Attn: Bryce Fan Club MembersTop cross-country (la crosse in French) runners representing islands among all of French Polynesia: Marquesas, Gambiers, Tuamotus, Australs, and Societies competed Thursday in Tahiti. So, yes, in fact, Bryce got the chance to meet up with some of his school friends from the Marquesas. They were happy to see each other and surprised at how much each had grown. Bryce says it was a very positive interaction.
Racing for his College/Lycee des Iles sous le vent d’Uturoa, Bryce’s age group was the most populated, boys born 1999, 2000, and 2001. We haven’t yet the official stats, but Bryce estimated about 125 runners in his category. He believes he was one of the youngest and smallest runners in the group. He placed 25th individually and his Uturoa boys team placed 3rd in its category. He was pleased with his personal result, hoping at the start that he wouldn’t place last. He says their coach set them up with a strategy that provided a successful result. Bryce overtook many of the school’s faster runners, even those who had beaten him in the Marquesas the year before.
His friend, Mihi took third individually in her category, and her team took 3rd as well.
Mihi Boosie winning the chance to go to Papeete.
Trent’s friend, Hauari’i Cacelin also took third individually in his category. Hauari’i’s grandfather moved here from Mexico City many years ago. A very nice hombre.
Bryce and Hauari’i departing from Raiatea Airport, in route to Papeete.
Overall, Bryce had a great day and a half in Papeete, Tahiti. The first stop for all the Lycee d’Uturoa students was….McDonald’s, or in Tahitian slang “Mac Do” (pronounced “mac-Doh”). Then that night, they went to a movie theater (Bryce’s first movie-going experience since March 2015 in Ensenada, Mexico) saw the recently released Disney animated feature set in Polynesia; it’s titled “Moana” in the states.
Bryce Rigney’s team trophy that each teen got to share for a night. A perfect photo op.
We’re very proud of Bryce for his accomplishment, representing again his school in a territorial wide sporting event, being flown and lodged in Tahiti, sponsored by his community and the French Polynesian Territory.
On a side note, while Bryce was in Tahiti, Leslie and I attended parent-teacher conferences for Bryce and Trent on Wednesday. Bryce’s principal teacher (his French teacher) stated that Bryce, based on his grades so far, could take and would likely pass his “brevet des colleges” exam if he were to take it in mid- June. It’s a scholastic certificate between a ‘middle school’ and ‘high school’ diploma (the French school system is a bit different than in the states). The ‘brevet’ is recognized throughout France as an academic achievement, prior to the “bac.” But, he’d have to stay until mid-June to take it. We’ll see, as we were thinking of continuing our voyaging starting in May 2017.
Leaving this beautiful place of Raiatea will be difficult.
Raiatea, the present settlement of Kandu’s crew, is a lagoon-enclosed island satiated with adventures. It is my home for the current school year 2016-2017 and I’m especially excited about the surfing. Raiatea is an island among 118 different atolls and islands in French Polynesia. Tahiti, the biggest island, and Raiatea the third largest are both part of an island archipelago called the Society Islands. It is one archipelago among five others in Polynesia: the Marquesas, Austral, Gambier, and Tuamotu Archipelagos. Easter Island or Rapa Nui is considered Polynesian, but it is not part of French Polynesia. They are linked to Chile and the spoken language is Spanish.
From my experiences traveling three of the five archipelagoes, I found each island/atoll chain is different: different attitudes, personalities, but mainly the different habits displayed by the people. Similarly the geography is different. The Society Islands are surrounded by a giant mass of coral. An atoll is a giant coral reef surrounding an island consisting of numerous layers of coral. As the island in the center shrinks the coral reef grows, growing on top of the layers of dead coral. The space between an atoll and an island is a lagoon like body of water between the island and the reef. The bonus of having a reef around an island is that whenever the wind or waves are robust the island is protected. Every ten years an island is estimated to shrink or sink a single millimeter while the atolls size grows.
Raiatea has a surface area of 238 square miles. It’s located at 16.8°S/Latitude, 151.4°W/Longitude. Raiatea has a buddy island, Taha’a. Most islands don’t have an outer layer of protection (an atoll), so to have two islands inside of one atoll is double rare. Which is the case for Raiatea and Taha’a, they both share an atoll. Together they reach a population of 18,000 people, Raiatea making up 13,000. Compared to Los Angeles of 6 million the island and its population are very small. Yet it beats the population for most of the other islands in French Polynesia, having the second largest city, after Tahiti. Uturoa is the city where Trent and I attend school. We are docked in Marina Uturoa within a 10 minute walk to our school Lycee des Iles-sous-le-vent d’Uturoa.
Marina d’Uturoa and downtown.
Raiatea’s national language is French but most of the locals continue to learn and speak Tahitian. The most commonly practiced religion is Protestant. However 1000 or so years ago it was different, Raiatea was considered the center of Tahitian religion and culture. People would bring gifts to the gods or kill others for sacrifices. Mostly, people visit this island for her beauty and peacefulness. Still today Raiatea is considered the most sacred holy place throughout the South Pacific. Additionally on the islands’ two mountains: Mount Temehani at 650 meters high and Mount Toomaru at 1017 meters high, grows the Tiare Apetahi flower that pops open for sunrise and holds five pedals on one side; it looks somewhat like a human hand. This flower grows nowhere else in the world except for on Raiatea’s two tall mountains. Sacrifices and gifts were given at places known as Marae’s. There are hundreds of them spotted about Polynesia. “French Polynesia’s Taputapuatea marae, is a center for Polynesian seafarers from where they explored Hawaii and New Zealand, now is up for world-wide recognition. France has officially lodged a bid with UNESCO to recognize the Taputapuatea marae on Raiatea Island as a World Heritage site .The culture minister says if approved, it will be the first time a site has been acknowledged in the Pacific for its cultural significance.”
Marae’s today are used for show and tell or exchanging cultural dances. In the Marquesas during big festivals I watched the numerous performances held on Marae’s done by brothering islands giving thanks through their dances and carvings. It was fearsome and overwhelming to see their presentations of costumes!
Snorkeling and exploring of the various sea life is fun for my parents. We hope to partake in some of the known diving possibilities while we’re here. There are many sorts of desirable diving activities. The island contains some of the most spectacular diving on earth; it’s a divers dream! In each pass there exists a drift dive revealing a wide selection of colorful coral, coral canyons and caves. Raiatea also bears a rare wreck dive of a ship with three masts called the Nordby that sunk in 1900. All who know want to go!
On Raiatea my brother and I have been doing a fair amount of surfing, given that there are eight passes to choose from! All you have to do is look up on line for the swell and wind direction, and choose your desired reef pass, but we’ve found that the surfspot Miri Miri is by far the best and most consistent, plus it is relatively close to where we live.
I’m enjoying very much our time in Raiatea between the great school experience and the many local sport activities available aside from surfing, like outrigger paddling and running. Turns out Trent and I have been able to participate in outrigger competitions and running competitions. I placed well running and the school just sent me to Papeete to run against 300 of the best runners in the Polynesia Islands. I was the youngest and smallest runner in my category yet I placed 25th out of about 125 boy teens, the largest category ages between 15-17. It was a GREAT experience and I’m lovin’ life!
Leeward Island Competition at Lycee d’Uturoa where I placed 8th in my category…sufficiently high to compete in Papeete.
Just north of the South Pass of Fakarava on a calm morning.
My family and I stayed inside the lagoon of Fakarava for two weeks this past June on our way to Tahiti. There was much to see and experience while we visited the atoll. It was an awesome place to discover. One of 76 atolls in the Tua Motus of French Polynesia, Fakarava is located in the Southern Pacific Ocean southwest of the Marquesas Islands and northeast of Tahiti. Like all atolls, it is hard to see sailing toward it as it is a low lying coral reef surrounding a lagoon that at one time was an island having sunk millions of years ago. Its reef crown is an unusual rectangular shape; most atolls are round shaped. Considered the second largest atoll of the Tua Motus after Rangiroa, it is 60km (32 miles) long and 25km (15 miles) wide. You cannot see to the other side of the atoll it’s that large.
