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Air Tahiti Magazine 59
destination journey through ua pou ©tim-mckenna.com journey through ua pou hakahau the stone catholic church in the village of hakahau is home to some remarkable sculptures. made and designed by local artists, the pieces are perfect examples of the absorption of the religion into marquesan culture as well as reflecting the artistic style of the island. the virgin and her infant is the most striking sculpture, the baby holding a large breadfruit in his hands. the sounds of pahu and haka can be heard in the distance at a nearby community center where a group practices their song and dance for the mini arts festival in tahuata. we walk along the beach from the church and follow the road towards pukue e pension. after walking a few minutes more we come across a white cross on a hilltop and a magnificent view of hakahau bay and anaho beach, awash in white and turquoise. hakamoui, or chief s valley hakamoui beach is at the bottom of chief s valley, often misnamed king s valley. lobsters and octopus flourish here along the sea cliffs while manta rays glide about, on their guard for black tip reef sharks who come out looking for an easy meal when locals come out to fish. on our return we visit a meae (an ancient temple, called marae in tahitian) at temenaha. at three tiers high, it s the tallest in ua pou. the meae was built by in ancient times and served as a place for spiritual exchange for village chiefs. the site is only accessible if you are with a local because it s located on private property. we admire the anthropomorphic sculptures and a big tiki that s in good condition. unfortunately, this site was pillaged many years ago and the tiki that once graced the platforms were taken. european collectors of the time doted on these pagan trophies, which they showed of with their other treasures. for some of the marquesan people who had converted to catholicism, these ancient symbols were nothing more than merchandise that they could use to make a bit of money. revue de bord n°59 / air tahiti / on-board magazine n°59 17
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