Day 5 · Ua Pou, Marquesas Islands · 2 March 2016
There are moments during travel when you realize you’ve made a mistake.
Sometimes it’s forgetting sunscreen.
Sometimes it’s taking the wrong road.
And sometimes it’s discovering that a “short scenic hike” in the tropics feels suspiciously similar to participating in a survival challenge.
That was our introduction to Ua Pou.
The Hike That Sounded Easier on Paper
After several days of eating remarkably well aboard the Aranui, Kirsten and I decided that a little exercise might be a good idea.
This seemed like responsible adult behavior.
The brochure described the morning activity as a forty-minute hike overlooking the harbour.
Forty minutes.
How bad could it be?
The answer arrived shortly after we left the dock.
The trail wasted no time climbing uphill.
At first it followed a paved road lined with tropical gardens.
Then it became a rough track.
Then it became steeper.
Then it became hot.
Really hot.
The kind of heat where your shirt starts questioning your life choices.
Water Suddenly Becomes Very Important
As we climbed higher, the views became spectacular.
The harbour shrank below us.
Jagged volcanic spires rose from the landscape.
Deep green valleys stretched toward the ocean.
The scenery was incredible.
The problem was that everyone else thought so too.
The higher we climbed, the more frequently people stopped—not necessarily for photographs, but because breathing seemed like a worthwhile activity.
We quickly realized that the single bottle of water we had brought each was an act of optimism rather than preparation.
By the time we reached the summit, I was already mentally composing a thank-you letter to whoever invented cold drinks.
The View Was Worth Every Drop of Sweat
The final climb led to a large cross overlooking the island.
From the top, mountains seemed to stretch endlessly in every direction.
Clouds drifted over distant ridges.
The Pacific sparkled below.
For a few moments nobody spoke.
Sometimes the best viewpoints have a way of silencing everyone.
Not because they don’t have anything to say.
Because they’re busy trying to absorb what they’re seeing.
Heat Wins Again
The walk back down should have been easier.
Gravity certainly thought so.
The tropical sun disagreed.
By the time we reached the village, the heat had intensified dramatically.
We weren’t the only ones struggling.
One particularly fit eighty-two-year-old passenger later suffered heat exhaustion after the hike.
It was a reminder that tropical climates deserve respect.
The scenery may be beautiful, but the heat is very real.
Kirsten wisely returned to the ship for air conditioning.
I, on the other hand, continued wandering around town.
Apparently I hadn’t learned enough lessons yet.
Music, Dancing, and Marquesan Pride
Later that morning I wandered through the village toward a cultural performance.
What followed was one of the most memorable displays of traditional culture we had seen so far.
The women danced gracefully to the rhythm of drums and singing.
Young girls performed alongside experienced dancers, occasionally glancing sideways to make sure they were keeping up.
Then came the men.
The atmosphere changed instantly.
War cries echoed across the performance grounds.
Tattooed dancers pounded their chests and thighs in rhythm.
The intensity was impossible to ignore.
Even standing in the audience, I felt exhausted watching them.
Partly because of the performance.
Mostly because of the heat.
The Mystery of the Extra Dinner
By evening I was hungry.
Very hungry.
The hike.
The heat.
The walking.
It all added up.
At dinner I requested chicken instead of fish.
Simple enough.
Or so I thought.
A server brought me fish.
A second server brought me chicken.
Neither seemed aware of the other’s actions.
Suddenly I found myself staring at two complete dinners.
There are situations where honesty demands correction.
This was not one of them.
I accepted my fate.
And both meals.
Travel teaches adaptability.
A Lesson From Ua Pou
When I finally returned to the cabin that evening, I felt completely exhausted.
The day had been hot.
Physical.
Busy.
Wonderful.
Ua Pou reminded me that some destinations make you work for the experience.
The views aren’t handed to you.
You climb for them.
Sweat for them.
Earn them.
And somehow those are often the ones you remember most.
In the next installment: We reconnect with an old friend on Hiva Oa and discover that sometimes the best reunion happens on an island in the middle of the Pacific.
