December 12th 2019

Yesterday, I was sitting on the deck writing notes for this blog. An errant puff of wind blew the notebook off the table and with it my pencil which then fell through the cracks in the deck’s woodwork to the earth underneath. I assumed that it would lie there for ever as I could not crawl underneath the deck to retrieve it. However, this morning I spotted it in its resting place and thought that maybe there was a way of retrieving this not very valuable but favorite pencil. So using a combination os sticks taken from a nearby dead tree and a belt from my pants, MAC managed to dislodge the fallen item sufficiently that I could negotiate my way around the end of the deck and underneath it to grab the poor lost item. It was a lot of time and energy for what may seem like a wasted effort as such items are easily and cheaply replaced, but it was somehow satisfying to get the item back.

Then we got ready for our day trip today which will take us to see the giant tikis of the Puamau Valley which are on the north east tip of the island. We went up for a short breakfast  and awaited our guide Henri. We were joined by tow other hotel guests Marga and David who are from Northampton in U.K. Marga is Spanish and comes from Madrid and David is British. Both speak fluent French and work as engineers for the Mercedes Benz Formula 1 organization. They proved to be excellent companions on the trip.

We set off in a 4 x 4 Toyota truck and traveled the winding roads past a ‘folly’ from a previous President of F.P. M. Fosse (?) which was the only ‘roundabout’ or traffic circle in FP which Henri, in tribute to this unnecessary construction, had to circumnavigate a couple of times!! Then it was on through the rain forest until we stopped at a small area off the road and walked into the forest to find the so-called ‘Smiling Tiki’ whose real name is Utuka. This is a diminutive tiki which does have the features of a snails but is actually a fertility god and a hieroglyph nearby reinforces that fact. The tiki is though to date from around 200 A.D. When passing through the forest, Henri told us of various tree and plants that had unusual properties such, medicinal, roofing, or form use in tattooing. He also showed us the many properties of the pandanus tree whose leaves are used for every purpose including roofing, making into eating utensils such as plates and bowls and even as napkins by using some simple folds. He told us of the healing properties of the frangipani which helps to cure warts, the tamarind to cure constipation, the giant hibiscus which is excellent for cleaning the inside of scuba masks!!

Our excellent guide Henri, tells us about the tiki.

The so-called 'smiling tiki' which is actually a fertility symbol.

Marga & David at the 'smiling tiki'

Returning to the car we took the steep and winding roads, stopping occasionally for spectacular views and panoramas. This place is breathtakingly beautiful and there are surprises at every turn, small villages, a glimpse of a turtle swimming below from high above on a cliff, copra drying in villages and trees, trees and trees, of every different kind at almost every turn, avocado, breadfruit, bananas, grapefruit, banyan, I could go on there is just so much varied growth that it is too numerous to mention. Truly one could live here from the fruits and produce which springs naturally from the land.

Henri shows us how to fold a leaf to make kitchen utensils.

At one of these stops, David unpacked his drone and set it up with his phone attached to a controller. The drone took off and disappeared into the distance all the time filming and/or videoing. The drone is GPS controlled and has all kinds of safety features such as proximity monitors to prevent it crashing and even warnings about restricted areas. For example around the hotel, we are in the flight path for the airport and the drone will not allow it to be flown in this area. It produces excellent photos and videos and can take items a long way away from the person operating it, up to 5,000 meters high. When retrieving the drone, a ‘home’ button brings it back to within a few feet of the place from which it took off. A remarkable new device for recording trips like this. I think I need one!!

The drone and the area over which it flew.

