Travel // Going Around // South Pacific // Hiva Oa Island
After over 40 hours of navigation from Rangiroa, finally the M/S Paul Gauguin arrived Hiva ‘Oa, Marquesas Islands at around 7AM today. The ship normally dropped anchor at Tahauko Bay. This is the bay where Hiva ‘Oa’s small port is situated. I noticed no changes of the place since the last time I got here except the ongoing expansion of the pier.
Hiva Oa is the second largest island in the Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the South Pacific Ocean region. Hiva Oa is a lightly populated island covering a total land area of 316 sq. km. situated about 740 miles northeast of Tahiti. Atuona in the southern part of the island is the administrative center of Hiva Oa. The town of Atuona has a Catholic mission boarding school, Protestant church, a bank, shops, a small hospital, weather station, pensions, post office, restaurants and snack bars. Cellular phones, telephones, internet as well as cable TV linked Hiva Oa to the world. Traveling by plane is the fastest and most convenient way to reach Hiva Oa. Air Tahiti serves regular flight to the island. For information on flight schedule please click here. Famous French painter Paul Gauguin and singer Jacques Brel were both buried in a cemetery on the hill overlooking the village and the bay of Atuona.
In Atuona, the Gauguin Museum displays items related to Paul Gauguin's stay of the island where copies of his paintings are on display. At the back of the Gauguin Museum is the museum dedicated to Jacques Brel. The museum exhibits memorabilia of the late famous singer including his Beechcraft airplane. The bus service in Hiva Oa is called the “le truck”. The “le truck” is a truck converted into a bus with open windows and bench seat on each side of the vehicle. Traveling along the road on the hilly sides with this open-air type bus is a great way to enjoy the natural scenery of Hiva Oa.
People in the Marquesas Islands have a unique culture and are renowned for its distinctive and beautiful traditional arts. When the M/S Paul Gauguin calls to the island today, I saw local dancers rhythmically dancing barefoot to the sound of drums and trumpet. I think that was what they called the “Bird Dance”. Souvenir items that visitors can find in the Marquesas Islands are mostly handicrafts made from shells, wood, barracuda and swordfish jaw, bones and stones. Some of these are weapons (truncheons, dagger, spears, swords, knives), navigation and maritime objects (canoe, fishing hook, scoop, paddle, octopus lure), household items (gourd, food storage, stool, box, bowl, mortar and pestle, hair barette, needle) and musical instruments (trumpet, drums and toere, a slotted drum held vertically and beaten with a baton). By 5PM, all passengers and crew were aboard and the ship prepares to sail for Nuku Hiva. It will be over 5 hours navigation from Hiva ‘Oa and definitely before midnight the M/S Paul Gauguin will be on its next port of call.