Fakarava as seen from satellite.
Fakarava has two main villages, Rotoava in the north side where they is an airport, two roads, a couple food stores, a café or two, a hotel, a couple pensions, a pearl store, a small elementary school, and 4 dive shops. It is where the large ships dock and where most of the people live. Tetamanu village in the south can only be reached by boat, has zero cars, and one family run dive center and pension. It is where the first church was built in all of the atolls in 1874. The church is special because it was constructed entirely out of coral blocks made by heating coral into ash and once cooled, shaping the ash into blocks with water mixed in. The mortar and stucco are all made out of coral ash and water. Once dried, the blocks and mortar are as solid and heavy as cement. Amazing!
Fakarava has a couple black pearl farms and is the only atoll that has a pink sand beach, which we purposely visited while in the south to bring back home a vial of the unusual sand for our sand collection.
Fakarava Pink sand beach.
But most importantly of all, the atoll is known for it’s incredible diving sights and crystal clear waters. The atoll draws most of its income from pearl farming and tourism. It is known for its marine bio-diversity and as such is a UNESCO protected reserve. The UNESCO acronym stands for: United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.
There are two passes of entrance into Fakarava lagoon. Garuae in the north is the biggest pass in all of the Tua Motus, and Tamakohua in the south. Or you can just fly into the northern airport, which is what most people do. When we went through the northern pass, it was late in the day, raining and windy plus the tide was exiting. Kandu can motor 6 knots, but the current and wind were so strong that we pushed through the water at only 2 knots over ground. It was stressful. To look for coral heads, Bryce was ordered to climb the mast in the rain.
Trent very happy to be anchored in North Fakarava after 5 days at sea!
Fakarava is the only atoll we visited out of all the 76 atolls. Most atolls have really good diving, but especially Fakarava because it has two passes and several dive shops to rent equipment. I got certificated in diving there as well as my brother. It was amazing to dive. We got to see so many different interesting plants and animals under the water. The coral gardens were very beautiful in Fakarava because the lagoon’s water circulates vigorously in and out two times per day due to the fluctuating tides. The water is not at all polluted as there aren’t any mountains for water to run-off and hardly any people live there to dirty the water. The people grow coconut trees to harvest copra, but because the coral is nutrient starved, people have to import dirt if they want to grow other trees in their back yard. There are not many of the typical tropical fruit trees there, which was why we brought large bags of Marquesan limes, oranges and grapefruit with us to consume and to share with the locals.
When we first got to Fakarava, it was rainy and cloudy for three days. It was not very hospitable, but in those three days Bryce and I became certified scuba divers in private lessons (we were the only ones there) and learned how to dive down to 80 feet which was amazing. Bryce and I already had a little experience breathing pressurized air underwater using our hookah while cleaning the underside of Kandu, but being free to swim long distances underwater was marvelous. The first reef dive I did was the most memorable because it was extraordinarily beautiful. My parents, Bryce and I dove together over a colorful reef that had hundreds or maybe thousands of fish so close I could practically touch them. I also saw many sharks swimming around. The next day we dove again in the north passage to try to see three hundred sharks but when I got in the water and swam down I noticed that there weren’t three hundred, instead maybe one hundred which was still quite special. The current was strong that dive, so our instructor suggested we carefully hold on to some coral while looking around in one spot in order not to breath all our air. At one point the current was so strong I felt like I was super man. My brother took a GoPro picture upside down.
Scuba diving in Fakarava.
Fakarava boasts three main kinds of sharks: black tip, white tip, and grey fin, along with the occasional hammerhead and tiger sharks. Once a year during the full moon in June the sharks assemble to mate and to feast on the groupers that congregate there also to mate. We were very fortunate to be in Fakarava during the month of June to witness this special gathering of marine life. There was a 2016 Fifo documentary called “Le Mystere Merou” that filmed all about the gathering sharks and groupers. While we were moored in the south, four film crews, one from Japan, Australia, Britain and the same French documentary crew arrived to film what we got to see in person.
While in the north, along with diving, we enjoyed an incredible guided night walk along the coral reef of the outside atoll rim. Our guide showed us how to catch fish without a hook and line, but by using a club to stun them; he chased and caught three medium sized reef fish in the dark! He also taught us how to grab crabs from behind; none of us dared try! He discouraged us from collecting live shells from the coral reef, yet along the dry beach during our walk back, we amassed quite a few beautiful specimens empty of critters. During our return to the car, it started to blow and pour down rain. Luckily it wasn’t particularly cold as we all got soaked.
Up-down video at Snack Plage. Take a look at our Silly Video: up-down
We stayed in North Fakarava for a week to obtain our diving certificate. While there we enjoyed fun times at Snack Plage of the nearby Pearl Havaiki Pension and tied into the web at a local cafe: La Paillote.
Enjoying snacks and wifi at La Paillote, Fakarava.
Then the wind changed coming from the south which generated a large uncomfortable fetch, so we decided to sail down to the south pass, which was not nearly as fun as the northern pass because the diving lessons were over. After three hours of motoring against the wind, we tied up to a brand new, free mooring buoy provided by UNESCO to protect the coral; that made things easy and very secure against the powerful wind. All we needed to do was attach two strong lines around the mooring loop, and then we dropped the dinghy in the water and motored to Tetamanu village to look around.You can surf at the south passage but it is dangerous because the coral reef is covered by only three feet of water. If you fall you’re likely to get hurt on the reef. Despite knowing the conditions, Bryce and I went to observe the surf spot anyway, while mom and dad went to deliver a large sack of grapefruit to the owner of the dive and pension center. When Bryce and I went off exploring, we found the coral block church; it was still there with a new coat of paint (on a side note – Mom sang there during their evening Saturday service). It looked bright and cheerful.
South Fakarava Catholic church newly renovated.
Back to our exploring, Bryce and I walked along the coral-lined pass and finally arrived at the intimidating surf spot. True to its reputation, we noticed that the waves crashed over a very shallow reef. We studied the daunting spot for a bit. The waves were perfect but the reef was not good. As we were walking back my parents also wanted to see the surf spot, so we returned together and watched the waves again. Since my brother really likes surfing and insisted on going, my dad figured out a way to get close to the surf by dinghy instead of trying to walk over the prickly coral reef.
Prickly coral path on the way to study South Fakarava Pass surfing waves.
A couple mornings later we got ready to go surfing. When we all arrived in the dinghy at the spot, Bryce and I were really excited and scared of the reef, but we headed out ignoring our fear. My mom and dad were watching from a little distance attached to a mooring while the two of us paddled together to the surf. The surf was so crazy that Bryce and I only caught one or two waves during that hour, but we felt it was a good start.
Finally the weather and water cleared to allow us to dive the southern pass. We all woke up early, ate breakfast quickly, and then prepared our equipment to dive. Before heading out from the dive center, the dive instructor gave us instructions on what we were going to do; we then loaded into the dive boat, motored to the middle of the south pass and fell backwards into the water. That dive wasn’t super exciting because there were several other people along with us. Yet we did see many groupers stealthily posing among the coral heads eyeing us as we floated by, plus we got to touch a couple large and colorful sea slugs.
Looking up at a shark.
We dove the south pass again the next day just the four of us and while we didn’t see nearly as many groupers, we witnessed four hundred sharks swimming nonchalantly nearby and a really big spotted bat ray; that second dive was so much better. Later that night we motored our dinghy over to a pizza restaurant built on a motu to meet up with three other boats. That’s where Bryce and I first met Emily and Isabelle from the sailboat ‘Blue Raven.’ It had been so long since we ate pizza that we ate so much it hurt; it was delicious! The next day we arranged a movie swap with the girls. Hurray, we got new movies! And just two days later after lots of snorkeling and our last surf session when Bryce left behind a couple chunks of skin from his foot, we departed Fakarava to sail to Tahiti. The weather indicated it was time to go.
