patriciawatt

Nuku’hiva is the largest of the Marquesas Islands, and as far as I could find out, the population is about 3000.  Most people live close to the port town of Taiohae.

There was only one tour offered here today, a drive around the island to the highest point with wonderful vistas to our ship anchored in the blue waters of the Taiohae Bay below.  Our “tour buses” were the private trucks and SUVs of the local residents, organized by a frenchman who came here years ago from France to teach school and stayed.  Again, it was like dropping back 50 years to a simpler time, and other than the little shops around the port including a grocery store, and a cultural centre, there was not much on the island to see.  But what we did see was beautiful, as were the people we met.

Floral headpieces are seen all over French Polynesia and are made from fresh flowers.  Steve – pictured above – and his wife Cathy and I had lunch at the port and our “fish plate” arrived with no plate, but the whole meal, fish, potatoes and salad, was stuffed into a delicious french stick made at the local bakery, and washed down with a local beer – Hinan.  All very yummy.

They told us last year they had nine cruise ships visit, this year twenty, and next year they were expecting forty.  I see a business opportunity here for anyone who would like to get into the tourism business on this island.