After my time in Hiva Oa and Tahuata, I caught a quick 30-minute flight on a twin otter plane up to Nuku Hiva.  The airport was all the way on the northwestern side of the island, far away from any towns or villages.  There was no public transportation, and I had no one picking me up, so I prepared myself to hitchhike and hope someone would stop as they left the airport, because if they didn't, I would have been stuck.  A gentleman started talking to me while I was waiting for my duffel to come off the plane, and it turned out he operated the island’s only taxi.  He said I could take the last seat in the taxi for 3000 XFP (around USD $30);  I accepted.  It was about an hour and a quarter drive over the mountains to the harbor town of Taioha'e, on the south end of the island.  It was a pretty drive, and very steep.  We drove up and up and up, following switchbacks until we were literally surrounded by low clouds.  I remember looking down over the edge and watching the vegetation just disappear into a white abyss below us.  

When we arrived in Taioha’e, the driver dropped off the other passengers, and then took me to a pension;  I had emailed it the day before, but had no internet to receive a reply.  When I learned they had no space, we got back into the taxi and I asked the driver if he knew somewhere that I could camp.  We drove a short way down by the water, and he yelled out the window to a Marquesan man in his yard.  They had a rapid conversation in Marquesan, after which I was invited to pitch my tent in this man's backyard.  He was a large, friendly guy named Fati, and he spoke better English than any local I had met up to that point.  I followed him onto his property, and he showed me where I could pitch my tent.  His housemate, Gabrielle, joined us outside, and the two of them watched, fascinated, as I set up my tent.  Fati was very excited to help, and requested that I let him push the stakes in.