Our stay in Fakarava was one of the best so far. My favorite part was learning how to dive. What an incredible pleasure to dive in warm and exceptionally clear water. I can’t wait to dive some more at other places in the world.
Our iconic image of Fakarava. It really looked like that!
I had a great sleep that night and woke up with excitement. I packed light bringing swim trunks, tank top, glasses, hat, one pair of shorts, and my pillow. Hopping in the bus, I remembered that I had forgot to pack my toiletries, but I was too excited to go on the ferry than whine about missing shampoo. Inside the ferry was nice and cool. Our group chose to make camp upstairs even though the food court was downstairs. I was hungry and the boat ride would be an hour, so I bought myself two small egg rolls. Coming into the bay was amazing the water was so clear and the color was super light baby blue. We left the ferry and took a bus over to the spot where all the pirogues were so we could set them up and try them out before the race. The group attached alma and carried the boat into the water. My group (Team A) hopped in the pirogue and gave it a test ride. In my opinion even though the pirogue weighed 155 kg, it went faster than the ones in Taiohae because it just glided.
The helmsman said it had a small turn to the left but no big deal so we left it as it was and brought it back to the pirogue holder. Then we were escorted over to the classroom where we would be sleeping since we were staying in a school. Each Team had their own classroom with 16 mattresses inside. Getting settled in was a little hard having to move all the desks and chairs over to the side so we could put the mattresses down and pull out our bedding. Some like me went to the market to buy things for the race or for pleasure. Dinner we were told was going to start in one hour. The kids bought snacks and watched volleyball until it was time for tomato sauce on rice and fish. It wasn’t the best meal but they had fresh apples and oranges to chose from. I was so happy when I bit into that apple, I almost screamed; good apples are hard to come by in Taiohae. After dinner we settled down on our matts and had a long conversation about technique that lasted till late at night. But I fell asleep at 10:00 p.m. I had 5 hours of sleep till our wake time at 3:00 in the morning.
Race day . . .
As we woke up early in the morning, we were told to pack everything up and head out with the paddles and water tubes. The teams all walked in the P.E. building so that the refs could give everyone a pep talk before we headed out to the course. The helmsmen had their own group meeting, and once both meetings were over, everyone got together to give a moment of silence to a couple of kids that were shot and murdered two weeks prior. The five minutes passed and each team walked over to their pirogues and placed them in the water. The entire group A hopped into the pirogues and paddled off to the starting line. I was in Team A. Sitting in the pirogue next to the starting line I started to get nervous. My whole body was electrically excited. It took a long time to get all 42 boats in line. Vanene Hoe!! Each and every pirogue was paddling trying to get in front. Then BOOM – our pirogue hit another and another pirogue hit ours. Everything was crazy. On the left of us, one pirogue tried to capsize us by flipping our alma, when one of our motors yelled at him in Marquesan freaking the paddler out making him drop our alma back into the water. Finally, we got out of that mess and continued paddling at a moderate speed. Then at the final bit of that leg, our captain gave the three hip call telling us to go faster. We finished in 5th for our 14-17 year cadet category (The categories are by age: 10-12, 12-14, 14-17), the highest category. Each leg of the race was 5 km; there would be 9 legs. Up next was Group B on the second leg. Since each middle school had one boat and two teams, we need to swap out paddlers. Firstly, the pirogue that just raced would try and find the motorboat that had the other group of paddlers. Secondly, the previous group would hop out of the pirogue for the next group to get in. There was one super strict rule, if anyone hopped into the water without a life jacket on, that team would be disqualified. So finally once the next team was settled in the pirogue, the previous team would board the motorboat that would follow the team that was paddling. Group B finished in 7th then we hopped back in and paddled over to the starting line. The 3rd leg was against the clock. That meant we would have to go faster than normal speed to get a good place. Each pirogue had 30 seconds before the next one would take off. Our group beat the guys in front, giving a lot of effort to do so. For that leg we finished in 6th. Then Group B came in and finished the fourth leg in 7th place. At this point, I was getting tired, but I told myself I was going to pull this off. So I swam over to the pirogue, jumped up in and we paddled over to the starting line for the 5th leg. In a few minutes we were off and all the paddlers lifted their pirogues to plane. At halfway mark, I started to get tired, but we kept going. In the end, I was really tired but we placed 10th. Being really tired, I got out of the pirogue and sat down in the motorboat and munched on a granola bar. For the 6th leg, the boy replacement came in and swapped out for the one that was too tired. For that leg, Group B was looking at a 6.1 km. I was too tired to cheer them off. For 45 minutes to 1 hour I slept on the motorboat trying to recover my strength till our team said “Bryce, time to go.” Group B had finished in 12th place.
Note the ferry motorboat on the right. That was the kind of boat I napped on.
Back in the pirogue, we paddled to the starting line and waited for the referees to say go for the 7th leg. I said to myself I was going to give it all. READY, SET, GO!! We darted off lifting our boat out of the water and going at a normal medium to fast speed. Halfway, I was completely wiped out but I kept paddling. I couldn’t move my arms any faster, but I just kept paddling. Then the other pirogues started to pass us. We were coming close to last when, “Hip Hip Hip,” we paddled harder passing one boat. When we crossed the finish line, I almost fainted. I had nothing left, no more inside. We found the motorboat and I crawled aboard. I sat myself down and fell asleep. I had given everything, and we finished in 13th as well. At the 9th leg, our 14 member team took anyone that wasn’t tired to fill a pirogue. They finished hard and placed another 13th. The race was over. The paddlers all took apart their pirogues and placed them on the holders. Before the announcements, we ate some snacks, fruit, bread, and a few cookies.
The dance . . .
During the announcements of what places everyone got, our group practiced our Marquesan Haka dance that we would shortly perform. When the judges called us up everything went quiet then our dance leader started it: “Hoe vaka kae kae kae ha!” Our guys all walked out with necklaces on and got in formation. The chief dance leader started ‘Smack’ talking in Marquesan. He was looking at us trying to get a glimpse to see if we were ready. Then the chief gave us the cue and we all started dancing and chanting. It was fantastic! I was in the back since I didn’t know all the words. Then we stopped, the second chief walked up and started talking ‘Smack’ in Marquesan. No one else in the audience knew what he was saying. He put on a great show. All were afraid of him. The chief stopped and all at once the group started dancing and chanting. It was a great experience for me. As we were walking back all the people made way, one of the chiefs jumped at the crowd scaring them all away.
Our team was of course curious what places we scored in the race, so my dad asked around and told us the scores. Combined we placed 13th in the highest/oldest cadet category and 20th overall out of 42 pirogue teams. I felt we did way better than expected.
Eimeo Team Taiohae 2016. We rocked!
That same day we grabbed our bags and headed back to the ferry where we would return to Tahiti. One hour later and we were settled in on the boat, buying snacks, since most of us were still pretty hungry.
Ferry ride back to Tahiti.
The boat was nice and air-conditioned so I fell asleep. I woke up as the team was getting off the boat. I snatched my stuff and headed off the ferry to where the bus would take us back to the dormitories where we had previously stayed. My dad met us at the rooms and told me he would meet us at the airport the next morning. I undressed, took a shower and went to bed. It had been a really long day.
The return home . . .
“Aaaaaaaaahhhh we’re gunna do Paranoid!” I turned off my ipod alarm and woke everyone else up. Prof Cathy Brunel gathered everyone and we waited with our luggage for the bus. In 30 minutes, the bus came and our team loaded in. The bus ride felt sad. The kids were feeling low. They didn’t want to leave as they all had a great experience. At the airport my dad showed up with his camera and shot videos of us waiting, checking in, and boarding the plane. My dad and I both sat together and recounted stories of our time in Tahiti. For the flight back each paddler went to sleep. Looking at Nuku Hiva from above, I felt a comfort, for I knew I had come back home with yet another unforgettable experience. For me it was very challenging, but I had a great time with my Va’a piers and I enjoyed getting to know them better. In sum, I loved it!
