Travel // Going Around // South Pacific // Heading Towards Marquesas
It’s 15 minutes past midnight here in the middle of the ocean and I just been relieved from my watch a few minutes ago. We are now heading towards the Marquesas Islands after an overnight stay in Rangiroa. During the entire 4-hour shift of navigating the ship, not a single target appeared in the radar screen, so as usual the M/S Paul Gauguin is alone wandering in the South Pacific Ocean. For this cruise, we will be visiting 4 islands of the Marquesas Islands in which Fatu Hiva is the ship’s first stop. The ship’s estimated time of arrival in the remote island of Fatu Hiva will be at 7AM on the 12th of December French Polynesia, roughly around 44 hours of navigation at sea. This is my third trip to this place but I feel like as if it’s my first time. I think I am just too excited to see again the mountainous span of the island as if there is no sign of civilization exist. Or perhaps, I may be just so engulfed with the simplicity and easy life that the inhabitants of the island are enjoying. While rest of the world is waging war against the environment, people in the island of Fatu Hiva live in harmony with nature. I’ve been to the island a couple of times this year as crew member of the M/S Paul Gauguin. Time constraints with regards to my spare time prevented me from exploring more of the island but I believe this inset photo here which was taken earlier this year reveals some (if not all) interesting stuff of Fatu Hiva.
