spanish navigator Alvaro Mendana in 1595) in French Polynesia & Hiva
Oa is the second largest island in the group at a mere 23 miles long,
However, Hiva Oa is the perfect island to check the Yacht "Apple"
into the Polynesian group as its relatively south & the winds are
prevalently SE... which will help us later...
We've anchored In "traitors bay', named after the self appointed
"Captain" Fletcher Christian on his newly acquired Man of War "The
Bounty" tried to hide her from the British navy after the mutiny...
how ever the local's at the time, we're extremely unwelcoming... or
should i say very welcoming as cannibalism was very prevalent on this
island.
Now fully rested from our voyage..... we visited the Paul Gauguin's
museum, built around his original home/studio in the capital town of
Atuona, which is about 2 miles walk, along a black volcanic beach, up
the side of a steep hill covered with a lush variety of bread fruit,
Mango, coconut's & a couple of stray goat's, to the main road (only
road on the island) round a couple of corners to the town..
"Atuona"... which consists of one isolated post office, one bakery,
one hardware/cloth shop, two grocery shops ( the first shop being "a
pick-up truck"... & the police station & adjacent the Paul Gauguin's
home.. ( note: if you are an Artist, your entitled to stay within the
Paul Gauguin's grounds in a private house/studio for 3 month's
"absolutely free", on the "one condition" ....... you leave a
painting, poem, sculpture,..etc.... worth thinking about...
Yesterday: we visited the ritual site where the human sacrifices were
made, before being eaten.. picture to follow.. Ummmm?
Before departure in La Cruz Mexico I applied for a duty fee fuel card,
which as a foreign visitor, I'm entitled to ... especially when you
consider that a gallon of diesel is $9 !!!!!! , So, its worth the $250
fee..
So card in hand ( hopefully by tonight) , I'll re-fill "Apples" twin
tank's... shouldn't be too much as we sailed every day, we just fired
up the engine for about 2 days in the doldrums, leaving La Cruz &
coming into anchor.. however better leave with a full tanks, as i
don't know where the next gas stop will be...
Our immediate plan is to sail to the next island "Tahuta" although
only 10 miles away, we need to "make fresh water" & the pacific ocean
glides over pure white coral sandy bay's.... plus amazing diving of
these remote reef's. So I'm planning on teaching Veronica to scuba
dive & secondly remove her fear about shark's... Simply being around
them... when air isn't an issue... your able to move freely up or
down, just like them..... So you can simply watch & learn about there
way's & the first thing you learn is.... when shark's are surrounded
by rosy rockfish, yellowtail, Orange-mouth corvina, Thread-fin jack,
Pacific needle fish & the thousands of other interesting reef life
meal's.... there not remotely interested in us!...they just like to
cruse by looking....
Our next 450 mile crossing with be to the spectacular famous Tuamotu
Islands... before the Societies islands & Tahiti..
SSB .. when we leave here tomorrow, will be out of reach of internet
for range.. ... however I'm trading responses with I com the SSB
factory to fix my internet..
