Ginger Dingus

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Call of the South Seas

by Ginger Dingus, Atlanta Journal Constitution

Marquesas Islands — "No stress. No worries." In four little words, Celine, our jeep driver summed up the South Pacific fantasy.
She obviously wasn't talking about the bickering contestants on TV's reality show, "Survivor: Marquesas." As tourists, we had it made.

Celene wore a bouquet of fragrant flowers in her silky black hair, the perfect accent to her brightly colored pareu, the local version of a sarong. In typical island fashion, she greeted each of us with a white tiare blosson. Following the custom, I placed the flower behind my ear. "Left side or right, is OK," she said with a smile.

Celine cranked the motor, and off we bounced. The road zig-zagged up a steep mountain slope, home to more wild horses (brought from Chile in the 1850s) than to people. To the right, a breathtaking expanse of pristine blue Pacific stretched as far as we could see.
We were on our way to watch barefoot maidens in grass skirts and leis sway to the rhythm of ukuleles. In Ua Huka, one of six sparsely populated islands in the remote Marquesas, we quickly succumbed to the laid-back lifestyle.

To be doubly sure of a stress-free trip, we chose to travel by ship. Deciding which one was easy. The Aranui 3 offers the only year-round journeys to the Marquesas, sailing round trip from Tahiti.
The Marquesas, a group of 12 small volcanic islands, lie roughly midway between Hawaii and New Zealand. In 16 days, we cruised over 2,000 miles and visited eight gorgeous islands, including two in the Tuamotu archipelago, best known for superb diving. They are all part of French Polynesia, which includes five island groups spread across an area larger than Europe.

The Aranui 3, meaning "great highway," is one of a kind. It's half freighter and half cruise ship. It took over from the older Aranui 2 in 2003, and carries twice the freight and passengers. Now there's room for 180 people in 85 cabins, and another 18 in a coed dormitory.
The cabins are comfortable, but don't expect the amenities of a big cruise ship. Standard cabins, a cozy 126 square feet, come with twin beds and a porthole for scanning the horizon. Suites, most with a private balcony, measure about 240 square feet. They have a queen-size bed and larger bathroom with a tub.

The public areas include a lounge, where briefings about the next day's activities are held. A casual bar overlooks the swimming pool and sun deck. Passengers can use a small gym.

Meals (except for lunches ashore) are served family-style in the dining room. Dress is casual, and you may sit at any table. The French chef prepares country cuisine — heavy on creamy soups, meats and sauces, not what you'd call gourmet. Wine is complimentary. Tino Tsing Young, in charge of the cargo, put things into proper perspective. "What's important is not the food or the wine. It's using your eyes, seeing the beautiful mountains, meeting the Polynesians."

Our February cruise carried a fun-loving group of about 90, equally divided between French and English speakers. Ages ranged from a pretty French girl of 20, up to an 86-year-old peppy American (traveling with a group of 20 from Elderhostel) who out-hiked many of the 50-something couples.

The Aranui 3 serves as a vital lifeline to the islanders, and at each dock, villagers eagerly awaited our arrival. To our surprise, watching the crew unload cargo provided hours of fascinating entertainment. Young, tattooed Polynesians transferred all manner of goods from ship to shore via a small barge or a motor launch, called a whaleboat. We were amazed to see the barge weighed down with such "necessities" as rice, sugar, beer, clothing and shiny new pickups.

Along with cargo, the wooden whaleboat ferried us to shore. When the waves were choppy, the muscular sailors literally lifted men and women out of the boat, like sacks of copra or noni fruit, the two main exports.

On the various islands, the villagers showed us how to make tapa cloth from bark and to extract monoi oil from coconuts. They performed traditional dances while we sat on stone walls that once supported the houses of royalty. We clambered up dirt paths to sacred tiki sites to hear about human sacrifices and warring tribes.

And, we got a glimpse of Nuku Hiva's turquoise bay where they filmed "Survivor: Marquesas."

Like the "Survivor" contestants, we endured the heat that comes with being near the equator. One day, my companion and I decided to cool off with an ice-cold Hinano, a Tahitian beer. Unfortunately, the market was completely out. We had a good laugh when the shopkeeper told us the reason. "The beer hasn't been unloaded from the Aranui yet today!"

During most shore visits, we enjoyed lunch at a local restaurant. Our favorite was the typical Marquesan feast served at Chez Yvonne's in Nuku Hiva. The experience was akin to a Hawaiian luau.

We watched our meal — two roast pigs — being unearthed from a pit filled with smoldering coals. Long before the pig made the scene, we were served grilled rock lobster, breadfruit fritters and the popular Polynesian poisson cru, raw fish marinated in lime and coconut milk.

Above all, the Marquesas Islands are known for their incredible beauty — spiky cliffs, rocky shores and lush valleys filled with coconut palms, gorgeous flowering plants and an enormous variety of tropical fruit. To see the stunning vistas of Fatu Hiva, arguably the most beautiful island, a few hardy souls braved the elements (heat, humidity, mosquitoes) for a 10-mile bay-to-bay hike over the mountains.

The artist Paul Gauguin appreciated nature's gifts to these islands as well. He spent the last years of his life here, capturing the mystique of the tropics on canvas. He is buried on Hiva Oa, where we paid our respects before touring the Paul Gauguin Cultural Center. The center opened in 2003 for the 100th anniversary of Gauguin's death.

It didn't matter that the paintings were copies, better suited to the humid climate than priceless originals. Everything else in the Marquesas was the real deal.