December 14th 2019

I was up at 6 a.m. and writing the blog from the previous day. The roosters at Hanakee Pearl Resort do not allow lying in bed for long. The management have provided earplugs but, really they do not bother us much even though they do start their crowing very early, sometimes before dawn.

This morning we decided to skip breakfast in favor of a quick cup of coffee. Then it was on to the 9 a.m. hotel shuttle and into the village of Atuona. Here we visited the Artisanal Center and bought a few things. Then we made a short detour to the bank across the street just to make sure we had enough money for the rest of the stay.

The mural on the wall of the supermarket dedicated to Jacques Brel with his famous saying that in the Marquesas moaning (complaining) is not allowed!!

We visited a couple of stores before arriving at the supermarket which was very busy with shoppers stocking up for the weekend. Here we bought some cat food for our cats at home and a few other things including, by intake a large bottle of iced tea concentrate which would have made 40 glasses!! I thought it was just regular diluted iced tea but in fact it was so concentrated that it required 9 parts water to 1 part concentrate!! We eventually gave this to the hotel staff as it was too heavy to bring home.

The hotel shuttle returned at 11.30 a.m. and we took it back to the hotel. Sitting on the deck for a while in the afternoon, we saw the inter-island coaster m.v. Tahiti Nui arrive to take the second tranche of the Hiva Oa haka team over to Oa Pou for the festival. In about an hour or so, it had loaded its cargo and embarked its passengers and departed on the four hour sail to the island of Oa Pou. We wish them luck with their efforts but this is not a competition but just an exchange of cultures and peoples between islands. In two years, another will be held on Fatu Hiva and in four years from now a big one on Nuku Hiva.

The port at Hiva Oa

The inter-island steamer arrives and then leaves with the remainder of the Hiva Oa contingent for the festival.

I sat for a while and compiled a first draft of our annual Christmas letter. What a place to write a Christmas letter, it hardly seems very Christmassy with blue skies, fluffy white clouds, a wonderful breeze and an impossibly blue sea. But I drafted up the outline and MAC then edited it and we will polish it up when we get home for sending out with ‘snail mail’ cards and as an attachment to e-cards.

Then we went up to the pool and swam and sat in the late afternoon sun, I had a beer to bring the daylight to a close. We were also able to check in for our flight from Papeete to Los Angeles on Sunday night.

We showered changed and went up to dinner. I ordered a Mai Tai cocktail which was very strong and might have stopped a horse!! We enjoyed a very nice last dinner at Hanakee Pearl Resort Hotel. 

We retired back to our bungalow, MAC to resume packing for our departure the next day and me to collapse from the effects of the Mai Tai!!