Okinawa Getaway: Day 6 ６月３０日

Only one day left on Ishigaki 石垣島, and the western half of the island had still to be explored (by me, anyway). Today was going to be my last chance, so first thing in the morning I headed over again to Nankokuya 南国屋 and rented another 50cc scooter for the day. Once everything was good to go, I was off, headed west and following the coast road as it wound its way around the island.

First stop was the Chinese-style Tōjin Grave 唐人墓. I’m not exactly sure of the circumstances, but this monument was erected in 1971 in honor of several hundred Chinese laborers who died offshore of Ishigaki in 1852. Apparently, the workers were on their way to California on an American or British ship when they rebelled against the slave-like conditions on board, and were massacred by the crew.

Nearby is this interesting memorial to three US Navy aviators, who had the misfortune of being shot down off the shore of Ishigaki on the last day of the Second World War (August 15, 1945). The three were captured by Japanese soldiers on the island, tortured and then executed, two by decapitation and the third bayoneted to death. Even on this picturesque island, the tragedy of war was never too far away.

After paying my respects at the monuments, I backtracked a little bit in order to visit Fusaki Kannon-dō 冨崎観音堂, a temple first constructed in 1701, though I’m not sure how old the current building is. The caretaker pointed out the trinity of gods in a small rear hall that are the object of worship here.

 

Across the road from the entrance to the temple, there was a nice view of both Taketomi 竹富島 and Iriomote Islands 西表島.

 

My trusty set of wheels. The rental fee included both helmet and rain gear (which was to come in rather handy later on in the day).

Another day, another lighthouse with a beautiful vista. A short detour brought me to the Ugan-zaki Lighthouse 御神崎灯台, with its great views across Ishigaki. There were several small boats in the waters below – a look through my binoculars revealed that they were disgorging divers. According to a sign at the foot of the lighthouse, this stretch of ocean is a popular spot for seeing manta rays. 

Back on the main road, it wasn’t long before I reached Ishigaki’s most renowned tourist spot, Kabira Bay 川平湾. And most overrated, in my humble opinion. Sure, it was pretty, especially when viewed from above. However, the beach was more suitable for wading than swimming, and there were a lot of glass-bottomed tour boats coming and going (which probably explains why there were a lot of Taiwanese tourists there, as well). Still, it’s worth a visit to see what all the fuss is about.

The one advantage to being in a commercialized hotspot is that there are places to grab a bite to eat, which is what I did after having my fill of the view. For lunch, I finally sat down to a bowl of Yaeyama Soba 八重山そば, the signature dish of these parts of Okinawa 沖縄. It went down well, helped in no small part by the side dish of sashimi 刺身 that came with the set, along with the mug of Orion Beer オリオンビール that I’d ordered as well.

In the photo above of me standing on the sand at Kabira-wan, you may have noticed the dark clouds in the background. As I was leaving the bay for my next destination, Yonehara Beach 米原ビーチ, the rain started coming down, and I was grateful for the fact that not only did I get a rain suit included with the scooter, but that it (or they, for it was in three parts) fit even my gaijin 外人-sized body. Thankfully, by the time I reached Yonehara, the rain had stopped…for good.

Yonehara – if there is one memory that I’m going to treasure above all others from this trip to Okinawa, it will be this beach. Not for the sand, but for what is in the water.

Let me start out by saying that “Ishigaki’s most rewarding beach experience” (according to The Rough Guide to Japan) begins with a very LONG wade across a broad stretch of dead coral (which means it was a very good thing I was wearing a pair of flip-flops on my feet). At first it was hard to understand what the writers at Rough Guide were talking about, until I reached a point so far from shore that my backpack could barely be seen anymore. Then, suddenly, the reef ended and the depths opened up. I felt a little intimidated at first, especially as every time the sun disappeared behind some clouds, the water became eerily dark, but I hadn’t come this far just to turn around and wade back, so I plunged in. What followed was 2½ hours of the single best swimming/ocean/beach experience(s) of my life to date.

Not having a camera that could take underwater photos, and having to rely on the cliché that it was “like swimming in a giant fish tank/aquarium” (even though it was), means that I can’t truly convey how wonderful a time I had out there. When the sun was shining, the water became a clear blue scene of the edge of the reef teeming with brightly colored tropical fish, of various shapes and sizes. I’m not very good at estimating depths, but I guessed that I was swimming in about 30-40 feet (9-12 meters) of water in some places. Despite lacking proper equipment such as a snorkel or a pair of flippers (I had only a prescription diving mask and the aforementioned beach thongs), I had no problem at all maneuvering through and around the reef. When I needed to take a break, all I merely had to do was stand up on a section of reef, and check to make sure my bag was still there (the little speck far in the distance never seemed to move), before submerging myself again. Unlike Kabira Bay, Yonehara Beach was everything it was cracked up to be (and more!).