Eventually we came to the area known as Te Iipona which is the archeological area where the giant tikis are located. We saw several of the larger ones but the really giant ones are up the mountain and not accessible for us, some are several meters high and these larger ones were not desecrated by the missionaries who did damage the smaller ones which they took to be anti-Christian, Small shelters have been built over several of the tikis. The tikis in this area are thought to be much earlier than the ‘smiling tiki and several centuries B.C. The tikis also seemed to have some relevance to fertility and underneath one of them was a carving which appeared to be a dog but was actually a lamb. The area around the tikis was used for a number of uses, the most gruesome being the human sacrifices of males and the subsequent eating of various body parts to satisfy the ‘mana’. The eyes, tongue, liver, heart and brain were eaten. In addition tattooing and painting were carried out here with the stones used for the mixing of the paints. UNESCO wants to make this a Heritage Site but the local people do not want that as it will require there to be the development of an international airport on the island and a large influx of tourists which they think will spoil the area and they may well be right.

The mis-identified dog, actually (according to Henri) a lamb

This is an extract from Lonely Planet about the site:

As you advance towards the first platform, you’ll first notice the reclining Tiki Maki Taua Pepe, representing a woman lying on her stomach, her head stretched out and arms pointing to the sky. Experts believe she represents a woman giving birth. The petroglyphs on the pedestal represent dogs (NOTE: according to Henri, this is not a dog but a lamb), but their meaning is unknown.

Tiki Takaii, at 2.67m, is the largest ancient tiki in French Polynesia; it’s named after a warrior chief renowned for his strength. Tiki Te Tovae E Noho is to the left of Takaii, on a lower platform. Less finely worked than the others, its upper torso is hard to make out and the head has disappeared. Note that its hands each have six fingers. Further back stands Tiki Fau Poe. Measuring about 1.8m, it is sitting with its legs stretched out, a position typical of women when they work in the fields. Experts believe it to be Takaii’s wife. Tiki Manuiotaa is in complete contrast to the others: less massive, its proportions are harmonious and balanced. The hands are clearly recognisable, as is its female sex. It was decapitated, but its head has been replaced by archaeologists.

Known to ethnologists and archaeologists in the 1800s, the Iipona site was extensively restored in 1991 by French archaeologists Pierre and Marie-Noëlle Garanger-Ottino.

This is a much longer article about tikis and Polynesian carvings:

The Polynesian Carvings

Then Henri showed us what he called a ‘bad tiki’. This was used to intimidate enemies and has strong powers such that Henri, himself, would not touch or go near it.

Then we moved on to a small restaurant called ‘Marie Antionette’ where we had a very tasty lunch of wild pig, goat, raw tuna, manioc fires, rice, pumpkin, star fruit juice and some desserts made from banana and other fruits. At the end of our meal we were serenaded by Henri and Mr. O’Connor, a local man who played ukeles and sang French and Marquesan songs during which we had to accompany them using the diaphragm-generated grunts and sounds which are typical of the ‘haka’. We did not sound quite as terrifying as Henri who is a very experienced ‘haka’ performer who travels all over the Pacific rim with his team.

After lunch we went to a beach where swimming was optional and we chose to do so, changing on the beach and then entering the quite strong surf for a lovely cooling bathe. There was a shower where we could wash ff the salt and sand and we were back in the car in 30 minutes. It was a really refreshing dip but the power of the surf was quite surprising as it looked benign until you actually tried to stand up in it.

Then it was back in the car to retrace our steps back to the hotel. We passed many goats with their kids, on the way and saw a wild cat. One of the goats ran out of the way of the car and then climbed an almost vertical cliff, so nimble and agile. We also saw cows and horses and I have no idea if they’re were wild or tamed. I asked about small wild animals and there are mice on the island but no rabbits or rats. Chickens and roosters are everywhere, seemingly roaming free. On one of the uninhabited islands Moho Tani there is a flock of wild sheep which, with permission van be hunted. Henri told us he hunts the wild boar with a spear. Marquesans are inveterate hunters and the population of wild fauna can sustain the amount of hunting necessary to sustain their diets. 

We learned a lot from Henri who was a superb guide and so enthusiastic about his country, his island and his culture. For anyone visiting Hiva Oa he is thoroughly to be recommended as a guide.

On return to the hotel we had a beer, changed for dinner and the then enjoyed a very pleasant dinner with Marga and David before trying to spot shooting stars and then retiring to bed after a really lovely day on Hiva Oa.