At 6:30 a.m. my mom, Trent and I left Kandu and motored the dinghy to shore so that Trent and I could catch the bus to school. We entered the school gates at 7:00 a.m. I was ready and on time. The team paddlers showed up one by one until it was time to load into the airport bus and head to the airport, an hour and a half away. The team coaches rounded up all the paddles and life jackets and loaded them into the bus separately as the paddlers seated themselves. On the way to the airport lumberjacks, cutting down trees, stopped the bus. The roadway was cleared in ten minutes and we moved on. After almost two hours of being in the bus we arrived; I was ready. All the kids checked in, got their tickets, and bought food for the plane ride. We would fly from Nuku-Hiva to lay over in Hiva-Oa before setting off to Tahiti. An hour passed before we were allowed into the plane to pick our seats. I hadn’t been on a plane for a long time. I was so excited and overjoyed. During take off, it was super cool looking out the window seeing the ocean and Nuku-Hiva from above.
Nuku Hiva looking down from the airplane.
Not long after, we deplaned in Hiva-Oa and waited to re-board. All the kids sat down at the airport snack lounge and talked until an announcement said that the plane was ready and we would re-board soon. The passengers again seated themselves and as soon as everyone was settled in the plane, it took off. I sat next to a very nice French lady and practiced my French with her. Eventually I tired, put on my headset and took a nice long nap. I woke up for the landing; flying over the coral reef lagoon was spectacular. I was super pumped to visit a ‘big’ city like Papeete.
Papeete airport – the Marquesans have landed…and an American!
When the plane came to a stop, everyone grabbed their carry-on belongings and walked to the airport baggage claim. As the luggage came down the conveyor, we each grabbed our bags and walked outside to the lobby. My dad greeted us and showed us the way to the bus that would drive us to our dorm for the next four nights.
Loading onto the bus in Papeete.
Our team was separated into two rooms of boys and girls. Coach Cathy gave the assistant coach the key to the boys’ room so we could unpack and get ready for dinner. We left on foot at 6:00 p.m. to the high school where we would eat dinner. My Marquesan teammates were a bit intimidated by the local Tahitian students. To make it easier for the Marquesan kids, the school provided a private dinning room that first night. Coach Cathy told everyone we would be waking up at 5:30 in the morning to eat breakfast. We walked the 30 minutes back to the shared dorm rooms, traded off taking showers in the single shower, and went to bed. It was a great first day!
Visiting Tahiti . . .
Wednesday morning we got dressed and headed for breakfast at the same school where we had had dinner the night before. Once finished we boarded a waiting school bus that drove us to a high school for a planned tour. It was a cooking school, so lunch was fantastic. The whole tour took about four hours, and I hardly understood any of it. After the tour we took another bus over to the commercial center of the city where we were given a 1-1/2 hour chance to shop. We were split into groups of girls and guys. My dad soon met up with us and took my group to several different stores. That day, I bought a blue leather Quiksilver wallet and an ice cream. The others bought expensive carbon fiber paddles ($240USD), T-shirts, and shorts. Our time was up and the bus drove us back to the dormitory. Everyone unloaded and we soon took off to eat dinner.
The next morning was much the same. We woke up at 5:30 a.m., headed for breakfast, and waited for the bus that would take us to another school. Instead of going to the school with the others, I went with my dad shopping. I bought swim trunks, sandals, deodorant, and gum. Then we took off to a Tahitian television station where my dad was going to be interviewed on live TV Premier 1. On the TV show, he talked about our stay in the Marquesas, his old job at Sony Pictures and mom’s old job at LA Opera.
Polynesian Premier TV Station Interview for the Fare Ma’ohi Monday thru Friday noon show.
It was darned cool to watch him being interviewed on TV. He did a great job. We left the studio and went shopping again. Before hitting the stores, we grabbed a bite to eat at McDonald’s for the heck of it, and then we went back to shopping. In the city, I bought two tank tops and another for my brother, one pair of pants for me and another for my brother. I also got a fanny pack and my dad bought a dive watch for Trent. We had a great time looking around Papeete’s shops and open market. It felt as if I were back in America (except everything was a lot more expensive and all in French). It was nice to experience the luxury of having a wide selection of things to buy.
Being Thursday meant that tomorrow we would be leaving for Moorea, waking up at 4:00 in the morning to do so. We ate dinner at the high school again, came back to the dormitories, and went to bed.
The downtown Papeete open food marketplace as seen from upstairs.
Bryce Rigney carrying a borrowed V-1 after racing well against his college teammates.
The most respected sport in all of French Polynesia . . . ? The answer is va’a, Tahitian for outrigger canoeing. This is a sport for real athletes. Va’a involves endurance, strength, killer technique, innate talent, and most importantly, teamwork. It is also one of the few ways to earn Marquesan respect. Other ways include becoming a prolific fisherman, enrolling in their local school, or having your body tattooed from head to toe. My name is BRYCE RIGNEY and I can check two of these off my list. I have been attending a public Marquesan secondary school and I’m a part of the school’s paddling team, seated as my team’s faharo. In two months Marquesas will send 14 of their best college (secondary school) students to represent them in Moorea in the prestigious Eimeo Race where we’ll battle it out against 42 other French Polynesian schools and one team from Hawaii.
Images of what’s to come!
In the beginning . . .
It all started in mid-October 2015 with the beginning of the school’s new paddling program for kids 14 and older. The first after-school paddling sessions were difficult and crazy. Forty kids showed up on the first day, each wanting to learn how to paddle. But there were only 15 paddles. Fortunately, the instructors brought their own paddles to share. For boats, we paddled double-hulled outrigger canoes, one V-12 and a V-6. The word “V-12” is short for “va’a 12,” which is a pirogue (French for outrigger canoe) built for 12 paddlers. FYI – A mix of French, Tahitian, and Marquesan are spoken in the Marquesas. Anyway, so instead of one long canoe for 12 people, with two long wooden arms called aito, they attach two V-6’s together to make one double-hulled canoe. A double-hulled canoe is much more stable than a single-hulled canoe with a small outrigger, an important feature when just starting to learn how to paddle an outrigger canoe. So, a V-3 holds three people, and a V-1 is for a single paddler. To create a double-hulled V6, they tied two V-3’s together. Together, the two double-hulled canoes carried 18 students at a time. It was obvious to the instructors that none of us were in shape for paddling and that va’a was a new sport for all of us. Being it was the first time for most, including me; we tired easily those first weeks.
Bryce Rigney paddling with his college piers as Fahoro in a V-6 pirogue.
After 3 weeks, the number of kids showing up for practice dwindled to 20. That’s when the real training began. We started with 3km tours without rest, which progressed to 4km tours, then doubled to two 4km tours with a stop between tours, and then a 6km tour without a break. After two months of paddling, 18 kids remained. That’s when the college sports instructor, Cathy, informed all paddlers that there would be a 42km, 9-stage race around the island of Moorea, to be held in two months, and that from the 18 remaining kids, only 14 would be chosen to represent the entire Marquesas archipelago. All the kids were shocked when she told us. Training stepped up yet again. No longer just Mondays and Wednesdays, we were told to come on Tuesdays and Saturdays as well. At that time, I started to doubt whether I liked the sport enough to endure the training. Each day was 4km tour day (YAY!! . . . NOT!!) with a 1km “cherry” sprint on top. At the end of each practice we were exhausted, having worked practically every muscle in our bodies. Another month passed and the 4km tours were getting easier. That was when coach Cathy and the trainers said that in a week they would decide who would represent the Marquesas in this year’s Eimeo race.
