A Little Bit of Civilization

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With a church the size of the one she can see from the boat, The First Mate figures that there has to be a small settlement nearby, and where there is a settlement, there must be a small magasin or store. What could she find to augment her dwindling stock? Hoping to make such a discovery, we turn toward the church. A woman walking past us prompts The First Mate to ask if there is a village nearby. She points us along a road leading uphill from the church. Heading in that direction, we find nothing other than a school and what look like government buildings. Another woman walking by offers no assistance other than asking us if we have cigarettes and a lighter, neither of which do we have.

Returning to the bridge, we walk up the road in the opposite direction. There may be very few people around and little sign of habitation, but we are amazed at the number of cars passing us in both directions. Of course, this is the one and only road running up and down the coast, but with at least one car every minute or so, that adds up to more cars motoring around than people, homes or buildings that we see.

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Continuing up the road, we see a cluster of buildings. Across a field, we see people working around an open air structure. Could this be a “Market Communal”? We walk over to investigate. An affable young man walks out to greet us. This is not a market area. Sweeping his arm across the land, he proudly tells us that this is his land. We show him that we are impressed and then exchange the usual questions regarding where we are from and where we are going. The most exciting information The First Mate gleans is that there is a store nearby, and he points us in the direction of a small light blue building further up the road. Continuing on to the store, we see further evidence of the recent vote. A large board boldly tells people to Vote Yes, and banners with the Kanaky colors of green, red and blue are flying.

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Hienghène is the name of this area, the river and the Kanak people who live in the region. With its many fantastic waterfalls and those strips of palm tree shaded beaches, it has been built up as a tourist destination with a regular little tourist strip to draw in the traveler. A small marina, a very nice Gite on the hill side and even a tourist office augment the setting. There is also a tiny grocery store, and tomorrow is supposed to be market day.

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A quick stop in the tourist office confirms that tomorrow is market day, and it will be open. We also learn that there is an OPT (post office) just up the hill. We need post card stamps. The First Mate is delighted. A grocery store, a market and a post office! She asks for so little!

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Crossing the street, we find the tiny grocery store which offers up nothing that we need. A trip up the hill to the post office gives us nothing as it closed 10 minutes before we got there. We head back to Avante with empty shopping bags. All in all, our first trip into Hienghene was a failed venture.

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Another sailboat, not as challenged with keel depth as we are on Avante, is anchored here, and we decide to head over to say hello. Dominique greets us as we motor close and invites us aboard. He had watched us as we came in earlier and wondered why we chose to anchor so far out. Hearing of Avante’s 2.8 meter keel, he laughs and understands. Dominique and his wife are from France. Crossing the Atlantic, they had sailed down the Atlantic Coast of the United States and enjoyed the Intercoastal Waterway. His wife is now in Nouméa having taken the bus there to buy a new part for their outboard. She is due back tomorrow afternoon. Upon her return, they are heading to Indonesia where they will join the Indonesian Rally. They, like us, are not really rally people, but he concedes that with all the paperwork necessary for Indonesia, going with a rally makes life so much easier. Once cleared in, they, like we would do, intend to go their own way. We have a fun time talking with Dominique and agree to meet on shore in the morning to tour the market and have a coffee.

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The market to which we head is a double row of roofed tables. There are more people in the general area. That looks hopeful, but hopes are dashed. The first table is only selling cut up cassava, taro or other island root vegetable for which we have no taste. None of the other tables are occupied until the end one which does have scallions as well as the usual root veggies. She buys a nice bunch of scallions. Outside the table area, a man opens a large cooler filled with fish, but not knowing what the fish are, when they were caught and with no ice in sight, The First Mate is not tempted.

Loaded down with her big purchase, she joins The Captain and Dominique. What about that coffee? The Gite up the way has a restaurant where we can sit and have a coffee together. The upper terrace of the Gite turns out to be delightful with a pretty view down across the river.

The First Mate comments about the number of businesses that are closed and how much in disrepair everything is. Dominique offers a thoughtful explanation. Everything we see here was built by the French with the European vision of how people live. That all these conical buildings resemble a Kanaky Case means nothing to the Kanaks. They do not live in towns and have not moved into this area. They live in small tribal communities, and that is how they want and like it. If the French continue to maintain these buildings, that’s fine. If not, that is fine, too. They use what they want from the French and leave the rest alone.

After coffee, we head up the hill to the OPT for our stamps. There are several people hanging around the front door of the building. One goes inside and takes a number from a machine. Our number is 15. They are on 8. With only 3 seats inside, The First Mate sees why everyone else is standing around outside. This is going to be a long wait. Leaving her to that wait, The Captain continues on up the road to explore the buildings we saw from the bay yesterday.

Left alone, The First Mate feels a bit like a fish out of water. Everyone is friendly and responds to her “bonjours”, but that is it. New people keep arriving and adding onto our waiting group. Eventually, a man arrives who seems to know everyone as he goes around giving all that wonderful French double hug and kiss. Him! She is going to start a conversation with this man. “Bonjour.” she says. “My name is Suzanne. I am American. We are here on our boat down below.” “Ah” he appears to say. “American. Oui! Donald Trump!” and he emphatically does a thumbs down. The First Mate had not expected that, but at least we have something we both whole heartedly agree upon! Heck, in this, even the Kanaks and the French can agree! Yes, a very bad and mean man. We both agree and nods from the rest of the group show approval of those thoughts. The days of traveling the world and being respected as Americans are gone. Instead, especially out here in the Pacific, we Americans are laughed at and/or lamented.

Finally, her number comes up. Stamps are bought. Post cards mailed, she heads outside saying good bye to everyone. Meeting The Captain, he insists that she come see the police station, town hall and school up the hill.

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Returning to the market for one last look before leaving for the boat, we find a few more stalls have been set up, and a few more items are added to her shopping bag: a papaya and a loaf of homemade bread. Another bonanza for Avante! All joking aside, that homemade bread truly was a bonanza. The woman called it a Brioche. Heavy it was, more like cake than bread, with just a touch of sweetness, it served us 3 days as our breakfast. Toasted with French butter – Yum! That taste still lingers in our minds.

Our next stop, Baie de Touho, is only a few nautical miles down the way, and it takes us less than 2 hours. The bay is fairly shallow, but several stakes confirm where the deeper channel is. After the last marker, we turn toward where our guide recommends anchoring. But The Captain does not like the color of the water ahead of us. It looks like a much shallower sand bottom than shown on the chart. Not wanting to find out the hard way, we anchor where we are, launch the dinghy and survey with our handheld depth meter. The chart is correct. We find no depth less than 19 ft.

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Touho is one of the few areas where we can get diesel, and though we are not in great need, like The First Mate’s quest for fresh veggies, one doesn’t pass up easily accessible fuel. The gas station is right across the road from the beach which makes it easier for each of our 80-pound fuel containers to be lugged back to the dinghy. Also, to The First Mate’s delight, the gas station is supposed to have a well-stocked market, and there is also another store down the road. Armed with shopping bags and fuel containers, we head ashore.

While The Captain manages the fuel, The First Mate inspects the offerings at the gas station and then walks down the road to the store. It has less than the gas station, but not wanting to leave empty-handed, she buys some butter and a head of lettuce. Back at the gas station, The Captain joins her in a bit of a buying spree. Another butter, a cucumber, 2 green tomatoes, 3 onions, 2 oranges, a baguette, 2 boxes of milk, 3 bottles of Schweppes tonic and 2 bags of potato chips. Wow! This truly is a bonanza!