At one point, I looked down and saw a huge fish that appeared to be almost my size. From a Google Images search, I believe what I saw was a grouper:

(spineltl.blog.shinobi.jp/Entry/354/)

There are signs at Yonehara warning you to watch out for jellyfish, which can deal a deadly sting if you’re not careful. I didn’t see any while I out there, but I definitely came across a couple of sea snakes.

Eventually, I became aware that it was getting late in the afternoon, and so reluctantly I slowly made my way back to shore, where I discovered it was now past 4:00 in the afternoon. I was soon traveling on Route 79, the same road that I had taken the day before to the Ibaruma Bay 伊原間湾 junction. It wasn’t long before I came to the intersection where Route 87 meets 79. Yesterday, I had turned right from 87 onto 79. This time, I turned right onto 87 from 79, and made my way through the interior of the island and back again to the city 石垣市. Seeing as it was still only 5:15 by the time I reached the downtown area (I had until 6:30 to return to the scooter), I decided to head west again as I’d done this morning in order to check out Funakura-no-Sato 舟蔵の里, which I’d passed earlier on my way to the Tōjin Grave. It’s basically a grouping of traditional Okinawa dwellings that house a restaurant and gift shop. I didn’t eat or buy anything there, but it is a nice spot for a quick stroll.

I made it back to the rental place with time to spare, and after dropping off the scooter, set off in search of food. All the soba 蕎麦 I’d been eating for the past few days had tasted great, but I needed meat, and so I dined at Vanilla Deli バニラ・デリ, located just up the road from Eifuku Shokudō 栄福食堂 (see the entry for Day 4), and treated myself to their “best burger”. I had been a semi-regular visitor to Vanilla Deli during the time I stayed in Ishigaki in order to use their computer to check my email (usage free with one drink order – their Chai Lattes チャイラッテ were great), but this was my first meal there. The burger wasn’t bad, but the beer selection was disappointing. For the only time during my trip, I didn’t have Orion or one of the local craft beers – Vanilla Deli only has Kirin Lager キリンラガービール.

However, on Ishigaki Island, good beer is never far away, and so I ended my last night there by treating myself to another bottle of the local brew 石垣島地ビール at an outdoor café close to the port.

Ishigaki’s main (covered) shopping arcade. Lots of souvenir shops, plus a small public market every morning.

Okinawa Getaway: Day 5 ６月２９日

I had spent the first couple of days on Ishigaki 石垣島 exploring other nearby islands (Taketomi 竹富 and Iriomote 西表島). Now it was time to see what Ishigaki itself had to offer. Courtesy of a rental shop called Nankokuya 南国屋, located halfway between the guesthouse and the port, I quickly secured the services of a 50cc scooter at a rate of only ¥2500 ($31/NT890) for the day (from 9am to 6:30pm), and set out to see what was beyond the city limits.

Ishigaki proved to be a very easy island to navigate. Route 87 soon took me from the city 石垣市 straight through the center of the island. Having had experience with both riding scooters and driving on the left side of the road, traveling was stress-free. The gorgeous interior scenery and lack of traffic certainly added to the enjoyment.

Pictured below is what I’m pretty sure is Omoto-dake 於茂登岳, Okinawa Prefecture’s 沖縄県 highest mountain at 526 meters (1726 feet). I was intending to climb to the top, and even found the turnoff leading to the trailhead, Unfortunately, when I got there, I discovered the entrance had been roped off.

The scenery throughout Ishigaki often brings to mind Hawaii, right down to the sugar cane fields.

Route 87 ended at the northern coast of Ishigaki, on the opposite side of the island from the city, so I turned right onto Route 79 and headed northeast. Not wanting to let any hiking opportunities go to waste (seeing as I’d gone to the trouble of bringing bulky hiking boots with me on this trip), I soon found the turnoff for Nosoko-Māpe 野底マーペ. The mountain itself was easy to identify.

Though it’s only 282 meters (925 feet) in elevation, the one hour it took to reach the top was one of the most difficult short hikes I’ve ever attempted. The trail was overgrown and hard to follow in spots, it was dark from the dense tree cover, the ground was muddy and slippery from recent rains, it was steep in many places (fortunately there were ropes in place) and there were just too many damn spider webs that I had to break through on my up. And it was humid. Was it worth the trouble to reach the top? Hell, yeah!

