HIVA OA
Our anchorage in Fatu Hiva, was originally called the Bay of Penises due to the towering basalt cones that surround the bay, but was renamed the Bay of Virgins by the missionaries.
In the anchorage there are26 yachts most of them we know as they have come from either the Galapagos or Panama.
As you can imagine its quite a sociable gathering and it wasn’t long before trips were organised to the neighbouring village about 20 minute dinghy ride away and walks to the local historical sites .
Our first day ashore in Fatu Hiva was most memorable. A group of us decided to hike to a waterfall about an hour walk through the jungle. As it was Sunday, we decided to go and check out the local church service first. We sat on the steps of the church listening to the beautiful Polynesian singing to a back drop of swaying palm trees and towering cliffs with the sound of the surf breaking on the sandy beach (It won’t be long before I’m writing Mills and Boom novels!!!).
After we had our dose of culture we headed off on our walk, picking an assortment of fruit off the trees growing on the side of the path. There wasn’t much water coming down into the waterfall as it is not the rainy season, but we still manage to have a lovely refreshing swim before heading back to the boats.
From Fatu Hiva we sailed about 45 miles to the next island of Hiva Oa, where we checked into the country and restocked with supplies. It has been a bit of a shock to the wallet as it’s so expensive here, especially as we have been in South America for the last six months where everything is so cheap. Four of us hired a car for the day which cost $150 plus petrol, although we didn’t mind paying it as the trip around the island was well worth it.
