Planet Océan : The Marquesas

Qui : Stéphanie, Olivier, Noé and Camille.
Où : Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia, Pacific Ocean
Bateau : Catana 44
Blog : www.croisiere-ocean.com

On the islands, there are rich sources of fruit, vegetables and game. We were often offered several days worth of food or invited to share a dish of goat in coconut milk with a local family. Welcoming voyagers is a duty and a pleasure here. Everywhere we went there was first a smile followed by « Kaoha Maeva », meaning « Hello » and « Welcome ». The Marquesans are very attached to their land, the “Fenua Enata”, the Land Of The Men, inherited from their ancestors and looked after by the family. This land has inspired sculptors, engravers, tattoo artists, dancers and musicians, all of whom maintain the Marquesan cultural traditions. Each one is recognised for the position which they occupy. One example is Kalino, a sculptor who works with wood, but is also a musician and singer. He never misses a party! Everyone seems to have more than one string to their bow, and if work is thin on the ground there is always copra. We were lucky enough to arrive just before the Marquesan Islands Art Festival. Dance, ceremonies, artisanal producers and local cuisine were on the menu over several weeks, as we were able to take in several performances on different islands. The archipelago consists of a northern and southern group of islands. They are separated by a day’s sailing across a stretch of water that is sometimes too choppy and sometimes too calm. The huge range of moorings means that you can pick and choose depending upon the constant swell. Each island has its own character and local pride. So even if the mooring conditions aren’t necessarilly ideal, as far as we’re concerned, we’ll be going back there this year…