Being that we were getting close to the day of the race, I decided to buy myself a custom wooden outrigger canoe paddle, made by hand by of one of the other paddler’s dad. There were many reasons why I wanted my own paddle. Everyday at paddle practice, we would get whatever paddle the trainers handed us. I had to get acquainted with each paddle, adapting to a different weight, texture, and length. Second, when my mom wasn’t using her custom paddle, I’d try to borrow it. But sometimes she’d be paddling at the same time, so I couldn’t use it. I no longer wanted the stress of wondering if I could or couldn’t use her paddle. I just wanted my own. Thirdly I thought it would be a great souvenir to take with me from our around the world sailing trip. For just $80 US, I could have my own handmade paddle. After just one week of waiting, the masterpiece was in my hands. I was excited to test it out and show it off. Being a non-practice day, the day I took possession of it, I took out a friend’s V-1 and tested the new instrument. It was incredibly light and the length was perfect. At the end of the 4km paddle test-drive, I was satisfied with my investment: those 80 dollars were definitely worth it. To really make it mine, I decided to add a little something special to set it apart from other paddles; I carefully placed a Hinanao vahine beer sticker on the blade. The first time my teammates saw my new paddle, they admired it.Team selection . . .
Monday, three weeks before the Eimeo Race, training was intense. There were three teams. I was part of team 1 and sat in the first seat (Fahoro). Seated behind me were the two best girl paddlers. In seat four was the paddle shaper’s son, Jordi. Then sat the biggest paddler in our paddle group, Keoni, followed by the school’s best helmsman, Raphael, a French kid. Our pirogue was to verse two other canoes in a 4km practice race around Taiohae Bay. One of the opposing canoes consisted of four of the counselors and two strong teen boys. They would be our greatest threat. Frankly the third boat isn’t worth mentioning. Vanena hoe!!! And with that Tahitian shout, the teams were off and paddling. Each member of the three pirogues were paddling at once, trying with each stroke of their paddles to lift their pirogues out of the water, working ferociously to get their boat to plane or glide in order to take the lead. The counselors’ boat quickly took the lead with us right behind. One and half kilometers into the race, little had changed. When the counselors’ pirogue made the first turn around the anchored sailboats and toward the big wharf/fuel dock, our boat gunned it: everyone pushing, rowing, and breathing in perfect unison. Soon we were side by side, us versus them. After five minutes of intense paddling our pirogue took the lead. Once we were one V6 length ahead, I slowed the pace down, maintaining our glide without tiring us out before the finish line. Over the next 2 km, we maintained our boat-length lead. With only a half kilometer to go, our pirogue decided to step it up and finish hard. The captain ordered a three “hip” tempo. By the end of the 4km race, our boat finished first with the distance of two V6’s between us. I don’t even remember what happened to the third boat.
My team’s V-6 is in front during a sprint!
That finish signaled the end of that day’s practice too. After carrying the pirogues out of the surf and onto the turf for overnight storage, the professor called everyone over. She announced, “These are the students who will race in Moorea. Pirogue team set A – Bryce, Keoni (the girl), Jordi, Keoni (the guy), Esperance, and Raphael.” I was super excited. We would remain the same group as we had just raced. She then announced the members for Pirogue team set B. She explained that these were the two teams that would switch off paddling the one canoe around Moorea over the 9 stages. The only bad thing was that with only three weeks left before the big race, rowing practice would only get harder, and it did.
The next week, practice started as normal, with two 4 km tour, but with an added capsize drill at the end of the second tour. The following week, training ramped up more. It transformed into a single 8 km non-stop tour. At the end of training, we were all beat. I questioned whether I would have the stamina for the Moorea race. On the final week before we were to be air-bound, Cathy told us that in addition to racing around Moorea, the guys had to practice the traditional Marquesan warrior dance called haka putu, to be performed in front of all the other Eimeo racers. The other guys and I took each opportunity that week to practice our dance: before paddling, after paddling, and in-between lunches at school. For all the other male teammates, it was easy to dance and chant since they grew up with the dance and spoke Marquesian. But for me, it was a challenge. Memorizing the chant was the hardest, but I knew I could do it. On Wednesday, Cathy huddled all the kids over to remind us of what to bring for the trip: limited to two bags, lots of protein bars for the intervals between stages when we’d be on the team’s support motorboat, and money for the things we would surely want to buy in Tahiti. Everyone prepared for Tuesday’s departure, the start of our small adventure to Tahiti and Moorea.
For Monday’s practice, the day before we were to fly out, only a handful of the kids came to paddle. The two V6 pirogues were required to paddle 8 km. The first half we paddled at a moderate pace; the second, at a faster pace. Even though it was 8km our teams were ready for more, well worked but not exhausted.
That night I packed six t-shirts, six shorts, seven pairs of underwear, four pairs of socks, sandals, pillow, blanket, rain jacket, sun glasses, hat, iPod (for music), and toiletries. I was so excited to travel by airplane and to explore a completely different island from the one I was use to. In the morning I packed a few more things for the race: my life jacket and my good-luck paddle.
Benefits of all that rowing!!Bryce’s V-1 outrigger drawing
Since leaving Mexico’s Banderas Bay (La Cruz/Puerto Vallarta) and arriving in the Leeward Islands of the Societies, comforts of everyday Southern California, such as power, water, communication, and transportation morphed into sought-after luxuries. Easy electricity, washing machines, toasters, microwave ovens, potable water, showering facilities, hot water, flush toilets, internet access, and cars are the stuff of which cruisers’ dreams are made. Here’s a run down of what each port provided:
Galapagos, Isabel Island, Port Villamil
Galapagos Marine Iguanas lined the walkway to the dinghy dock.
Anchored, $2000 for 2 weeks, (permits, etc.)
No electricity, except at the cafes
Potable water near dinghy dock, (I think, but we used our desalinator)
No showers
Flush toilets at some cafes
Internet access included at some cafes, one in particular: Boob Trap (daily)
Booby Trap Cafe as seen from the beach road on the opposite side of town from the port.
Laundry service: $50 for three loads, (we used)
Paved roads outside of town and packed sand smooth enough to bicycle inside town (we used our fold-ups & rented)
Affordable taxis
Trash bins provided
Marquesas, Nuku Hiva, Taiohae
Anchored, free
Taiohae Bay, Nuku Hiva. We anchored in the little inlet for almost a year: June 2015-May 2016.
No electricity, except at the cafes and at friends’ houses
Potable water at three specific filtering stations, free (we used our desalinator)
Intermittent public showers for $1 at the wharf and at friends’ houses (some had hot water)
Public flush toilets were $1 and usually gross; restaurant toilets were fine (no toilet paper provided at either)
Internet access included at some cafes, one in particular, Snack Vaeaki (daily)
Eating together at our favorite Taiohae Snack Cafe: Snack Vaeaki otherwise known as Chez Henri
Order counter at Snack Vaeaki
Laundry service: $15/small 5 kg load by the locals, but we went to a friend’s house for free
Leslie doing the weekly laundry at a friend’s house in Taiohae.
Roads smooth enough to bicycle (bought bikes for the boys and later donated them to a charity)
Occasionally borrowed friends’ cars
Trash bins provided
Tuamotus, Fakarava, South Pass
In the South Fakarava Pass, we were very happy to attach to this mooring to avoid wrapping around coral heads with our anchor chain. The moorings are provided free by the local community to guard Fakarava’s UNESCO standing .
Mooring buoy, free
No electricity, except at the cafe
Bryce watching the lagoon sunset on a calm evening at the South Fakarava Pass.
No showers, except a hose at the dive center
Potable water, near the dinghy dock, but they don’t have much (we made ours)
Flush toilets at the cafes (no toilet paper provided)
Internet access available (fee, $5/hr) at one cafe in particular: Tetamanu
South Fakarava’s Tetamanu Village Pension, Dive Center and Cafe.
Laundry service likely, but expensive so we used buckets and elbow grease
Small motu with walking paths
Received permission to leave trash at cafe’s burn pile
Kandu was tied to the Marina de Papeete guest dock for six weeks. It was an ideal location in Tahiti where we had easy access to warm showers, clean bathrooms, inexpensive water and electricity, and excellent views of the marina.
