MORE TO SEE ON THE ISLAND OF TAHUATA
We decided to lift anchor and head south to the village of Vaitah. We heard there was a bakery and a store to buy supplies, including beer. My human’s needs are so predictable!
CRUISING GUIDE
The cruising guides describe Vaitahu Bay as the site of of many historical occurances. It was here that the first European visitors DISEMBARKED. The first was the Spaniard Mendana in 1595 followed by the British James Cook in 1774. In 1842 Admiral Duetit-Thousars signed the treaty linking the archipelago to France.
This linkage to France means you can get fresh baked bagettes, croissants and Roquefort cheese in Vaitah village. YUMMY!
Unfortunately, the guide book describes the anchorages as ‘not good holding’ and ‘untenable in Northerly winds and swell’. This keeps visiting yachts away. BUT we will let you in on a secret, BUT KEEP IT TO YOURSELVES, we found the anchorage lovely.
We found deep sand and good holding in 8m where the sea bottom shelves nicely. We found the anchorage pleasant, even in a Northeast wind. There was a bad swell for a week from the west, that had made all the anchorages along Tahuata’s west coast ‘trickier’ to time waves to get ashore, but Vaitah has a large concrete dock you can tie your dingy off. Just bring fenders or a stern anchor when the swell is bad. We are waiting for outboard parts, so we used the kayaks. The kids body boarding in the swell off the town laughed at us as we surfed in. The swell died completely off a few days later, making anywhere a breeze to step ashore and dissapointing the local body surfers.
One of the best kept secrets about this place is they offer free WiFi. Admittedly it is slow, but you can even get it on your boat. How cool is that?
TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
Vaitah is the largest village on the island. The dock here was built to accomidated the barges of supply ships and the shuttles that bring visitors from the cruise ships and the big island of Hiva Oa.
The tourists come to the village to see the amazing Cathlic church here.
Also the small, but very well presented, musieum of archelogical finds in the area.
All these visitors support pleasant little out door restaurants, cafes and bars. Also all the local crafts men and musicians come to town to entertain and show thier skills. The Marquesans are excellent carvers of rose wood, bone and Marlin (swordfish) spikes. They combine these to make bowls, knives, musical instruments and jewelery.
ONCE THE TOURISTS LEAVE
Once the tourists leave the village becomes a quiet sleeply hollow again. The water here is crystal clear and clean. The local kids are on the last of the holidays, so they horse about in the sandy shallows. We see a regular snorkeller who hunts for octopus. Everyone seems to busy themselves with raking leaves, tending their beautiful gardens or wandering down to the villlage centre, flower tucked behind their ear, to lounge in the shade of the trees and socialize. Just before sun set is the most sociable time. Everyone seems to head to the shoreline to play bowls, chat and watch the sun set.
You ‘borrow’ the key to the little museum from the ‘town hall’ right across from each other. Both the museum and the administrater there will give you lots of ideas of things to see in the local area.
HIKE TO THE VIRGIN MARY SHRINE
Vaitahu is set in the base of an extinct volcano. The village and anchorage is surrounded by steep volcanic walls. There is a road that assends the south side of this ridge affording you some wonderful views.
30 minute hike each way with many pleasant gardens to admire.
HISTORY AND ADVENTURE
If you are a history buff, Vaitah is the place to come. The local museum displays dateable artifacts excavated from the local area setting occupation starting round 900 ad. A little google search and you can learn even more about the gradual occupation of the ‘Polynesian Triangle’. A lot of artifacts are burried under the existing village, but many sites have been left relatively undamaged. The closest to town is Hanamiai.
HANAMIAI
Is set on the southeastern shoreline of Vaitah Bay. At low tide you can land your tender on its quiet beach (assuming a westerly swell is not running). Other wise the road out of town southward will take you there.
The sight is small, but easily accesable about 20 minute walk out of town.
ADVENTURE
If you are fit and adventurous the original village was actually set well up the valley in a plateau below the surrounding mountains.
I assume the valley below was harder to defend and the soil higher up was more fertile.
There are no more raiding parties to worry about, and with most supplies coming in by sea, the higher village was abandon to the capra farmers.
It must have been a huge village as the whole upper valley is filled with teracing, structual walls and bases.
We met a local named Kevin. He works with the University of Hawia when they get a grant every few years to do some more excuvating here. His picture along with a sampling of the artifacts are found in the local museum.
WARNING it is a good hike up a dirt road for an hour to get up here, and the land is still farmed, so it is not laid out as a tourist sight with walkways and information signs. But if you like exploring and climbing around, it is lots of fun to explore.
BORING STUFF
As you walk around the islands of the Marquesas, you will be astonished at the number of fruiting and flowering plants the Polynesians have imported and cultavated here for centuries.
Every yard is filled with fruiting trees, every road side flowering plants.
Every aerable peice of land, even the church yards, seems to be sprout something to eat or smell. Usually a combination of both.
Trees dripping in mangos and limes seem line every road side.
People also grow tomatoes, peppers, aubagines (egg plant), bokchoy, lettice and green onions in their gardens.
There is a saying here ‘A poor man can never go hungry in the Marquesas’.
THE CEMETRY
The Marquesans seem to set all their cemetries with a lovely sea view.
They also plant magnolia trees.
These flowers fill the air with their rich sent.
UP TO SOMETHING?
The humanss having been chatting with the locals and I know they are up to something. What it is, we will have to wait to find out.
