January 21, 2010: We awakened to another beautiful South Pacific morning.   Albeit HOT (we were now in the Southern Hemisphere, just south of the equator, and it was summer there), there was a nice breeze to make it bearable.   The island of Nuku Hiva is approximately 500 miles south of the equator and is the largest of the Marquesas Islands. The Marquesas are the most northerly and easterly of the archipelagoes that make up French Polynesia.

Our destination was the village of Taiohae, the administrative center of the Marquesas.   Taiohae is on a sheltered bay on the south side of Nuku Hiva, thus, since we were coming from the northeast, we had a great view of the rocky coastline as we headed toward our anchor point.

Regent had arranged for a traditional feast to be prepared for us.   On the brochure it was shown as "Traditional Feast at the Pae Pae Piki Vehine".   "Pae Pae" translates to "traditional meeting platform".

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