Adventures of a Tribe

Hiva Oa, Marquesas

Posted on May 13, 2017 Updated on May 13, 2017

The small of land was so overwhelming as we approached land. Jude kept exclaiming that it smelled like windex while I smell the thick, rich aromas of earth and life.

As we worked our way into the large ‘U’ shaped bay, land seemed to suck us in, our bodies feeling the fatigue from long travel as well as the awe of what surrounds. Enormous towering mountains covered in all shades of green, overflowing with humidity, were covered at the peaks with periodic clouds. So incredibly majestic!

To see nothing but blue for 19 days, then witness such extreme contrast in color and texture, is surreal. Emma made the comment, “These mountains seem so out of place on the ocean…don’t they?”

One can see that it rains so much here, from vertical canyons working their way down the mountains where waterfalls have carved their way to the sea, and at the base, the land is covered in coconut palms – more than I’ve ever seen before. They stand tall on the beach then work their way up the mountain side like a virus.

Mists gather as waves crash against rocks, reminding me of movies like ‘Gorillas in the mist’, and I can imagine crabs scuttling then holding tight in the splash zone.

Signs of human life are present in this vast beauty, as small buildings come into view among the trees.

I immediately think of so many people I want to share this with. I know anyone who witnessed these scenes would stand staring as we do – that it’s not just because we’ve been at sea for so long. This has to be one of the most beauty places on earth.

A sailboat slips out from the anchorage around the corner from us, making the mountains look even taller than they already do.

We round the corner and see sailboats anchored there, it’s early and chances are, most people are still asleep. We quietly made our way through the tired boats and find a spot to drop anchor.

Once again we are home, even though we never left our home to get here. Tanda Malaika seems to let out a long, tired sigh as she gently rocks at anchor. Once again she has protected us, carried us across thousands of miles, and in her we have felt joy and awe and so much gratitude.

The tallies from the crossing are these:
Number of flying fish found on deck : 14
Number of (flying( squid found on deck: 39
Number of fish caught: 3 (totaling 130 lbs of fish)
Number of books read by the crew: 23
Overall winner of games played: Yours truly! (Jude was just 1 point behind me)
Games we played most: Settlers of Catan, Yahtzee and Monoploy