 |
| This blowhole was one of many Fatu Hiva scenic spots on our boat ride from Hanavave to Omoa. |
 |
| Blown! We got close to the blowhole. Timing the shot to catch the spray while not soaking my camera lens was challenging. |
 |
| Omoa town, Fatu Hiva dropped quickly into the distance as we hiked up…. |
Wayne and I were relieved Steve blamed our guide book for recommending the hike, instead of us…. He completed the hike a couple hours faster than us, pounding the long, steep and shadeless downhill return stretch in some of the worst heat of the day. We trailed a bit behind at a more leisurely pace with Jan from Ambler, pushing it to get in before dusk, though believe we rebounded more quickly.
 |
| Seen along our Fatu Hiva hike, these blackened ferns were striking. There was as much variety of ferns as in my best Pacific Northwest hikes. |
 |
| These orchids, which grew in wild abandon, were my favorite flowers on Fatu Hiva. |
 |
| Fatu Hiva’s textured foliage invited photoplay. |
Fatu Hiva shares billing with Venice, Italy as one of the more surreal scenes I’ve had the pleasure to step into. In the case of Venice, stepping out of the train station doors felt like entering a postcard into the past. Fatu Hiva’s Bay of Virgins (Hanavave) is like the bunnyhill of landscape photography – nearly as impossible to take a bad photo of its fantastically lit weird geological formations as it is to fall on a bunnyhill (click here for some stunning Fatu Hiva Hanavave anchorage photos).
 |
| Oddly, this Fatu Hiva road was nearly impossible to see when looking up from Hanavave valley. We liked the subtlety of that. |
No luck on the baguette – and we were early enough to get them – if they had them.
 |
| Overlooking the town of Hanavave, Fatu Hiva on our downhill stretch. |
So there we were, exiting the small valley surrounding Omoa, beginning our steep climb toward the summit, eating dark Cadbury chocolate bars, washed down with cold Hinano. It was only 9:30 am, and hot. Breakfast of champions. Not one I care to repeat.
About halfway through our hike, at a lovely summit point with covered picnic tables, we enjoyed a more nutritious lunch of cheese and salami on gluten-free rice crackers, with bananas for desert.
 |
| Just outside the town of Hanavave. As through much of the Marquesas, coconut palms are grown for copra production. |
At the end, we were tired, hot, sweaty, dusty and felt a little flat-footed. Yet, the walk was as thrilling as it was long; we’re really glad we did it. If you follow in our footsteps, I recommend saving cold beers and chocolate for the finish rather than the start of the hike.
 |
| Can you see those little tiny dots in the water? One of them is our sailboat at anchor in Hanavave Bay, Fatu Hiva, as seen on our Omoa – Hanavave hike. |
Location Location
 |
Fatu Hiva’s hills really are this green! (totally unmodified photo – really!) |
 |
| Fatu Hiva’s dramatic crenellated cliffs. |
 |
| Is it even possible to capture Fatu Hiva’s panoramic vistas? This view was about halfway between Omoa and Hanavave. |
Those three letters used so often can't describe what I see from this end, but I'll say it; 'wow !"
Thanks Keith. Sorry to miss this from eons ago. Doing a bit of cleanup in the comments section to get rid of spam when I came across your comment. Mea culpa!
Our life is more sedate for now in Portland, OR, though we are living aboard another boat.
How are you these days?
Excellent post. I was always checking this blog, and I’m impressed! Extremely useful info specially the last part, I care for such information a lot. I was exploring this particular info for a long time. Thanks to this blog my exploration has ended. Hiking