Day 4 · Nuku Hiva · 1 March 2016
Travel teaches many lessons.
Bring rain gear.
Carry water.
Keep your passport safe.
Double-check your camera batteries.
What travel rarely teaches is this:
Always make sure you packed the correct drone cable.
I learned that lesson on Nuku Hiva.
The hard way.
Fifty Jeeps and One Bumpy Road
The day began with a spectacular arrival into Taipivai Bay.
Green mountains surrounded us on every side as the Aranui anchored offshore.
Soon we were climbing into one of roughly fifty waiting four-wheel-drive trucks lined up on a black sand beach.
It looked less like an excursion and more like a very organized off-road rally.
The road quickly explained why the trucks were necessary.
Potholes.
Ruts.
Mud.
Switchbacks.
More potholes.
Kirsten spent much of the ride wondering whether motion sickness could occur on land.
The answer is yes.
Very much yes.
Ancient Stones and Tropical Rain
Our destination was the Kamuihei archaeological site near Hatiheu.
Massive banyan trees shaded ancient stone platforms and tikis hidden among the jungle.
The place felt mysterious.
Ancient.
Powerful.
The kind of location where history doesn’t feel distant.
It feels present.
Then the rain arrived.
At first we heard it.
Then we saw it.
Then we experienced all of it.
Within minutes a tropical downpour transformed pathways into streams.
Everyone made a run for the trucks.
Nature had officially ended the tour.
The Drone Disaster
By late morning I discovered a problem.
A very annoying problem.
I had packed the wrong cable.
My drone was useless without it.
And I had specifically brought the drone to capture aerial footage of these islands.
I began asking everyone.
Taxi drivers.
Cruise passengers.
Locals.
Anyone who might possibly have the right cable.
Nobody did.
For over an hour I searched.
Nothing.
A Small Miracle in Hatiheu
Then our quiet driver spoke up.
“We know someone.”
That sentence changed everything.
A local woman called a friend.
The friend happened to be the principal of the local elementary school.
The principal happened to own the cable.
The principal was willing to lend it to a complete stranger.
Ten minutes later I was standing at the school holding exactly what I needed.
No paperwork.
No deposit.
No questions.
Just trust.
Sometimes the kindness of strangers is more memorable than the destination itself.
The Flight That Almost Didn’t Happen
Back near the waterfront, I launched the drone.
The mountains rose dramatically behind the village.
Clouds hung low over the ridges.
Two curious villagers stood beside me watching.
Neither had seen a drone before.
Their excitement was infectious.
And suddenly all the effort felt worthwhile.
Why Nuku Hiva Stayed With Me
The archaeological sites were fascinating.
The scenery was stunning.
The food was wonderful.
But when I think about that day, that’s not what I remember first.
I remember a principal lending a cable to a traveller she had never met.
I remember strangers working together to solve a problem that wasn’t theirs.
And I remember being reminded once again that the best part of travel is almost always the people.
The drone footage was great.
The kindness was better.
In the next installment: Ua Pou turns into a battle against heat, steep hills, and my accidental decision to eat two dinners.**
