Land Ho

---

We reached our first port today, Nuku Hiva. This is an un-touristy island in the Marquesas, the northernmost island group in French Polynesia. I think the ship stops here to give those craving land a chance to stand on terra firma. There is very little to see except the lush landscape and a very slow-paced way of life.

We took the ship’s excursion to the Taipavai Valley. Women residents greeted us with singing and placed leis around our necks as we stepped ashore from the ship’s tender. Our tour was a caravan of local 4-wheel drive vehicles led by a main guide who spoke some English. Alan and I traveled in a Toyota mini truck with a guide who spoke no English. We stopped at two Catholic churches, the main buildings on the island with any significance. We spent the rest of the three hours driving the mountains and valleys of lush Nuku Hiva countryside. Ours was a very peaceful ride since we couldn’t communicate with the driver. We kept the windows rolled down, listening to the singing birds and crowing roosters and smelling the fragrance of the flowers blooming profusely along the hillsides. Horses roamed wild along the roadway. Rain showers appeared suddenly and disappeared just as suddenly adding to the tropical atmosphere. We stopped at one bay with a beach. There was a covered pavilion where the locals sold handicrafts, mainly beaded jewelry and wood carvings. They provided us with refreshments of fruit, some type of chip and manioc which was sweet with the consistency of Jell-O. When the tour was completed, Alan and I roamed around the small marketplace near the dock admiring more beaded necklaces and wood carvings.

We ended our day in the Observation Lounge as the ship sailed for Papeete, Tahiti. The sun was setting into the ocean, Frankie was playing a peaceful guitar and we were drinking champagne. We met our British friends, Keith and Katie, and headed for dinner in the Compass Rose. Grand Marnier Soufflé was tonight’s desert. Life is good!

---