La Vie Francaise

Nous aimons bien Hiva Oa. C'est tres jolie, les gents sont tres gentils et le dejeuner c'est magnifique - pain francais, fromage (Brie!), saucisson et Orangina. :) Actually, it's a good thing we like simple French style picnic lunches, as we went out for lunch the other day and it nearly bankrupted us. £45/50 for a, not particularly inspiring or substantial, meal for 3. Not even any wine or beer. C'est trop trop cher ici. So, we've been trying to do things on the cheap...but it's not easy. We managed a trek through the jungle to see petroglyphs (scrawls on rocks according to C) by ourselves (for free) and we visited the cemetery where Gauguin is buried...but that's about it. Everything else costs.
Today we went for another trek in the jungle with Alain our guide - was expensive, but well worth it - there are so many archaeological sites in the forest that you'd never see by yourself it's so overgrown. We learnt all about 'Tikis' (carved rocks with stylised human faces that represent deified ancestors) and the sacred sites where you find them (which bits are 'Tapu' (taboo) and which bits are public). Alain also told us about all the plants - the breadfruit tree and the giant hibiscus have both been v v important to the Polynesian people - used for food, rope, house building, medicine, canoes, decoration. All sorts. They've also got cashews, coffee, papaya, mangoes and more here - it's so lush - every time I look out the window I must be able to see about 10 different shades of green. Alain took us to his house in the mountains - v v simple - water from a well he dug himself, legumes from the garden, horses to carry stuff, outside salle de bain. Think it might have been a bit too much like the Good Life even for me! It's a shame though - he said that he's the exception and not many other people grow their own food - in fact he says the Marquesans (he's an import from Paris) are gradually eating themselves out of house and home - there used to be lots of cows on the island...til they ate them all...and now they're working their way through the horses (learnt the difference between 'chevaux' and 'cheveux' today - got an impromptu French lesson from Alain as he didn't speak much English - my brain hurts now from concentrating so hard!)
Final anecdote for you: Alain told us about an American tourist who stole one of the Tiki a few years ago - when he got home his wife died and his house burned down - his bad luck didn't stop til he returned the Tiki to Hiva Oa...
Tomorrow we're off for the next island - thankfully only a few hours away. C spent the whole day yesterday filling us up with water - 450 litres which equates to 4 runs in our little dinghy hefting 20 and 30 litre jerry cans around. V tiring and one of the things that you lot at home probably don't appreciate about our trip - it's not all gin and tonics and adventures - it can take a couple of days just to fill up with fuel and water and go shopping!!
Right, time to go - Alain gave us some fresh avocados from his garden and Stuart is making supper...
Lots of love H&Cxx