We went on a zodiac ride yesterday to Puama’u wharf on the island of Hiva Oa.
A fleet of jeeps were waiting to drive us to a lush valley featuring an archaeological site famed for being home to the largest tiki in the Marquesas, an imposing statue carved from red lava rock.
It was desecrated by Christian missionaries during the 19th and early 20th centuries, who systematically removed or broke the penises off male tikis on Hiva Oa and across the Marquesas Islands.
Two detached penises sat forlornly on a rock platform at the site.
I will refrain from giving my opinion on religious zealots who suppress or ban local cultural traditions. In French Polynesia they even restricted the use of local languages. That said, ending the practice of human sacrifices was a good move.
On a less controversial note, there were also gorgeous tropical flowers surrounding the site, which included the remains of the chief’s house and a tattooing platform.
As we returned to the beach, entertainers from Le Jacques Cartier galloped past us on horseback along the black sand …
Soon afterwards, our ship set sail bound for the town of Atuona (pictured main), home of the Paul Gauguin Cultural Centre and Jacques Brel Cultural Space … oh and an ATM, where we withdrew a wad of cash for souvenirs.
Sadly, we didn’t buy any souvenirs, because the price of everything was astronomical. But it was nice to browse. Hopefully they are a little less expensive on our next few stops.
As for Gauguin and Brel, both European artists fled the pressures of fame and society to spend their final years in Atuona, where they are now buried just meters from one another.
We visited their graves and felt a little conflicted about Gauguin, who took advantage of (very) young Polynesian girls when he lived there, whereas Brel was a humanitarian who used his twin-engine plane to deliver mail, transport supplies and fly sick residents to Tahiti for medical care.
It was swelteringly hot, but we took a brief twirl around the Gauguin Centre, filled with an array of copies of the artist’s work from around the world.
Brel’s plane has been preserved in the museum dedicated to his life and our fellow French passengers were very excited to see it.
The day ended with a glass of wine on the rear deck as gorgeous Hiva Oa disappeared into the distance.
Next stop Fatu Hiva island. We just dropped anchor in its picturesque Bay of Virgins.
Spoiler: there’s another jeep excursion in our immediate future.
Song of the day: King Missile “Detachable penis”
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