Day 6 · Hiva Oa, Marquesas Islands · 3 March 2016
One of the greatest joys of returning somewhere is discovering that the people you remember still remember you.
That’s not something I expected when we arrived at Hiva Oa.
But that’s exactly what happened.
An Early Morning and a Rough Landing
The day began before sunrise.
The Aranui slipped quietly into Puamau Bay while most passengers were still asleep.
I wasn’t.
Partly because I wanted photographs.
Partly because I still hadn’t learned how to sleep properly on this trip.
The mountains surrounding the bay glowed in the early morning light as cargo barges were lowered into the water.
Everything looked peaceful.
The landing, however, was a little less graceful.
The waves bounced our passenger barge up and down beside the dock like a cork.
Stepping ashore required careful timing and a healthy respect for gravity.
Fortunately, the crew had perfected the process.
Nobody ended up swimming.
Which felt like a successful start.
Ancient Tikis and Modern Cargo
Our morning excursion took us to the famous Te I’ipona archaeological site.
Massive stone tikis stood among the green hillsides.
Some featured unusual six-fingered hands.
Others stared silently across the valley.
The setting felt timeless.
Yet only minutes away, trucks were unloading everything from fruit to office supplies delivered by the Aranui.
That’s one of the fascinating things about this voyage.
The ship isn’t simply bringing tourists.
It’s delivering life.
Food.
Supplies.
Equipment.
Mail.
The islands depend on it.
Looking for Pifa
The afternoon brought something I had been quietly hoping for.
Three years earlier, during our family sailing adventure, we had met a local guide named Pifa.
We had no idea whether he was still on the island.
Or whether he would remember us.
Or whether we could even find him.
But we decided to try.
Sometimes travel rewards optimism.
The Reunion We Didn’t Expect
We started asking around town.
One person knew another person.
Who knew someone else.
Who knew where Pifa’s family might be.
Within minutes a phone appeared.
A call was made.
And suddenly we had a meeting arranged.
The entire process felt wonderfully island-like.
No addresses.
No complicated directions.
Just people helping people.
A short while later, Pifa appeared.
Smiling.
Laughing.
And just as happy to see us as we were to see him.
A Day With Friends
For the next several hours we forgot completely about cruise schedules.
Pifa took us around the island.
We talked.
Caught up.
Shared stories.
Filmed scenery.
And revisited places connected to our previous adventure.
Some of my favourite travel memories involve famous locations.
Others involve sitting with friends you haven’t seen in years and picking up exactly where you left off.
This was one of those days.
Why We Travel Slowly
As the afternoon slipped away, I found myself wishing we had more time.
Travel often focuses on places.
But what keeps drawing us back are the relationships.
The people.
The conversations.
The connections.
Those are the things that remain long after the photographs are taken.
As we headed back to the ship, I realized Hiva Oa had given us something special.
Not a new memory.
A continuation of an old one.
In the next installment: Fatu Hiva delivers one of the most beautiful islands in the Marquesas, a gruelling mountain hike, and a village that feels untouched by time.