Coming down the mountain was about as much fun as going up it, and I’d worked up an appetite in the process. So continuing on along Route 79, I turned east at Ibaruma Bay 伊原間湾 and stopped off at a small diner, where I had beef soba 牛そば for lunch (no beer, alas – only tea). Refueled, I continued up the coast and turned off at the sign for Sunset Beach サンセットビーチ for some much-needed cooling off. Sunset Beach is basically an enclosed swimming area, but it does have some reef (with accompanying tropical fish) close to shore, making it a good spot to break out the diving mask. And it was free.

Even after 90 minutes of swimming around, it was still only 3 in the afternoon at this point, so I got back on the scooter and rode up the island. It wasn’t long before I came to the end of the line, Hirakubo-zaki 平久保崎. The view from the pastoral landscape looking out over the ocean, with the scene framed by the white lighthouse and the small island Daichi Hanare-jima 大地離島, was absolutely gorgeous.

The beauty of Ishigaki’s northernmost point would’ve been enough for this day, but the island wasn’t done yet showing off its charms. Heading back towards the Ibaruma Bay junction, I continued going south, this time on Route 390, which would eventually bring me back into the city. But not before stopping off at one more scenic overlook. The Tamatori-zaki Observation Platform 玉取崎展望台 provides another splendid viewpoint, with its pavilion set among blooming hibiscus ハイビスカス flowers (the latter proving especially popular with the small groups of attractive young women stopping by to take a look).

I made it back into Ishigaki with only a few minutes to spare before the rental shop closed, meaning I’d certainly gotten my yen’s worth out of my rented hog…OK, piglet. And to think that in roughly 9 hours of touring, I’d only explored a little more than half of the island. That was fine, because I still had one more day ahead of me. In the meantime, back in town and tired of soba, I first enjoyed an Indian dinner of two kinds of curry and naan bread, then did some souvenir shopping for Amber and Pamela, before purchasing a bottle of Ishigaki Beer 石垣島地ビール (my first of the day) and retiring to my room. I was definitely looking forward to the next day’s ride!

Amber’s dress is made from bingata 紅型, a traditional Okinawan textile:

Okinawa Getaway: Day 4 ６月２８日

The entrance to the annex of Rakutenya 楽天屋, my home-away-from-home for five nights on Ishigaki Island 石垣島.

Welcome to the jungle...Japanese-style.

OK, so Japan doesn't really have jungles. But it does have the island of Iriomote 西表島. Though it's the second-largest island in the prefecture of Okinawa 沖縄県, there are only about 2000 people living there in a few scattered settlements. More than 90% of Iriomote is covered by dense forest, much of it unexplored, which makes it understandable why one of the world's rarest (and critically endangered) species, the Iriomote cat イリオモテヤマネコ was only discovered in 1965. Though it's only 45 minutes by ferry from Ishigaki to the port of Uehara 上原, it feels like a different world from Ishigaki.

Buses are infrequent on Iriomote, but thanks to the tourist information counter inside the Ishigaki Port 石垣港 terminal, I was able to pick up detailed ferry and bus timetables (are you listening Taiwanese tourist authorities?) and plot the best time to go. Which in my case turned out to be the 8:30am ferry to Uehara, which pulled in at 9:15, leaving me with just enough time to catch the 9:20 bus to my final destination, the Urauchi River 浦内川. The most popular thing to do on Iriomote is to take a boat up the river, and then walk through the forest to see a couple of picturesque waterfalls. Which is what I did. We traveled upriver for about half-an-hour, passing groves of mangrove trees en route. I've never been to the Amazon, but I imagine the Urauchi-gawa bears more than a passing resemblance.

From the boat landing, it was a 45-minute walk through rainforest to the first of the two waterfalls, Mariudo-no-taki マリウドの滝. The access path leading down to the falls was roped off, but they could still be seen from an observation post:

Fifteen minutes further on was the second set of falls, Kampirē-no-taki カンピレーの滝:

In all, we were given about 2½ hours to walk to the waterfalls and back to the boat landing. I didn't see any native wildcats while walking along the trail, of course (they're mostly nocturnal, anyway), but other life forms were out and about.

On the return trip downriver, the boat traveled quickly in spots where the Urauchi River was deep, but in places where the bottom came up quickly, it had to move slowly.

