Anaho Bay, Nuku Hiva

Hi all

We're now at the Marquesas islands and we've been desperate to explore. However, the last week has really been taken over with boaty things, ie fixing rigging!

But that's (fingers crossed) all sorted now and we've sailed up to Nuku Hiva, possibly the most dramatic of the islands.

It's stunning here. The landscape is almost unbelievable. It feels slightly prehistoric, reminiscent of a scene from Jurassic Park! Steep cliffs lush with mango-covered rainforest rise from the ocean, with rugged volcanic mountains, ridges and deep valleys. There are very few roads because of the terrain, so travel around the coast is by boat or typically by horse inland.

We've spent the last two days in Anaho Bay, a picture-perfect sandy horseshoe bay. It's wild beyond imagination and there is hardly anyone here! 

Yesterday, Bill and I walked around the bay and up over a pass to the south. Today we ventured further north, over a high mountain pass only suitable for horses and people. This is the only inland route out of Anaho Bay for the twenty or so residents! It took us over an hour to climb up and then a similar descent down to the next bay, where there was a small village, an unbelievably beautiful church, a road, a shop and a restaurant. Both of the latter were unfortunately shut for Easter Sunday! High up on the towering cliffs encircling the village was a statue of the Virgin Mary. The country was converted to Catholicism by the French.

By the time we got back to Anaho bay we were drenched in sweat and exhausted! But it's been one of the highlights of the trip for me.

Dinner was on the beach in the only little restaurant in the bay. No choice, but delicious beef stew, rice, breadfruit and tuna ceviche. We took our own wine tonight as we'd drunk her dry yesterday!

Tomorrow we're off to another bay, this time with a walk up to a waterfall. Can't wait.

I'll attach some photos of where we've been today.

Love and hugs to all

Amanda xxx