Hiva Oa, the pearl of the Land of Men
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Hiva Oa, the pearl of the Land of Men |
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« I live on a far-off island, a beauty you could die for yet rough and austere. Proud. »1 So wrote Jacques Brel to a friend in January 1977. More than thirty years later, we would be inclined to confirm that Hiva Oa is still such a beautiful island but to live rather than die for. It’s the largest of the southern islands in the Marquesas Archipelago and, according to the legend of the Land of Men (“Enua Enata”), it’s the main beam of the great house, made up from these rocks « with hectic names»2, tones of voices punctuating the haka, a Marquesian welcome ritual. « They’re fond of singing, and have an innate taste for feasting and conviviality. »3 Sheltered by the Mounts Temetui (about 1,200 meters high) and Feani, nestled in the “Baie des Traîtres” and signposted by the Hanakéé islet, Atuona is the main village of the island. Due to insularity, it symbolizes to perfection the harmonious blending of soft modernity and healing isolation. « Nothing ! Except for cheerful and discreet people with no sense of time. That’s all. The Island of Hiva Oa (“The Island Stretched Lengthwise”) is 25 miles wide and 12.5 miles high, which seems huge since there are no roads, only rudimentary bridle paths. It’s a one or two day’s ride from Atuona to Puamau, on the other side of the island. It’s exhausting. A road is being built. It will take years due to the sheer mountains, the slippery ground, the dense vegetation. »3 Since Jacques Brel’s day, however, when there was nothing but one store, « the Chinese’s, where Gauguin used to go shopping as well »3, roads and tracks have been opened, enabling the discovery and promises of adventure in the island. 1 in Grand Jacques, une vie - by Olivier Todd 2 Les Marquises, Jacques Brel 3 in Jacques Brel J’attends la nuit - by Paul-Robert Thomas |
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