Long time, no see….and hear ;-)
After arriving in the Marquesas we were very busy. No time for writing or uploading pictures. Finally we have some spare time again, but are very far behind. So lets start with our time in the Marquesas. We spent most of the time in Hakahetau on Ua Pou, with some days in Hiva Oa and Nuku Hiva.
We just loved the remoteness of Ua Pou, the friendly people, all the fresh fruit and beautiful views. We enjoyed a few hikes, including a couple of visits to Schoko-Manfred with his delicious homemade chocolate bars and interesting stories. He also gifted us lots of fresh fruits and I baked him some real rye sourdough bread, which he loved.
We met a nice family where we bought some fresh manioc as well as some other fruits and were allowed to pick some huge mangoes of their immense mango tree. Tom was also able to get some pamplemousse of the public place, where they were falling of the trees in big numbers.
The most beautiful - but also most exhausting - hike was up to the peaks or ‘Pou’ of the island, the highest over 1.200m (almost 4.000 feet) high. The view up there is amazing and rewarding. You hike through jungle, pass waterfalls, a pandanus forest as well as huge fern trees and a coconut cove. We also found some wild vanilla pods and lots of lemons we used for delicious deserts.
After the hikes the kids loved to play with the local children on the ramp with the waves washing them up and down. The underwater world was also very special with manta rays, huge schools of fish, caves to explore as well as witnessing about 10 big spotted rays which probably gathered to reproduce, doing an amazing dance right under us snorkelers. We love Hakahetau!