A concession to the unavailability of public transport, I participated in a tour called "Raiatea, the Sacred Island"
I sat on 'le truck', an open air school bus with wooden benches, together with a small group of Rotterdam guests to drive part way around Raiatea to one of the oldest and most sacred maraes of the island. The old couple sitting beside me, on their blue beach towels brought from the ship for rear end comfort, kept looking at a map of Cook Island, trying to figure out, where the Hotel Bora Bora was located. It took some explaining, that we had left the Cook Islands, were now on Raiatea, and would not reach Bora Bora until a day later.
The coastline of Raiatea, an island not yet spoiled by excessive overpopulation, presented a changing scene of lush valleys, verdant mountains, cristalline waters and sleepy little sea side settments. The distance around the island is about 50km, and at km 31, one arrives at the famous Marae of Taputapuatea, cradle of Maori (Polynesian) culture. It is the most significant archeological site in the whole of the South Pacific, mythycal and embued with a sense of spirituality.
The marae area encompasses three hectares, and is located opposite the sacred pass of Te Ava Moa. Impressive coral pavers and raised volcanic rocks are aligned in perfect squares in a park like setting. One of the platforms served as a royal throne. Another platform - inland - served as an 'international' meeting place for all Polynesian Island nations, regardless of their distance away, but all living withing the Polynesian Triangle (Hawaii - New Zealand - Marquesas). Human sacrifice, sacred rites, all took place here in ancient times. Other platforms served as competition and iniciation stages for dance and feats of strength and daring.
One of the rites required total silence, of nature (no whisper of wind, no crashing surf, no rain drops) and of man (no sneezing, no talking, no laughter). Ceremonial priests would kill any person, that dared to utter a sound, including any baby that dared to babble or cry.
Many rites included animal sacrifices, and human sacrifices (at least until the missionaries put a stop to it). People would be 'baked' underground with hot rocks, then shredded on a designated stone of the Marae, and consumed.
One American lady quipped: "They don't do that anymore, they have domocracy now."...the power of logic in action.
Tribal insignia, still used to this day, when Polynesians still flock here for cultural reunions, adorn the volcanic rock walls of the marae, and stone sculptures dot the grounds, which are innundated with treacherous land crab holes. Breadfruit trees, Monoi Flower shrubs throw shade over the blinding white sand of the beach lining the marae. To this day, it is consider tapu (taboo) to remove any item from the sacred site, no shells, no rocks, no coral - it brings a curse upon the thief. As well, stepping onto the sacred platforms is not done, unless a tribal chief/priest invited a person to enter. One is allowed to pick a bloom of a bush, and take it away.
No shortage of flowers, buds of the Monoi Tiare Tahiti plant fill the air with a heady scent of gardenias. Flower crowns, single buds and leis are worn by almost everyone who lives here, and guests are given a bud to place into their hair or behind their ears.
If one desired something more - leis and flower crowns cost $5, and a huge flower arrangement costs $10. The latter were freshly made to order within ten minutes, just enough time to go off for a cool Hinano on the shady porch of a sea side bistro, accompanied by a plate of scrumptious Poisson Cru (fish marinated in lime, bathed in Coconut milk and adorned with cucumber and julienne raw carrots - delightful).
We departed at sunset, direction Bora Bora, rising out of the sea on the edge of the horizon.