Back at the starting point, I had about 50 minutes to wait for the return bus to Uehara, so I killed time by walking over to a nearby lookout point that provided a good view over an extensive area of mangrove forest. At Uehara, it was only a short wait for the next ferry back to Ishigaki, where I found myself again shortly before 3:30 in the afternoon.

And that, unfortunately, was the whole of my experience on Iriomote. I say "unfortunately", because this is an island that deserves an extended stay and not a mere day trip. Iriomote has other river trekking options, along with kayaking, swimming, snorkeling and diving. If you continue on the trail past the Kampirē-no-taki waterfall, you can embark on a 15-kilometer (9.3 miles)-long hike through the center of Iriomote, eventually reaching the southern port of Ōhara 大原, from where it's also possible to take a ferry back to Ishigaki. I wish I'd had the time on this trip to spend a night or two on Iriomote Island and see more of this special place, but I'm glad I was able to at least scratch the surface.

Meanwhile, back in civilization, I was starving and in the mood for some Okinawan cuisine, so I headed straight for...A&W. Yes, as in the root beer maker. Another by-product of the U.S. influence on the Ryūkyū Islands 琉球諸島 (for those of you who don't know your post-war history, Okinawa 沖縄 was under American administration from the end of the war in 1945 until its reversion to Japanese control in 1972), I saw more A&W Restaurants in Okinawa than McDonald's. In addition to bringing back childhood memories (and childhood was the last time I'd been to one), the root beer hit the spot after the humid morning and afternoon on Iriomote.

Refreshing though the root beer was, I was still thirsty. From a vending machine came proof that it's not all Orion Beer オリオンビール and awamori 泡盛 when it comes to drinks in Okinawa. Ryūkyū Cola 琉球コーラ tasted a lot like RC Cola, and like it says on the can, it was "so cool!" and "so refreshing!"

For the remainder of the afternoon, I visited a couple of sights in the town of Ishigaki, not far from the Rakuten guesthouse. First, I walked over to Tōrin-ji 桃林時, a Zen 禅 temple dating from 1614 (the car parked in front is a later model).

Orb spiders in Okinawa are a little smaller, but a bit more colorful, than their Taiwanese cousins.

Next door to the temple is Gongen-dō 権現堂, a small shrine which was originally constructed in 1614, but rebuilt in 1771 after the original structure was destroyed by a tsunami 津波.

Finally, it was dinner time. Based on a recommendation in my Lonely Planet guide, I decided to check out Eifuku Shokudō 栄福食堂, and its owner, Tony Soba トニーそば.

Dinner, goat soba ヤギそば, was a tasty bargain at only ¥500 ($6.15/NT180)...

...but the real highlight of Eifuku Shokudō was Tony himself. One of Ishigaki's true characters, Tony is a very entertaining host. A former tuna 鮪 fisherman whose work took him all over the world (he has the postcards to prove it), Tony named himself after Keiichirō Akagi 赤木圭一郎, a Japanese actor/singer nicknamed "Tony", who died at the age of 22 in 1961. The walls of Eifuku Shokudō are plastered with his album covers and movie stills.

http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/tubuyakitony/26409157.html

Tony is also proud that his restaurant has been mentioned in the last four Lonely Planet Japan guides. It's people like him who help make Ishigaki such a great place to visit. If you ever make it there, be sure to drop in at Tony's and sign his guestbook.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/Iriomote_cat_Stuffed_specimen.jpg

Okinawa Getaway: Day 3 ６月２７日

Flat as a pancake. That’s probably the best description of Taketomi Island 竹富島. Only about one kilometer (0.6 miles) wide, and just 15 minutes by a fast, frequent ferry from Ishigaki Port 石垣港, this was my destination on my first full day in the Yaeyama Islands 八重山諸島.

The ferry getting ready to leave

The thing to do on Taketomi is to rent a bicycle, and ride around the village and the island. Upon arrival, you are greeted by a row of vans, all belonging to bicycle rental shops. Just choose anyone (the “touts” are anything but aggressive), and they will take you on the short drive into the village (I opted for a shop called Maruhachi 丸八). In just a matter of moments, I was on a bike and on my way to exploring the island.

