Approaching Hakahetau

Hakahetau -- rock we climbed on the left and public building on the right

We arrived at Hakahetau Bay around 11 a.m. and found that we had yet another bay to ourselves. Looking ashore, we could see each of the spires sticking up out of the lush vegetation, and a few buildings such as a church, an open-air public building, and a house or two were visible as well. After getting situated and having lunch, Dallas and I took the dinghy ashore to check out what was happening in the public building, where it sounded as though there was live music. (Wes and Tiff stayed behind to work on laundry, photo-cropping, etc.) Indeed, when we got ashore (Dallas had to swim from where the dinghy was moored but enjoyed it thoroughly), we found about 15 adults young and old around a long table singing their hearts out. They were accompanied by 2 guitars, at least 3 ukuleles, and a pahu (drum).

We approached the group and stood off to the side, expecting to do our usual fly-on-the-wall routine, but instead, a young, pretty woman approached and asked in very clear French if we had just arrived and if we would like a beer. I was expecting her to sell us the beer, but she just handed us a couple of cold cans of Hinano with a smile. A couple of minutes later, a young man with no shirt, big muscles and tattoos, and quite a few beers under his belt (figuratively speaking) approached and led me (and Dallas by default) to the head of the table where he was sitting. Now he was not a person with whom either Dallas or I were too interested in conversing (he was having a hard time communicating in any language…), but he definitely got us into the heart of the community’s activity. Minutes later, Dallas found himself on the receiving end of a ukulele lesson!

Rousing vocals

Motu teaching ukulele

Since there were only three chords used in most of the traditional Marquesan and popular French songs (e.g., Que Sera, Sera) that they were singing, (and one of these chords requires no fingers on the frets), Dallas (being Dallas) was able to pick up the basic chords after a couple of songs. The real challenge was to attempt to strum as they did, with a speed and rhythm so lively that it would almost seem not to fit with the island culture.

We learned that the event at the public building was in honor of the children, as they had just completed an academic year. Many of the older ones could be seen playing volleyball next to the public building. The younger ones tended to watch but came into visit the adults intermittently to seek assistance, play the drum, or get me to take their picture with the digital camera. For the most part, it seemed that the children supervised themselves (the youngest watched by those slightly older, etc.), but later in the afternoon, the elementary teacher (called “the mother of the village”) gathered and assisted them in leading a few of the songs. Each of the children grabbed an instrument or sang and seemed to really enjoy taking part. One of the young boys in particular was remarkable for the way he beat a very large pahu and chanted in a voice much lower than one would expect from such a little guy. His Marquesan roots were apparent, as they were among all those present.

Little boy big pahu

We were very impressed with the community spirit and hospitality of this little village of 200. The inhabitants seemed very close but extended this same attitude of friendship to us, perfect strangers. They seemed not to judge those within the group, from the very drunk guy that they eventually told to go to bed, to the effeminate male adolescents, to the loners that skipped the party to practice circling their outriggers in the bay. The only threatening words or actions that I observed were from the children who, in the absence of parental supervision, displayed their “pecking order” by taking the instruments of those younger or smaller.

Before heading back to the boat, Dallas and I climbed up some volcanic rock (which, incidentally, is quite easy to climb) to an excellent vista of the village and the boat in the bay. We had a pretty good view of a home with many goats in a unique sort of pen.  Rather than having a fence on all sides as an enclosure, it was surrounded on two sides by steep rising cliffs and on a third side by the drop of another steep cliff, all part of the same large rock structure! I imagine that’s even more effective than barbed wire!

Nice view, huh?

Back on the boat, we enjoyed a glass of wine with Wes and Tiff. It was the last of the bottles of $2 Clos that we purchased in Panama. If we ever write a cruising guide, we are going to encourage people to buy several cases, as it’s about 1/5 of the price of the wine here (and throughout French Polynesia, we are told). Wes then treated us to a slide show of some of the photos (cropped and captioned) that we have taken here in the Marquesas…let’s just say that you all are in for a treat as well! 
    
Today we pulled anchor and motored several miles farther west to check out the lovely Hakamaii Bay. On the way there, we hosted another dolphin convention; evidently they are really drawn to the purr of the diesel. This time there were only about 25 in attendance, but Dallas managed to get a few photos (more like 200, pared down to 65!).

We had heard great things about Hakamaii Bay, but it was not a good anchorage (too close to the rocky shore), so we chose just to stop for a couple of hours to check it out. Our cruising guide suggested that rather than taking the dinghy ashore, it was best to call in for a local outrigger, but Dallas and I took the dinghy anyway and had no problem pulling it up onto the rocks. Again we found ourselves in a beautiful village of friendly people. There was a river running through the center of town with many fruit trees growing alongside, and we stopped to put our feet in the cool water. We saw many villagers sitting on front stoops or working on their houses, and they greeted us with a wave and a “Kaoha” or “Bonjour.” (The older adults seem to prefer the Marquesan hello, while the young people use the French.)

Before heading back to the boat, we stopped to watch 30 or so children, most of whom were playing soccer on a very small, concrete field just above the beach. (The soccer ball frequently had to be retrieved from the water.) The children were dressed in popular, though surely outdated, American beachwear such as Billabong. However, tennis shoes seem to be a luxury had by only a few. Most of the soccer players were barefoot or wore clear plastic, jelly-shoe sandals reminiscent of those that were so popular in the U.S. (with the girls anyway) in the 1980’s.  I was glad to see that unlike the Marquesas of the past, where it was often an obligatory rite of passage for young adolescents to get tattoos (at the age of 12 for girls, 14 for boys), only some of the oldest appeared to have them.

Sunset off the north coast of Ua Pou

In the interest of giving you a realistic portrayal of the cruising life (lest one should envision nothing but rainbows and cocktails) I should also share with you what we did on Saturday…nothing, really. I awoke with a full-body heat rash which, combined with my 200 or so itchy no-no bites, rendered me a big, cranky, splotchy mess. I spent most of the day in a prostrate position and was relieved that the rest of the crew shared my desire to stay put for a day. 

We are now back in Hakahau Bay and looking forward to watching our friend Moana perform traditional Marquesan dance in the morning before saying good-bye to Ua Pou.