Nuku Hiva - We Found Land! 1 of 3

We went on an exciting drive (in the back of a 4WD Jeep) into the “lush valley” (as described by Herman Melville) and made famous by the TV program SURVIVOR (2001). Ironically, there were too spots that they filmed Survivor, since according to our guide who has lived there her entire life, "the first spot was too hard to survive" so they moved after week one but no one could tell!

A rugged paradise, Taipivai Valley, is beautiful. Melville was first to bring this place to the attention of the outside world in his 1846 book, Typee (and its sequel, Omoo). A few people we are traveling with have read it and it seems incredibly interesting but very dense to read, recounting his month spent living as both guest and captive of the exotic - and reputedly savage - locals after deserting his whaling ship, Acushnet, in the Marquesas here on Nuku Hiva. It is partially a novel but mostly real life and accurate according to our guide. Put them on the list. See video.

The island is 127 square miles, the largest and the capital of the Marquesas Islands with the East side having a steep coastline, indented by small bays leading to deep valleys, which lead into the interior. The North has deep bays, the largest of which are Anaho and Hatiheu. The South has fewer bays, Taiohae, Taipivai, Hooumi, Hakapoovai and the bays of Hakaui and Hakatea.

The Spanish navigator Alvaro de Mendana de Neira became the first European to reach the islands in 1595, naming them Las Islas Marquesas de Mendoza. In the 19th century, France began expanding its colonial empire into the Pacific Islands, conquering Tahuata (the smallest of the Islands) in 1842. Before that it was British for 30 years and then U.S for one year. Soon, the rest of the Marquesas Islands fell under French rule. The strategic importance of the Marquesas comes from their position as a "gateway" in the Pacific, their maritime territory, and their role in modern Indo-Pacific geopolitics. By maintaining these remote islands, France secures a permanent military and diplomatic presence in the central Pacific, thousands of miles from any continent. Due to their location, the Marquesas often serve as the first or last stop for vessels crossing the Pacific. There are 12 Islands (6 of them inhabited) here and each one has a Church, mostly Catholics, but this one is considered the main Church built over a Church that was here since 1856 and used to be an ancient tribal spot. It is both a cultural and religious center here.

The Marquesas lack protective barrier reefs, resulting in dramatic coastlines with high cliffs, sharp mountain ridges, and deep, lush valleys. We drove up and down some of the cliffs around the bays and had incredible views as we went to the beach and literally the end of the road on the Southeastern side of the Island which is where we focused. It would have taken 6-8 hours to drive all the way around the Island…without even stopping.

The main industry is still agriculture with “the club”, the meat of the coconut that dried in the sun and transformed into the coconut and oil we buy. We each received a “tiare” flower (a few times) while on the Island. It is a Tahitian Gardenia, national emblem of French Polynesia is a fragrant, star-shaped white flower and is a cultural symbol worn behind the ear, often in crowns, signifying relationship status (worn behind the left ear indicates a person is taken, while the right ear signifies they are available) and is essential to Polynesian hospitality and daily life, representing purity and harmony.Читать далее