Nuku Hiva is the largest island in the Marquesas and the second largest in French Polynesia. The road trip was spectacular and the views were stunning.
We left the town site of Taiphae and had to stop many times for the views.
We stopped at the old festival site at Taipivai. Some of the tikis are original and some are newer. Tikis are found on old Me'ae or ritual sites and can be found all over the place - just walking in the jungle. Some have been cleaned up for display like this one but most are just found scattered around. They are usually associated with old village sites with the foundation walls still evident.
This entire area is one of the most fertile valleys of the island. We took the road down to the beach and had a wonderful lunch of curry goat.
Beautiful Church and statue of the Virgin Mary. All of the stone is original.
These large stone structures were used to mark property or village boundaries.
The town of Hatiheu is the place where Louis Stevenson the Scottish writer would come to write.
We also went on a hike to the site where Herman Melville andRichard Tobias Green hid after jumping ship. They fled for the Acushnet to hide out at Taipivai for a couple of months til the ship left. The captain had offered a$100 reward but to no avail. Melville's first book, Typee is a loose narrative of the times. I never did read it but maybe I will, now that I have been here.
Then we returned on the same road and crossed to the other side of the island to an area planted with Caribbean Pine. But someone did not do their homework. Though the pine grew well it was very susceptible to termites and not good for lumber. But it makes for nice scenery and the air makes one think of me!
And wild horses on the road!
What a beautiful day!
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