Today we were up early and in the dingy heading round a small headland towards the beach. Our target for today was the Vaipõ Waterfall. In one corner of the beach a river breaches the sand, this was where we hauled the dingy above the high tide mark.
We waited a few moments for a couple from another boat to arrive and then headed away from the sea and into the green cool jungle as a party of 6.
There is only one road so navigation is not difficult, once we had passed through the few houses which cluster around its seaward end the road quickly became less used and more broken under foot. The road is the remains of a Polynesian Royal Road, a stone paved, raised pathway which passes through a village where Polynesian Royalty lived. As we continued more evidence of old habitation was evident, old stone foundation platform called paepae, slowly being reclaimed by the jungle, ancient stone tiki, now covered with moss, gazing out across the road. Stone boundary markers still standing in line. It is obvious that the valley once supported a much larger population than now and must have covered much of the flatter valley floor. The valley may once have been an important place.
We followed the trail onwards, winding through the jungle, crossing the river several times and climbing as we went up the valley. Then, through a gap in the trees, we caught our first view of the waterfall. At the head of a side valley, plunging over the cliff and cascading over 300 m to the valley floor. It is said to be the tallest falls in the Marquesas and is certainly impressive. As we entered the side valley we lost sight of the falls but could still hear it, crashing down the cliffs into the pool beneath. The track was now the river bed so we paddled our way forward. We rounded the final bend and there of was, tumbling down the rock face into the river. Of course we had to swim in the pool and try to reach the falls but decided not to swim into the water curtain, it is not just water which comes over the edge and there had been evidence of rock fall further down the valley. It is difficult to describe the view. A narrow valley with a river tumbling down its jungle covered floor, sheer cliff reaching upwards to a narrow strip of sky hundreds of metres above , the back wall of the valley covered with tumbling white water.
We retraced our steps back down the valley, here we were treated to fresh tuna steaks, fried breadfruit and a mango salad washed down with homemade lemonade, all provided by one of the residents who runs a restaurant in her garden, everything served is either grown in her garden or caught locally. Delicious and much needed.
We made it back to Shimshal and swam to cool down, a good way to end a really good day out.
Tim