When we hit land in Nuku Hiva, the first thing we noticed was the rocking. It was incessant and very pronounced and I was legitimately thrown from my room into the galley. Thrown. We had anchored in the most populated anchorage there, the least rocking of them, because it was nearest to the big bay filled with tiny stores and one road. It was here that we met some of our favorite people: Steve and Mary, onboard Summer Rose.

We all became friends and tried our best to buddy boat everywhere. We went with them to Daniels Bay, a stunning, teensy weensy anchorage that’s an hour from Nuku Hiva’s main bay.

While we were in Daniels we went on a “short, easy one hour hike.” It was not. IT was about two hours but that’s not even the end: we met Jesus.

OK not Jesus but a thing even more peculiar on a hike. Sweet Jesus.

Mary and I were sitting by a river while the others went ahead, when she saw a dead fish. I got a stick and poked it. ‘Twas not a fish. ‘Twas not dead. It was a massive, six foot long, one foot wide eel with little teeth that I could see. And all I could do was jump and scream “sweet Jesus!!!!!!!!!!” And throw my stick. He swam and sat in the location where everyone was crossing this river to complete said hike.

Mary and I decided not to tell people until after they crossed, because he clearly hadn’t attacked anyone yet and no point in getting everyone uselessly scared, so anyone on the trail who was coming and going were not informed of our friend SJ.

Naturally, as soon as everyone crossed and we told them the truth, they freaked out. But it was fun.

We got ready to leave Nuku Hiva for our final place in the Marquesas: Ua Pou… home of the ChocoMan….