Nuku Hiva

January 18, 2023

After over a week at sea with only the ocean to look at, we arrived at Nuku Hiva shortly before dawn.. Part of the Polynesian Triangle (which includes Hawaii), Nuku Hiva is part of the Marquesas of French Polynesia. Herman Melville (who later wrote Moby Dick) got his start as an author when he wrote Typee about his summer living as a captive of the Taipi people on Nuku Hiva.

We tendered to land, boarding small boats from the cruise ship that took us to the town of Taiohae. Then we joined a caravan of cars that toured the island. Our first stop was Tohua Koueva, an ancient gathering place that has been preserved. We saw the house where the princess lived and the large open area where celebrations were held. The rock platforms were where the most important people were seated for the ceremonies. There were many tiki statues. Tikis mark sacred or important sites in Polynesia. Carved in the image of gods and/or ancestors tikis represent the first man in Polynesian legend whose name was Ti’i.

Next, we stopped at Taiohae’s Notre Dame Cathedral. This cathedral was built for all of the Marquesas Islands. People from different islands came together to build the cathedral and carve the enchanting wooden statues.

The countryside was beautiful as we drove along twisting roads to the top of the island for a panoramic view of the bay below us. The trees were particularly striking. Once at the viewpoint, we gazed down on our ship in the middle of Taiohae Bay. Birdsong filled the air, although the birds themselves stayed hidden. We breathed in the earthy scent, sweetened by a flowery aroma.

After stopping at a viewpoint of the Taipivae Valley, we visited a craft market featuring exquisite wood carvings and jewelry made from colorful seeds. We sampled fresh fruit from the island – pineapple, breadfruit, banana, grapefruit, coconut, and papaya and relaxed under the trees watching the roosters and breathing in the delightful scents of different flowers.

Our final visit was a black sand beach. Because Nuku Hiva and the other Marquesas Islands are volcanic, it has a black sand beach. The black sand is created when volcanic material like lava and basalt rock wears away from erosion. We took a group photo and then headed back to the bay.

We had been lucky and escaped the scattered storms that were forecast for the morning, but by the evening a storm had rolled into Taiohae Bay just as the sun was setting.