First stop was Kaiji Beach カイジビーチ, aka Hoshizuna (“star sand beach”) 星砂ビーチ:

Instead of swimming, Kaiji is noted for its star-shaped sand, the dried exoskeletons of tiny sea creatures. I couldn’t find any in the sand itself, but a small souvenir table had some on display under a magnifying glass:

Time for a self-portrait, then it was back on the bike. I didn’t shave the entire time I was in Okinawa 沖縄, and regretted it towards the end – all those gray flecks made me look like an aging beach bum:

Next up was Kondoi Beach コンドイビーチ, Taketomi’s best spot for a swim. The tide was out when I got there, making it the island’s best spot for a wade. There were some places, however, where I could submerge myself, and fish could be seen swimming about. The sea bottom was covered with sea cucumbers ナマコ, disgusting-looking but harmless creatures that are enjoyed at the lunch or dinner table in Japan:

While enjoying myself at Kondoi, three small buses arrived and disgorged a large group of Taiwanese tourists. I knew they were Taiwanese, because a.) they were speaking Mandarin with the Taiwanese accent; b.) they were the loudest people on the beach; and c.) the women were the only ones there using umbrellas (the sky was cloudy, and threatened to rain, most of the day on Taketomi). One young woman referred to me as the “wàikuójén” 外國人a couple of times to her friends, until I pointed out to her (in my bad, but still understandable, Chinese), that seeing as how we were all in Japan, and that none of us were Japanese, therefore she and her companions were also waiguoren in this situation. This quieted her up immediately, and that was the last I heard of the word.

Cost of the bike rental: Y300 ($3.75 /NT110) per hour.

Cost of shutting up (if only temporarily) an ignoramus: Priceless.

From Kondoi Beach, I continued riding up the west side of Taketomi, and came to a short pier that is supposedly the best spot for viewing the sunset. It was too early in the day, and too cloudy, for that, of course, but the views looking out toward Iriomote Island 西表島 (center) and Ishigaki 石垣島 (right) weren’t bad:

From here, I turned inland and rode into the village, home to all of about 300 people. What draws the visitors to the island are the traditional houses, decked out with red-tiled roofs, coral walls and shīsā シーサー statues. In the center of the village, I first paid a visit to Nishitō Utaki 西塔御嶽, a shrine dedicated to a 16-century ruler of the Yaeyama Islands who hailed from Taketomi. Despite the presence of the torii gate 鳥居, Shintō shrines 神社 throughout Okinawa look somewhat different from those in mainland Japan, both in construction materials (primarily stone and concrete in Okinawa) and in the representations of the gods. Most likely, as the Ryūkyū Islands 琉球諸島 gradually became absorbed by Japan, their local deities were given a Shintō 神道 twist:

Close to the shrine is the Nagomi-no-tō なごみの塔, a not-very-high lookout tower, but one which gives a pretty good overview of the village on this flat isle:

Lunchtime was at a place called Shidamē しだめー館, and consisted of the very tasty taco rice タコライス. An example of the American influence on Okinawa, taco rice is basically rice topped with taco fillings (shredded lettuce and salsa sauce), and is very tasty. It goes very well with Orion Beer オリオンビール, naturally:

Fueled up, it was time to park the bike and walk through the village. One popular option for visitors is to take a ride on a water buffalo-driven cart (though I skipped this one):

A typical street scene on Taketomi:

After wandering about for a bit, I got back on the bike and rode out to the northern end of the island, to a spot called Misashi ミサシ. Here, the water was deep enough for skin diving, and the reefs were teeming with small fish. And here, at last, I was able to give the prescription diving mask I had bought in Washington back in February its first proper workout. Ishigaki Island can be seen in the background:

Feeling suitably refreshed after a long swim with the fish, I rode back into the village, parked the bike again, and walked over to the Kihōin Shushukan 喜宝院蒐集館, a small museum displaying various items like samurai swords 日本刀, festival masks and old cigarette packages and stamps:

Shīsā are small lion statues placed on rooftops and stone walls, and serving as guardian spirits. They can be seen throughout the islands of Okinawa:

Strawberry shaved ice カキ氷 makes for a perfect break on a humid afternoon. The weather wasn’t always sunny during the time I was in Okinawa, but it was always humid!:

One more picture of a traditional house, and then it was time to return the bike, and be driven in the van to the port, where I took the ferry back to Ishigaki:

Back in the “big city”, relatively speaking (the population of the whole of Ishigaki Island is only 50,000), I had dinner at an izakaya 居酒屋 close to my guesthouse. The owner of Mori-no-Kokage 森のこかげ was very friendly. I wanted to try the Ishigaki beef salad 石垣牛サラダ, but due to a recent case on the Japanese mainland where several people died from eating raw meat, he had been unable to secure supplies. So instead, he whipped up a plate of papaya champurū パパイアチャンプルー, another local specialty. Along with a couple more bottles of Ishigaki Beer 石垣島地ビール, it was a most satisfying end to another great day:

Shima Uta 島唄 - The Boom