Impi: NUKU HIVA - BASTILLE DAY CELEBRATIONS

At Nuku Hiva we find ourselves anchored just a day before the start of the French Bastille day celebrations.

Before I carry on with this news let me first apologise for the delay in posting this ... I was finding it difficult to quench my thirst, went to the doctor and had a sugar reading of just under 500 (instead of just over 100). This apparently could have seen me in a coma and so now after a few days in hospital I am diagnosed diabetic. Anyway, they seem to be getting the situation under control and today allowed me a few hours off to do emailing and sort out some things for the boat.Hopefully I will get a full discharge tomorrow although the reading is currently around 265.

Anyway ... back to our news ...

We join our friends Eva and Jean-Claude from Reve De Lune and later Chris and Sascha from Tribe at the dance festivities.

My mind goes back to the time of the cannibals and the talk of such dances before the victim was eaten.

Apparently, and so I am told here by the locals, it was a privilege to be the chosen one for the pot. People who were ‘filled with a good spirit’ were often chosen and it was hoped that by eating such a person that some of the good qualities would remain with those doing the devouring!

Death would come in the form of clubbing the victim and doing so when he least expected it so as to prevent any suffering.

Anyway, thankfully we have moved on in day and era and this is no longer a ritual that is practiced although there is still much debate between locals and cruisers (yachtsman) of the situation with the German cruiser who was ‘devoured’ here a few years ago. Of course, the cruisers are not too sure what to believe … some saying they have come across locals who definitely would pass as cannibals if there was no law preventing this custom and the more likely story by locals who say that the girlfriend had arranged for it to seem her boyfriend had been devoured by cannibals in order to cash in on his ‘life insurance policy’.

The following day we participated in the days festivities which was an incredibly interesting, colourful and joyous event.

As we walked along we came across a group of local fireman on the island.

These guys were not going to allow us to pass without first ‘kidnapping Ana’ for a photo opportunity which, of course, was hilarious as Ana is quite a shy girl at heart and the initial look of ‘shock’ on her face as she was unexpectedly swept off her feet was quite something to see … I think she thought she might end up in the old pot ;)

Here were all manner of people dressed in local attire and displaying ‘headgear’ that is incredibly beautiful and made from a straw base packed carefully and decorated with beautiful flowers.

The woman also looked beautiful in their dresses and kids were very much part of the festivity.

Children are clearly ‘loved and adored’ by these island folk and there is a beautiful aura in the atmosphere where one senses a ‘tenderness’ and ‘caring’ and ‘happy’ spirit about these humble people.

Later in the day we were privy to a spectacular ‘horsemanship’ display where locals took part in a competition displaying their various skills in horse riding.

Horses are very much part of these peoples culture and there is a pride that runs deeply by the riders who get their horse to display unique moves such as I have not seen before, and this, from me who used to ride horses competitively and having obtained ‘colours’ for Eastern Provinces (one of 4 provinces making up the country of South Africa at the time).

And so we had a fun-filled and spectacular day where music played, street dancing and horse riding skills were on display … it was terrific!

The day ended with some ‘wild horse riding’ down on the beach where the horses galloped at full speed in the shallows of the water … faster and faster … mush to the delight of spectators and cameras