24 May 2011:

Writing my journal at night. I chose to stay at Tiendanite since it is the home tribe (tribu) of Jean-Marie Tjibaou, the influential leader of the FLNKS (Front de Libération Nationale Kanak et Socialiste - Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front), who promoted a moderate peaceful approach, and was ultimately assassinated by another Kanak in 1989.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-11.html

24 May 2011:

The bathrooms were across a field (of poop), and there were lots of electrical problems in this section of the village. At least there was electricity some of the time. I ran into wild horses a couple of times at night while trying to go to the bathroom. Although I was pretty intimidated, as I approached, they would get up and walk away.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-11.html

24 May 2011:

Overall, it was pretty comfortable, with the exception of a huge amount of mosquitoes. There were also lots of wild horses, which left the ground covered in poop, and when it rained, you were pretty much sloshing in a soup of poop everywhere you go. I'm trying to try out some wet clothes from the rain after I changed.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-11.html

24 May 2011:

Arrived at Tiendanite, and found that someone has already taken the traditional hut I wanted to stay in, and the other simple guest cabin close by was occupied, so I was put in a simple guest cabin towards the back of the village.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-11.html

24 May 2011:

Dominique (the English teacher from Guadaloupe / French Guyana) offered to drive me to Tiendanite, where I chose to stay. On the way is a memorial on the site of the 1984 Hienghèn Massacre, where 10 people from the Tiendanite tribe were killed when returning from a meeting as a part of the negotiations between separatist parties and the French government. They had been advocating a peaceful solution through negotiations, which their killers disagreed with.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-11.html

24 May 2011:

A small bride I took a break on. There were small fish swimming around in schools in the water. On the way back, a French person who spend his life in Guadaloupe and French Guyana offered me a ride. He eventually helped me get lunch, sort arrangements out, and offered me a beer at his place (he was a state English teacher in Koulnoue). He was a bit eccentric, and I was in that sleep-deprived paranoid state, so I was very careful to make sure he didn't drug me. At least with me, turns out he was just a very friendly, helpful, but eccentric person.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-11.html

24 May 2011:

View of the river separating Linderalique and Koulnoue.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-11.html

24 May 2011:

There was a thick grove or coconuts. I heard multiple coconuts fall there, and saw one fall about 10m away from me, which landed with a very loud thud. I was very paranoid about having a coconut fall on my head.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-11.html

24 May 2011:

A part of these cliffs is featured on the 500F note. The beach where the view is taken from is known as "plage du billet de 500," or "beach of the 500 bill." There was a can to take money and a note, but I wasn't sure if I needed to find someone to ask for permission. Combined with my hesitation at paying for too many things due to no income for half the year, I didn't go visit it. In retrospect, it's probably worth the $5 or so to take a peek.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-11.html

24 May 2011:

Apparently you can visit some caves in these cliffs. Sadly, due to a tribal dispute, these caves were not accessible when I was there. I would really love to have seen these cliffs and caves up close.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-11.html

24 May 2011:

I wonder what's in the nooks and crannies of these cliffs, how they were formed, and what their internal structure is.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-11.html

24 May 2011:

More cliffs. Surrounded by tropical foliage, they seemed very mysterious.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-11.html

24 May 2011:

View of one of the cliffs through banana leaves.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-11.html

24 May 2011:

Start of the cliffs. Christell told me that when she visited, these cliffs reminded her of how she imagined the cliffs in South East Asia to be like.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-11.html

24 May 2011:

View of the cliffs of Linderalique from the overview. After some contemplation, I decided not to go on a hike up a mountain and walk over to Linderalique for a closer view of the cliffs.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-11.html

24 May 2011:

Attempt at a self-portrait wit the Poule. I can't tell if I like this photo or not.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-11.html

24 May 2011:

Close-up of the famous "La Poule," used not only as a recognizable symbol of Hienghène, but of New Caledonia as a whole. The similarity of this rock with a hen is uncanny.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-11.html

24 May 2011:

I reached an overlook where I took a short break which enjoying the view of the Poule (hen) of Hienghène. In the time I was there, I saw a Kanak mother and a kid on a walk, and an elderly white couple pull up in a car for a quick view. Seems like even tourist-heavy areas outside of Nouméa aren't that frequented by tourists. The beginnings of the famous cliffs of Linderalique are visible to the right of the photo.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-11.html

24 May 2011:

After making some arrangements for a tribal stay at a surprisingly modern tourist info center and buying some food, I decided to take a walk to see the famous Poule of Hienghène. This is a cultural museum that I passed, but was undergoing renovation. There were quite a few different styles of huts on display.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-11.html

24 May 2011:

This place was so beautiful I thought it was worth one more photo on the blog. It's so tranquil, with the clouds slowly scraping past the top of the peaks rising out of the water, surrounded by tropical foliage.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-11.html

24 May 2011:

Close-up view of the escarpment near the peaks. The view from up there must be breath-taking.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-11.html

24 may 2011:

Close-up of the peaks. I feel like this would be a fun place to scramble around on.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-11.html

24 May 2011:

Some dramatic hills rising out of the wide river outlet.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-11.html

24 May 2011:

Picture of the bus and barge mid-crossing.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-11.html

24 May 2011:

As we got closer to Hienghène, dramatic green cliffs rose up from the sea, pinning the road to just beside the ocean. I regret not taking photos of those areas. Pictured a ferry crossing using a barge guided by cables.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-11.html

24 May 2011:

Another local rickety bus. I had to sit with all my luggage on my lap as there was no place to store it, and the bus was full. Lots of small bridges, dense green foliage, and waterfalls.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-11.html

24 May 2011:

A little shelter where Boris, his friend, who also showed up, and I waited for the bus. These shelters seem to serve as mini-markets, with wood stump chairs and simple plank tables.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-11.html

24 May 2011:

Their tribe in the pre-dawn hours of the morning.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-11.html

24 May 2011:

Boris, aka (Bobo), whose house I slept in, helped me catch the bus in the morning - waking up at 4:30am. He was really very helpful. This is a picture of the road we are waiting at.

Rough notes:
http://mandarinmanmarktravelnotes.blogspot.com/2011/05/2011-nz-to-sf-day-11.html