Societies, Tahiti, Papeete
Docked, $230/wk
Electricity at the dock (220v), about $3/day
Potable water at the dock, included
Showers (solar hot water), included
Marina flush toilets, included (toilet paper provided, except when a sailor stole the stash for his boat)
Internet access included (7h-16h, not always operational, moderate bandwidth)
Laundry machine provided (usually out of service): $8/sm load, but we went to a friend’s house
Great roads smooth enough to bicycle (bought bikes for the boys) or scooter
Bought a used car (wow, that speeded up getting things done in a day and opened up the island!!!)
Trash bins provided
Med-moored or Tahiti-tied together like sardines in Marina d’Uturoa, Raiatea. Thank goodness for respectful neighbors ’cause we’re close.
Societies, Raiatea, Uturoa
Docked, $210/mo.
Electricity at the dock (220v), included
Potable water at the dock, included
Showers (air temp), included (poorly maintained)
Marina flush toilets, included (poorly maintained & of course no toilet paper provided)
Wifi Internet access on the boat, a monthly service, $80 (24/7, good bandwidth)
Laundry service: bought into the co-op, ($30/yr, 2 2-hr sessions/wk)
Roads smooth enough to bicycle (boys have their bikes from Tahiti or can walk to school)
Our little Tahitienne beater car!
Ferried our used car over (oh, yeah . . . .)
Trash bins provided
Creature comforts working and well-maintained aboard Kandu
Solar panels, wind turbine, and a portable AC generator for electricity (1.5hr/gal of gas when making water, or 4-5 hrs when not)
Lots of battery storage (900 Ah)
Lots of LED lighting
Inverter to convert DC electricity into AC
Transformer to convert 220AC to 110AC (America’s standard)
Microwave (small and seldom used except when docked)
Electric toaster and teapot (used only when docked)
Happy to pull out of storage our handy dandy toaster!
Watermaker/desalinator to make potable water (30 gal/hr)
Electric fresh water pump (can turn on faucets in both heads and galley like at home)
Drinking water filter (to abate chlorine)
Hot water heater (10 gal, engine driven and AC)
Separate refrigerator and freezer, both very cold
Propane oven with three burners
Two heads, fore and aft
Two showers (the cockpit shower (lagoon water temp only) is the only one available; the other is usually a storage closet)
Two folding bicycles
Plank & Bicycles…a tenuous descent for sure
Electric scooter
A wifi booster antenna (YES!)
Five-man dinghy with a 10 horse outboard motor
Four hatches and 13 port lights all leak free with screens!!
Things we take for granted now: tropical beauty such as unfettered sunrises and sunsets; clear warm water lagoons; isolated islets; colorful fish; fresh inexpensive tuna and exotic fruits; just baked baguettes daily $0.53 each; clean air; quality time we spend together as a family every day; immersing in another culture; making our own schedule; good health, regular exercise and inexpensive health care; safe and secure environment (except some petty theft), and making new life-long friends each month.
Since I arrived in the Marquesas, I’ve seen a lot of tattoos. Almost everyone here has them, even kids my age. Marquesan tattooing is much more beautiful than US tattooing because the designs are not something aggressive like putting a dragon on yourself. They are beautiful, abstract or geometric designs that always look a little different in someone else’s eyes. I learned how to draw some of their popular designs in art class at school, like the tiki and the Marquesan southern cross.
Note the tiki face with the downturned mouth. Drawn by Trent.
I learned that tiki representations are used as protectors or defensive designs to guard or shield the wearer. According to renowned tattoo artist, Simeon Huuti, in the book, The Roots and Revival of Polynesian Tattoos, “In my tattoos, I always have a tiki image. The Tiki is like an emblem for the Marquesas and will always protect an aspect of our islands. Some believe they are evil…I believe that if we respect them, they will respect us.” The Marquesan symbol of the southern cross constellation is featured everywhere too. I have seen the Marquesan cross above the entrance of churches, in drawings, in stone and bone carvings, and as tattoos. When you draw several Marquesan crosses next to each other, you can often see a design of little Marquesan men arm-in-arm.
Marquesan men arm-in-arm drawn by Trent
In 1819 the first Marquesan chief to embrace Catholicism forbid people to make and wear any more tattoos. It wasn’t until the 1980s that tattoos came back to French Polynesia. With the ancients, tattoos were a symbol of power. They were designed to show a person’s importance and to tell a person’s life story. Today, most Marquesan tattoos include symbols of who you are. And your tattoo is with you for the rest of your life.
Turtle with Marquesan cross drawn by Trent
One day I was playing basketball with Bryce and a person showed up and wanted to play with us. He had a very cool looking tattoo; it made me want to get the same tattoo, but I knew I wasn’t old enough to know what I would want when I’m older. I think I’m going to come back some day when I’m grown and get a tattoo just like the one that person had.
Good friend Stephan Chevalier inspired by Marquesans.
Kaoha Mom and Dad: So nice to hear from you. I enjoyed very much reading your email to Michel. Your news touched on some great things about your visit here, already three weeks ago. I loved reading your point of view.
[Dear Michel, we have been back from the Marquesas for over a week. We spent 3 weeks with Leslie, Eric, Bryce and Trent. The island is isolated so not many tourists, mostly boaters coming from the Galapagos. The boys are going to school there, French spoken, so it has been a big challenge for them.
Taiohae college from outside.
They plan on staying on the island until May, when sailing season will have good projections. Leslie/Eric have many friends there as this is the third time Eric has sailed to the Marquesas. We stayed in one of their friends’ home for the 1st week we were there. It was up a hill with a lovely view of the harbor where the boat is anchored. While the island is not a 3rd world type of living environment, it is a way of life that is simple, void of many of our typical comforts. The first home we stayed in had a full kitchen, hot and cold water, where most of the homes we experienced had no hot water. We had boar meat for some of our meals, and our favorite, fresh raw tuna very often. Trent turned 12 and Bryce 14 while we were there. We had perfect weather, with humidity of course as it is tropical. People who have cars usually have large 4 door, 4 wheel drive diesel trucks as the roads are quite primitive and full of rocks and potholes.
Aakapa & Attitoka as seen looking down from way above on the ridge.
There is only one road to the other side of the island, where we travelled about three times. We rented one of those trucks for a week while we were there. Eric drove, of course. We loved the green green scenery and hikes and the sailing. All of us snorkeled one day, and accumulated lots of lovely shells to bring back. Beach combing for shells was a favorite thing for us, but we had to cover up as there are a lot of biting insects on the beach. There is no laying on the beach to get a tan!
Denis feeding his semi-wild semi-domesticated pigs.
The two highlights that we remember most were feeding semi-wild pigs coconuts and our incredible hike to the waterfall at the end of Hakaoui Bay, next to Daniel’s Bay where Survivor Marquesas was filmed. Of course, time with the family was golden. We were treated like royals. We miss our Kandu family very much, and feel the long trip that we made was very very worth it. Sending you all our love from Oakland, Rosie and Ron.]
Last week was very busy. We got our US income taxes submitted on Tuesday: two days before our October 15th deadline! Gee, that felt good to get that off our shoulders. A friend from Tahiti happened to be in town on Sunday and Monday – so we spent some quality time with her and her bank boss who had come to Nuku Hiva to check-up on various bank investments. It was interesting to learn about Marquesan start-up businesses and how entrepreneurs here qualify for loans.
Friday I helped Raymonde teach children how to make yogurt in a couple elementary school classes (I first spent a separate morning with 5 other volunteers learning how to make yogurt in a rice cooker). We will make yogurt again tomorrow morning, Monday, with three more classes. It is actually quite simple to make. You heat a liter of skimmed milk stirring it continuously until it’s hot but never boiling, you add and mix together ½ cup live yogurt, 4 heaping tablespoons of whole powdered milk, 10 teaspoons of sugar or less and wait for the mixture to steam. Remove from heat, divide into portions and place in a warm environment for 6-8 hours or overnight. Then transfer to the refrigerator and consume. Yum yum! Since it’s so easy, I plan to make some on the boat. I already bought special yogurt containers before we left on our trip.
