A day in the Marquesas

Kellie's Comments-

I try to write a variety of posts, some sailing info, some tourist info and some daily life info. The last 24 hours have been a bit of each. We have spent the last few days bay hopping along the southern coast of Nuku Hiva Island. We were looking for an interesting hike, a vanilla plantation and some whales to snorkel with. We found none of them. THat's the frustration with exploring. So yesterday afternoon we set out for the north side of the island which is supposed to have a beautiful white sand beach and a coral reef. We motored for about 1.5 hours and when no wind materialized, we turned around and headed back. We went about 10 miles to Daniel's Bay, which is where we were before to do the waterfall hike. The beaches here are truly picturesque, however they are not hospitable because they are infested with small biting flies. Beach playing is a staple in our entertainment life. When we can't be at the beach, we're at a loss for things to do. The four of us are covered with bites, like we have chicken pox. They keep us awake at night itching and seem to last for 3 days. You can snorkel, but there are rumors about sharks, so the swimming is less than relaxing. However, if you are brave enough to face the "nonos", the shelling is amazing. We filled up a 3 gallon pail in 4 short trips to the beach. Mostly we are finding cowries, some as large as an egg. There are also large turban snails that look like candy canes.

We anchored Saturday afternoon around 3, had a quick trip to the beach where we exchanged shells for blood. I made pizza for dinner and we all crashed early. This morning there is a breeze through the anchorage so I am taking the opportunity to bake bread and cinnamon rolls. There is nothing to buy here, so we're self sufficient as far as food goes. The small town has a bit of fresh produce, however we paid $8 for 5 small cucumbers and 8 small tomatoes. It cools off a bit at night, but not tons. We get up early and by 8:00 it's sticky and hot already. Today we've stayed on the boat all day, waiting for the bread to bake and getting up our courage to venture out. There is a river around the corner that is great for swimming, but again the bugs are a real problem. The couple who live here have an extensive garden and orchard, so we're hoping to trade some of our extras for fresh produce.

At the moment the guys are engrossed in spotting goats in the mountains and Ellie is learning to cross stitch. Well, the bread is done so at least we should go for a dinghy ride.

Cheers, K