Dry ham to Hanamenu

The mango season begins and the Valley of Hanamenu at Hiva-Oa is covered with mango trees. The night the wild pigs come to eat, but hunters are waiting for them. Josephino kill at least two each night and we show him how to prepare a ham dry...

Saturday 23 September: Bay of Hanamenu, HIVA-Oa

We are approaching Hiva-Oa by the North West and the Bay of Hanamenu is the first to open a well-protected anchorage. The Valley's Green framed by cliffs and barren plateaus. The black sand beach is perfect for land kayak.

We wash our hands in a small river of fresh water.

The "Taporo" cargo must spend the next day and copra bags are ready on the edge of the beach. We take advantage of the shelter to oil us repellent product.

A large aisle well maintained with a few share houses and on the other.

Quickly we meet of Tepua and Josephino who are the only inhabitants in the week. Their garden is well flower.

And surprise!  behind the trees a small waterfall and a pool in a green.

Spring water is cold and under the Sun of the tropics we enjoy that luxury.

During a walk in the bottom of the Valley and the forest of mango trees we found strange trails are homeless... Would it specially for us?  He no, It is for hunters to not walk in dead leaves and be able to approach silently of the wild pigs at night. The next morning, Josephino cutting and dirty wild pigs that he drove during the night.

We are surprised that they do not Ham with all these pigs. We share with them a recipe for dry ham we Alain would like the captain of a thousand resources "PAGUS". Them very interested in that and we prepare two hams set plus a third that we take on the boat. Good, This isn't the "Bayonne ham", but we have neither the equipment, or the patience to wait 12 months to eat. In three weeks we get a ham that comes and it's a real luxury in the middle of the Pacific.

Thursday 28 September: Atuona

A strong swell of South more 3,5 meters is announced in a few days and we want to go through Atuona (the main village of Hiva-Oa) before that port became impassable. But we will return to Hanamenu in three weeks to see how aged hams... but are they patient enough to not eat it all before?

Enroute to our whale Tiki Atuona us good luck and we are back, by pulling on the rear skirt, a huge over Thazar 1,55 meters. The freezer is full!

We arrive in the port of Atuona in the greyness. The port is under construction to enlarge the wharf and biting hammers and other drilling gear deafen us from morning to evening. There is only a few boats in the Bay but we put when even an anchor back... just in case the swell arrives earlier than expected and the waves rolling in the port!

We stay just long enough to do some shopping. Soon we raise anchor for the North West coast of Tauhata a few miles away,  who should be well-protected announced swell.

Even when read nice Bay!