Homemade yogurt. Mmmmgood! Not too sweet.
We have been helping Bryce and Trent more with their homework as they are becoming more capable of comprehending the French in their classes. Eric was involved in recording an ad for breast cancer for Raymonde who is putting on a big cancer awareness event this Friday – which I will be helping with all day.
Nuku Hiva drum battery
We also went again to watch/hear the dance rehearsal Friday night that Nuku Hiva residents are preparing for the December festival on Hiva Oa. Watching and listening to their songs and drum battery is always an exciting cultural experience.
Leslie sporting new outrigger paddle.
Two weeks ago we ordered an outrigger paddle for me, fashioned by a local paddler. I received the paddle earlier this week and admire it’s beautiful workmanship. It feels like I can paddle faster and more efficiently. Ha ha! Bryce is now paddling two times a week through his school.
See Bryce in the first seat. This is the fahoro, or cadence position. He maintains the paddling rhythm.
Unfortunately, Trent is too young to paddle through the school. Last week, I paddled three times with our mixed group of French residents, cruisers and Marquesan club members. Eric and the boys actually went out twice in the three-man outrigger. Also, I’m really enjoying aqua gym in the ocean with the ladies on Tuesday and Thursday mornings . . . great exercise and enjoyable company.
Today, there was an historical tour of Taiohae bay that started at 9:30 til 12:30. It was quite interesting. One tidbit we learned about the history of Nuku Hiva was that it was first discovered by an American merchant ship captain, Joseph Ingrams in 1791. Later in 1813 during the war of 1812 while harassing British flag ships in the Pacific, the bay was claimed for America by Navy Captain David Porter and named Madison Island. Taiohae was named Madisonville and the bay, Massachusetts Bay. It’s a convoluted story, but suffice it to say that he arrived with 8 ships, commandeered from the British, with many mouths to feed.
United States Navy Commodore David Porter’s fleet off Nuku Hiva in October 1813.
The Marquesan chief and residents of Taiohae valley agreed to let them build a fort and lay claim to the eastern part of the bay (the least desirable section because there was no river) and to provide them pigs as long as they fought and defeated the neighboring valley Taipi Vai, whose residents had been harassing Taiohae. In order to feed his men, Captain Porter reluctantly waged war on Taipi Vai, firing canons, shooting guns and lighting aflame magnificently carved structures that covered the valley. Reportedly the day after, the Taipi Vai people showed up with 300 pigs. Months later Captain Porter had to leave and shortly thereafter the American claim went with him. Congress never ratified the annex. The French took over control in 1846.
My English classes are three times a week now because I have an advanced group and a beginner group. My students are advancing steadily. I spent Friday morning learning some teaching tips at Linda and Chuck’s boat, Jacaranda. Previously watching me teach English, she got very excited and wanted to share some technics that she used when she taught ‘English as a Second Language.’ She had great ideas like throwing an ‘un-birthday’ party and wrapping up some gag gifts…everything to be spoken in English, of course. I plan to prepare that particular idea sooner than later. Sadly, Jacaranda is supposed to leave for Anaho today, but looking out into the bay – they are still here, so they will probably depart tomorrow morning. We will likely not see them again until December during the Marquesan Matava’a festival in Hiva Oa. I will miss our fun conversations and her artistic input. Did you ever check out her website? She is constantly adding great articles about the islands and the interesting things they learn: s/v Jacaranda blog
Un-Birthday party during “English Class.” Since Laeticia is a doctor and it was October, I gave her a Halloween skeleton for her Un-birthday.
The boys have been spending quality time Boogie boarding. They cannot get enough time on their Boogie boards, taking advantage of the large southern swell, which will change to a northern pattern in December. They headed out again today and had a great time…who wouldn’t considering how wonderful and clear the water is on these hot-humid days with little rain. Academically, Trent is really enjoying reading his “dragon” books on the new Kindle. He just loves them. His comprehension is improving in English and French.
You also have been very busy. Congrats on selling your little red car. Yahoo! Thanks for sending the school package of pen-pal letters from here off to Allison Maires at Cabrillo Middle School. I will write her to make sure she knows to look for a package in the mail. I appreciate you purchasing the items for us for when Shannon and Charlie come to visit.
Well all that is probably a bit more than you were expecting to read. I will sign-off here. Just know that I am thinking of you….
It took two days via two jet planes from San Francisco to Hawaii, across the equator to Tahiti traveling 4,000 miles, before we boarded a third plane, this one a twin propeller plane, to cross the last 700 miles of ocean to finally arrive at the 131 square mile island of Nuka Hiva. Nuku Hiva is the administrative capital of the Marquesas Islands where our beloved family eagerly awaited to greet us, then gleefully adorned our travel-weary necks with layer upon layer of both amazing floral and wonderfully beaded necklaces. We could hardly believe how much our two grandsons had grown. (Yes, they loved that they’re now both taller than their Nani.)
Rosie & Ron’s arrival at Nuku Hiva Airport
Nuku Hiva is the largest and most northern of the Marquesas Islands. Its small airport (a runway so small, they mustn’t completely fill the plane with passengers and are very strict on weight) is located on the northern side of the island, directly opposite the south facing bay of Taiohae where the Rigney family’s sailboat Kandu is anchored. While making the trek from the airport, it seemed like every switchback offered a more beautiful view of Nuku Hiva’s lush, jagged mountainsides.
Rosie, Ron, Bryce and Trent posing in front of Nuku Hiva’s Grand Canyon on the way to Taiohae.Ron enjoying the wind coming up from Terre DesertView of Terre Desert behind Rosie
We stopped often to photograph our experience, as well as to benefit from continuous hugs. The drive across the island took 1-½ hours over mountainous terrain, paved by the island’s newest road. Unbeknownst to us at that time, the rest of the island’s roads are poorly maintained dirt roads that only 4-wheel drive vehicles can travel.
To make our first week comfortable and luxurious, Leslie and Eric arranged for us to lodge at Heloise and Pifa’s home located high above the seaside village with lovely views of Taiohae bay and her tropical volcanic hillsides.
Rosie and Heloise Falchetto-Peterano
What made the arrangement even more special was that Leslie stayed with us the whole time we were at the house, taking full advantage of our time together. She also served as our French interpreter. Each morning, after getting the boys off to school, Eric would drive the rented 4-wheel drive diesel pick-up, up the home’s steep roadway to bring us fresh pastries or French baguettes. After school, Eric would then fetch the boys, bringing them to our hillside abode to hang out and later dine. We felt very pampered.
Heloise and Pifa’s balcony views
A few days after our arrival, the Falchetto family held a dinner in our honor at the home of Sebastian and Raymonde Falchetto. We gathered to share Marquesan dishes of fresh tuna, fruits, and vegetables. It was a delicious feast of Polynesian tradition and friendship.
Raymonde and Sebastien Falchetto
We later reciprocated by providing the Falchettos a Mexican dinner, complete with rice, beans, tortillas, margaritas, and colorful handmade paper cutout decorations that the boys and I made and strung along the balcony’s edge. Olé!!!
Ron, Chantale Falchetto, and Rosie posing during the Mexican dinner a la Polynesian.
I want to add that around the homes of Marquesans we were often awakened by the noise of roosters crowing, hens scratching, and family hunting dogs sniffing. They all run loose, along with cats, and all are friendly. The island’s remote South Pacific location limited natural animal migration. Early Polynesians brought pigs, dogs, chickens, and the black rat. Early Europeans rounded the Marquesas’ animal population out by bringing cats, goats, sheep, horses, and cows. Today, Marquesan dogs appear to be of the same “mutt” lineage with some showing a hint of pit-bull. The island’s bird family is limited, consisting mainly of tropic and frigate sea birds, doves, peeping finches, chickens and a protected large grey-black pigeon called upe. There are no predatory animals such as foxes, snakes, wolves, etc. Only the boars can be a potential threat, biting people’s heads if they sleep on secluded beaches (it really happened to a friend of Sebastien’s, yikes!!!).
