Twice in one year… this is becoming a habit!

Decided I’d save the bulk of my hols, and take a proper long trip this time. One week in, and finally getting around to uploading some comments and photos.

Saturday 7th/Sunday 8th

Uneventful trip through Amsterdam, but as we neared an on time arrival at Kansai International (in Osaka) I started to realise I might be cutting things a bit fine. Disembarked at 08:50, connecting flight at 10am… Immigration was a breeze, took all of 10 minutes. Then the baggage belt: A 20 minute wait (enlivened by the manic antics of the handlers of the contraband detector dogs, lots of running around and verbal encouragement) left me exiting customs at 09:20, with absolutely no idea of where my connecting flight would go from – and KIX is not a small airport! As luck would have it, escalator up one floor, and 10 minutes later I was through security – phew! Hence no photos of the airport 😀

So on to my third plane of the day – NU0083 to Ishigaki. First class – that meant paying £73 instead of £62, nice wide seat with recline and footrest. Service very attentive as it always is in Japan, feeling very chilled despite the fact I’d been travelling for about 20 hours by the time we landed. Ishigaki is the third largest of the Okinawa and Yaeyama island chain, and the furthest south with an airport.

Immediate signs of being in a tropical environment on arrival at Ishigaki Airport – awesome tropical fish tank, plus palm trees inside the terminal by the bar. Also, instant condensation on my beer glass, and on stepping outside realisation that it was about 34degC and humid as hell.

Bus to Ishigaki port and found my accommodation for the night – the cabin hotel Blue Cabin Ishigaki. Similar to the capsule hotels we stayed at in Tokyo, but full size (small) single bed in its own floor to ceiling ‘cabin’. Comfortable and good value, my neighbours were mostly laid back surfer types – apart from one geeky looking guy who apologised (‘gomen’nasai!’) for leaving his huge aluminium suitcase in the middle of the hall. Had a look around the port building, spotted a photo of the ‘Yamaneko’ – or Iriomote mountain cat – very difficult to spot, but very cute! Sadly I’m unlikely to see one on my trip this time.

Dinner after a stroll around town, café with pretty good local beef burgers – went healthy, rice and salad instead of a bun. Spotted this rather unusual monument on my wandering. It commemorates the day in 1978 when the islands reverted to driving on the correct side of the road, 6 years after they returned from American to Japanese control.

Monday 9th

Early start, good buffet at Blue Cabin. Not a bad view from the café. Wandered down to book my ferry ticket, and spotted this fellow at the wharfside – a local boxing hero  called Yoko Gushiken from 1976-1981 (WBA Light Flyweight), lots of people stopping for photos.

 

And so to the ferry. I’m heading to Iriomote, the second largest of the Yaeyama islands, and just about as far south and west as you can get and still be in Japan – at this point, it’s 1000km from the south coast of Kyushu, but only 200km from Taiwan. It’s about 45 mins to Uehara port on the north coast, the route is often cancelled due to high waves (as it was the day before), meaning you have to go to Ohara port in the south and take a 50 min bus ride north.

I opted to stay out back, and we pulled away from the dock and headed out toward the breakwater. I love the smell of diesel in the morning… It seemed quite a sedate ride, and we passed a massive liner moored in the harbour – looked like a city block on the ocean. However once we left the shelter of the harbour wall, the captain seemed to remember he was actually a power boat racer and put his foot down – massive rooster tail of spray, and I was very glad I had noise cancelling headphones with me! The small boy in the photo actually nodded off at one point, reinforcing my observation that the Japanese can – and will – sleep anywhere given half a chance. Also, I was rather taken with their recycling bin slogans:

“They will be resources if it divides.
It will be garbage if it mixes.
Resources are limited.
However, there’s no limit to ideas of human beings.”

Hear hear – and recycling bins for 4 different materials on one small ferry!

Arrived in to Uehara port, and was picked up by the owner of ペンション星の砂 – pronounced Penshon hoshi no suna, translates as Pension Star Sand – the beach out front often has tiny start shaped shells from the coral reefs. Arrived to be greeted by this sight from the decking out back of the restaurant/shop:

Imagine my sense of crushing disappointment 😁

Simple accommodation, just concrete bungalows with tatami mat rooms and futons, but perfect for a seaside break.  Went for a walk along the beach, spotted some sea snake trails – not one you’d want to get nipped by! The rock formations are fascinating, underlying layers are sandstone, topped with old coral and then soil and plants, leading to weird shapes as the different material erode at different rates.

Dinner at the Pension, curry, rice and prawn katsu (deep fried prawns in panko breadcrumbs – yum!). Was pleasantly surprised when the waitress complimented me on my skills with hachi (chopsticks).