Happy leap day! I only get to say that every 4 years, so it's a treat! Another treat is the hike to the waterfall followed by lunch at Ahu and Teiki's home. As Isabel has made the hike once and I've done it twice, we all dinghied ashore to dispatch Pat and Celine for the adventure. Isabel and I wandered up as far as Ahu and Teiki's place to firm up lunch plans and to put in our order for fruit, veg and meat.
As usual Ahu had an amazing array of fresh star fruit, pamplemouse, mangos, papayas, coconuts, various herbs, and several kilos of freshly killed goat ready to go. Goat meat 1000 CFP (about $10 US) a kilo, pork $1500 CFP a kilo. We asked why pig cost more, as both animals are hunted in the wild, and it turns out pigs are pretty darn dangerous to capture and kill. The Marquesans use dogs to round the animals up and occasionally they lose a dog to the pig's tusks. Teiki apparently kills the animals with a knife, stabbing them in the heart, and I can only imagine what wrestling a wild pig must be like. Anyway, turned out she was out of pork so hopefully we can find some in the local market.
Pat and Celine had a great hike and we all joined to dine around 1330, having a great meal of fire roasted goat and breadfruit, a wonderful salad made from green papaya, mango etc., freshly made limeade and pamplemouse, and some dried mango and guava for dessert. Wow!
Isabel and I had rounded up several things we didn't manage to trade away at Fatu Hiva including a couple of old but still serviceable raincoats and a collapsible crate. We presented those to Ahu as gifts after purchasing a load of fruit and goat meat, and then she felt compelled to pile on with additional herbs, bananas, pamplemouse, and papaya. We had no expectation of compensation, but it's the Marquesan way. They're generous and friendly folks.
Back to JollyDogs for an afternoon snooze - well, everyone but me, as I continued to fabricate new Dyneema slings for the dinghy. Gotta get it all done before we launch for the Tuamotus!
As we armed ourselves with another fresh fruit beverage creation courtesy of mixologists Celine and Isabel, we marveled at the changing nature of the stunning cliffside scenery as the daylight changed and faded. We're all convinced that Ahu and Teiki live in a garden paradise, and we feel fortunate to have spent time with them.
Punters may have enjoyed views of Daniel's Bay a few years back when a segment of the Survivor TV show was produced here. The right camera angles can make the place look pretty uninhabited and remote; in truth it's about a 3 hour hike to Taiohae Bay which sports 4 different grocery stores, as hospital, crappy cell phone service, etc.
Still, an incredibly special place.
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