Tiki Tuhiva

My clever book says that in Polynesian culture, the tiki represents the connection between humans and nature, between heaven and earth, and symbolizes creation and life itself. The Polynesians believe that the tiki is a patron saint and lucky charm and worship it as an idol.

Taiohae Bay Nuku-Hiva, Marquesas

The Tiki Tuhiva stands in Taiohae Bay and is probably the largest in French Polynesia. A seated woman with a protective warrior stands on a hill that was built as a fort at the beginning of colonization. First conquered by the English and later by the French, the fort underwent many changes. When the missionaries took over the fort, it was used as a hospital, among other things. Today we only find a few foundation walls and the Tiki Tuhiva. You can hand over your wishes to the lady through a slit in a very intrusive place. As I don't know whether minors also read the blog, I have left out the picture as a precaution. So if you give the lady your wishes through the slit, she acts as a lucky charm.

Entrance to Tiki Tuhiva Nuku-Hiva, Marquesas

Unfortunately, we can't say whether the whole thing works, as we found the slit - as an amateur anthropologist, that was a small matter for me - but didn't know the custom. To try it out anyway, we would have to go back up the hill, only to find out in the small print that the lucky charm only applies to Polynesians. So we do without it, but hope that the Tiki will also act as our patron saint for our onward journey, as we haven't overburdened him with other things. The size of the Tiki should also be sufficient to guarantee protection far beyond the borders of French Polynesia. But we have many of you blog readers who keep your fingers crossed for us, which makes us very happy.

Tiki Tuhiva Nuku-Hiva, Marquesas

Speaking of looking forward, the first supply ship arrives on 17.01.2024. There is a lot going on on the quayside, and the main road has also seen something of an increase in traffic. Numerous small trucks are on their way to deliver the pallets of goods to the supermarkets. We take refuge in the small restaurant between the market stalls so that we don't get in the way of the working people. It will be a while before the shelves are restocked anyway. The small restaurant has become our favorite place. It serves a delicious breakfast in the morning and a good lunch. You also often meet sailors. Last but not least, there is internet and you can save a little on your prepaid cell phone card. We spend a lot of time here, having a drink and a bite to eat and answering emails, WhatsApp and other inquiries or vital signs from friends and acquaintances who keep reaching us. The circle of acquaintances grows with the years you are on the road. On the way back to the dinghy, we are approached by Gerald from SY Jetlag. He had just arrived from Tahiti and needed a lift onto his boat as his dinghy was on the ship. Of course we are happy to help and so five minutes later our dinghy is overloaded with suitcases, bags and his wife, and he has also misappropriated Brigitte. We plow deep through the anchor field and deliver the two from SY Jetlag safe and sound and immediately receive an invitation for this service, for a sundowner the next day. The two of them had something to do in Tahiti and spent a few days exploring the island. There is a Carrefour in Papeete that sells gray bread. When this delicacy with a delicious tuna paste, served on a wooden board, appears in the cockpit, my mouth is watering. I have no idea when we last ate bread baked from rye flour with sourdough, but it feels like an eternity ago. The boat, a Super Mamarum from Amel, sails under the Swiss flag and has been underway just as long as we have. We tell each other our stories and it becomes a very relaxed evening. Unfortunately, we can't say the same about the anchorage at the moment. The wind has picked up and then shifted to the south-east. This is extremely unpleasant for this bay. At night in particular, we are really shaken up by the swell in our berths. Sometimes it is impossible to sleep. This makes us very tired and listless during the day. While the gusts had held back in the first few days, they were now whistling through the anchor field at up to 35 knots. But even days like this pass and we are looking forward to the island of Ua Pou. Maybe it will work out next week. Until then, fair winds and keep a stiff upper lip.