Fatu Hiva

Some of you have heard about the island Fatu Hiva. It was here the just married couple; Thor og Liv Heyerdal came in 1937, and planned to stay here the rest of their life. Their stay in Paradise lasted only one year. In 1938 Thor published the book in Norwegian, På jakt efter paradiset: Et år på en sydhavsøy (Seeking after Paradise: one year at a southern island). In 1974 the book was published in English: Fatu Hiva – Back to Nature, and Fatu Hiva became “world famous”.

Since I started my journey, one of my goals was to visit Fatu Hiva. But it is not easy to get there. No plain can land there, and there is no regular boat connection. So it was a big question if I could make it. My host, Jean-Jacques, at the hotel I stayed at in Atuona (Hiva Oa), managed to find a boat, which took me there and back. (How that happened is a story in it self).

The crossing took 3 hours, in a fishing boat, and I was sitting on a wooden bench, the sea was rough, and it was very monotonous.   

Also Fatu Hiva have rough mountains. 

There are about 500 inhabitants there, and two very basick guesthouses. The one I stayed in had only one room and one bungalow for rent.

A local man, who spoke fairly good English, appeared the first night, and he explained where Heyerdal´s lived when they first arrived (not far away from the pension), and he said that Thor was not popular because he wouldn’t let the religious site alone.  

He also became unpopular when the English edition of the book was published, because there came people to the island that wanted to live the life of Paradise, like Heyerdal wrote about it. But the locals could of cause not serve those, the way they served Heyerdal´s, so those adventurers became a burden for the locals. The man also said that the wife, Liv, learned marquises, and was more involved in everyday life than Thor. If she had written the book, it would bee another, and a more authentic story.   

The most populated area is in a valley, which starts quite broad from the bay, but get more and more narrow. In the beginning, Heyerdal´s lived on a hillside up in the valley (look at the left on the pictures). 

To day it is only the foundation of stones which is left, where they had the cottage. To some degree they maintain the place clearing it for undergrowth, so it is open, and not overgrown.    

The place is quite aloft, and I think it was a nice view over the valley and the bay 75 years ago, but to day palms are closing for the view.

I wrote earlier about the fertile Nuku Hiva, and it is the same at Fatu Hiva. Especial in this valley, where it is hot and humid, all kinds of fruits are growing. My clots get wet of sweat if I move a little bit around.    

For me the island is quite inaccessible. There are few roads and paths. Even if I had a guide, I would have had problems moving around because of the steep and rough mountains. I only experience just a little fraction of the island. 

Despite many have read, and heard about Fatu Hiva, it is not a tourist attraction. When I came back to Atuona and told Jean-Jacques that I was the only tourist there, he laughed and said that usually there are 3-4 tourists a month. Unfortunately I do not speak French, so it was difficult for me to get in touch with the local people. Some times I felt very lonely.

  

My experience of the food in French Polynesia are mixed. There are no cafés or restaurant at Fatu Hiva, so I had dinner at my pension. The first night it was mussels and shrimps in gravy of coconut milk. The shrimps looked like those we can buy frozen in Europe/USA, but those were cached in the river, which flow through the valley. The second night I had delicious fried fish. My hostess, Bernadette, made very good food.   

   

Fatu Hiva is very special because it is one of the most remote places on earth, then also add that Thor Heyerdal made it famous, so I can boast that I was there!