traditional tattoos, but only a few to the extent of this man
Helen went home after the Matavaa, while Heather Tyler and her brother Peter, long term friends, joined Milvina.
Circumnavigating Nuku Hiva was a mixture of spectacular scenery, the quiet Baie d'Anaho where we hiked a lot and had a good locally prepared meal with several other sailors, and stop in the rolly Baie Haahopu where getting ashore was a vigorous scramble up a steep sandy beach.
After a day anchored on the West side of Ua -Po, where we enjoyed the scenery but decided to not challenge the breakers to get ashore, we headed South for the 8 day passage to the Gambier Islands
(Double click the map to see full size, then use back button to return)
We
hiked up to Vaipo Falls, only half of the 350 metre high fall is readily
visible. The lower half is hidden by overlapping ridges.Massive stone foundations for houses are sprinkled around in the jungle. Impressive work without machinery.