One of Ron’s highlights was an archeology speedboat adventure to a remote corner of the island’s un-inhabited eastside. Along with four others, they went to search for samples of unusual basalt used to make ancient tools. The adventure was orchestrated by Sebastien, who had been requested by his friend, Michel, a French archeologist, to travel to a site suspected by Michel as the source of a rare basalt, possibly used to make tools bartered throughout Polynesia, including Hawaii and New Zealand. Rocky terrain and seas made landing a huge challenge for Michel, so Renaissance man, can-do-anything Sebastian volunteered to disembark onto a slippery rock shelf. He successfully located the unique area Michel had hoped for, and extracted samples of the rare basalt, which would later be analyzed in New Zealand and compared against other samples already archived within the lab’s database. While exploring, Sebastien unexpectedly came across what appeared to be a sacred site, filled with various relics. Respectfully, with the sign of white tropicbirds flying above his head, Sebastien left it untouched, much to the dismay of Michel.
Sebastien studying the site with Michel behind.Sebastien excavating basalt
While the men were busy on their adventure, Leslie and I stayed ashore and explored the picturesque bay of Hatiheu, written about by Robert Louis Stevenson. We visited with local and renowned dignitary, Yvonne. Her stories of the history and politics of the Marquesas Islands were insightful. It was two hours of pure fascination. After our coffee chat at her popular seaside restaurant, Leslie and I walked up to Hatiheu’s ancient ruins, marked by stone foundations.
Hatiheu Temehea archiological siteTypical covered home called a Paepae.
The center was a gathering place called the Temahea and the surrounding home foundations are called Paepae. It was at this site that we came upon a massive sacred Banyan tree and located ancient petroglyphs carved onto huge, moss-covered boulders. Then our archeological adventurers unexpectedly joined us.
Ron indicating the ancient petroglyphs depicting a mahimahi and sea turtles.Prominent ancient Marquesan villages always included a Banyan tree as the spiritual center.The explorers back together: Michel, Sebastien, Rosie, Leslie, & Eric. Ron took the picture.
Together, we left the site and drove to a place where we hiked to the island’s only known naturally carbonated spring. And then we were off, back to Taiohae, over Nuku Hiva’s steep, rugged roads, both dirt and paved. I will never complain about the condition of our California roads again!
Eric collecting natural carbonated spring water.
Sold as a “not-to-miss” adventure, we were prompted to hike to the tallest waterfall found in French Polynesia located in gorgeous Hakaui valley, just inland from neighboring Daniel’s Bay. We arrived after a 1-½ hour sail from Taiohae, disembarked and walked to the nearby, very small village to greet locals. If asked, for a fee, some families will prepare a local Marquesan lunch upon your return from the typically 4 to 5-hour trek to the waterfall and back. So we put in our reservation and off we hiked for 2-½ hours up and 2 hours back.
Hakaui canyonRon, Rosie and Leslie hiking toward the waterfall
Along the way, we carefully waded through several small rivers, endured high heat and humidity, dodged rocks and bugs, and finally entered the valley where mountains soared straight up the canyon’s sheer walls, making us feel like we were mini-aliens. Here we found a freezing cold (tropically speaking) pond that we needed to swim across in order to access the hidden area where the waterfall falls. Ron and I first hesitated, but eventually, encouraged by Bryce and Trent, we swam over to meet up for this unforgettable sight. The sounds and colors were breathtaking! I’ll never forget the fusion of sunlight, mist, and sound.
Hiking party cooling off in the waterfall pool.Lower view of the Hakaui waterfall with Bryce and Trent
While the sand beaches are not desirable for sunbathing due to the nasty No-see-ums, they are fantastic for gathering shells and snorkeling. Our Kandu crew spoiled us by sailing to bays where both of these pastimes were available: Anaho and Taipi Vai.
Anaho bay from above
We especially loved the gathering of “porcelain” shells in Anaho, which could only be reached by taking the dinghy to a rocky tide pool area alongside the neighboring ridge. Also, snorkeling made it fun to gather shells lying amongst the coral. We loved those 2 and 3-day outings where we sailed with the family, enjoying the beauty of the landscape and the thrill of the sail. On a side note, friends of Eric and Leslie are diligent collectors and have amazing assortments of many kinds of seashells found on the islands. We felt privileged to see their personal collections.
Rosie relaxing on Kandu in Taipi Vai bay
Driving inland to the home of Chantale and Denis Tetohu, we experienced the richness of their hospitality. Comfort, generosity, and adventure were what was ahead during our stay with them in Nuku Hiva’s fourth largest (120pp) village, Aakapa. Sisters and brothers were included in our evening meals, so we shared laughter and stories…all translated from French by Leslie and Eric.
The boys had time off from school, so we all participated in the “feeding of the pigs” at the family pig farm as well as watching our grandsons enjoy the nearby surf. The pigs are a cross of wild boar and semi-domestic pig, used by the family to supplement their meals as well as selling the dressed pigs to local buyers. Pigs are fed coconut by cracking open coconut shells gathered on the property in abundance. The guys showed off their muscles by axing the soon-to-be devoured shells. I felt this day was one of the highlights of the trip.
Aakapa pig feeding: Denis in the background with Bryce and Leslie. Denis captured a chicken for Trent.
Another very big highlight was attending a Sunday service at Aakapa’s local Catholic Church. The service and singing were performed completely in Marquesan…so understanding the words was impossible, but the strength of music and holiness captured our hearts especially when Leslie closed by singing “Ave Maria” . . . so lovely.
Aakapa Catholic church with visions of Attitoka in the distance
Local living in Taiohae for the boys includes schooling (all in French), boogie-boarding or surfing, biking to school, playing basketball and volleyball, watching movies on the boat, reading, writing, limited video-gaming, and performing boat chores. Leslie and Eric stay trim by participating in the popular Polynesian sport of outrigger-canoe paddling. Both paddle at least twice a week. Leslie teaches English to locals, mostly French lady friends, twice a week. Eric is involved with keeping the boat in good shape, and befriending the local Marquesans with his ideas and skills. The family is immersed in the culture.
Goodbye dinner at Muana Nui Restaurant with Heloise, Pifa, Sebastien and Raymonde
Our visit to see Leslie, Eric, Bryce and Trent gave us perspective on their lives as they learn about and live in another culture. We met many friendly and loving friends there. Some of them included American cruising sailors. Marquesan or French locals, or international sailors, each one of them generously shared their affection and amity, which we brought home with us with full hearts. Fondly we offer our thanks to so many and for so much. The next time we visit, the boys might very will be just a bit taller than their Papa. We plan to have our next family adventure with them when we visit this fall in Raiatea, next to Bora Bora and Tahiti. Rosie.
We visited three churches and each had exquisite art in sculpture.Enjoying KanduRosie perusing the many tikis at the Taipi Vai Temehea.Friends Kua and Taeki showed Rosie Marquesan amity when we visited the Hakaui waterfall.Shell collecting in Hakapuvai, one of the three bays of Taipi Vai.Ron climbing a coconut tree?Urchin treasureRon caught looking on.Marquesan lunch spread after hiking 4.5 hours in Hakaui valley.Taipi Vai Bay
Top cross-country (la crosse in French) runners representing islands among all of French Polynesia: Marquesas, Gambiers, Tuamotus, Australs, and Societies competed Thursday in Tahiti. So, yes, in fact, Bryce got the chance to meet up with some of his school friends from the Marquesas. They were happy to see each other and surprised at how much each had grown. Bryce says it was a very positive interaction.
Another very big highlight was attending a Sunday service at Aakapa’s local Catholic Church. The service and singing were performed completely in Marquesan…so understanding the words was impossible, but the strength of music and holiness captured our hearts especially when Leslie closed by singing “Ave Maria” . . . so lovely.
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