gake.

I awoke after two hours sleep feeling as though I was in the fires of hell. Going back to sleep was impossible, so I took to wandering the island again in search of shade.

In the afternoon Jamestown and I checked out the other main beach on the island.

It is known for it’s snorkelling, which was pretty great. The coral was really close to shore, so it was easy for children and less confident swimmers to go out to see the fish. Unfortunately, the effect of tourism was fairly evident. A number of times I saw people stepping or jumping off the coral (many of whom were wearing heavy shoes such as runners). It was also very obvious from the behaviour of the fish that they were very used to being fed by people; they showed little fear of humans, and would even come and bite at your hands or feet. Although to an extent it was fun to swim in what felt more like an aquarium than an actual natural environment, I can’t deny that I found it fairly distressing to see how greatly destroyed this entire ecosystem was. I guess it is somewhat hypocritical for me to make these complaints, when (despite my attempts to do so as unobtrusively as possible) by participating in the invasion of this area I too was contributing to its damage. Perhaps it was best that I was doing so in an area already doomed, I don’t know.

Onto happier things! We had also rented bicycles at this stage.

We rode them up to a lookout that was supposed to be spectacular for an island sunset.

We were not disappointed.

I took far too many pictures, but it felt as though every time I blinked there was another colour, or shade that in my folly I attempted to capture.

After the traumatic lack of sleep the night before, we were unwilling to take the same risk, so abandoned our tents and dragged our mats onto the beach. Despite waking a couple of times in the night fearing attack from bears, it was a brilliant idea, not only providing a superior night’s sleep, but also allowing the pleasure of waking up to this.

After departing from Zamami we had one more (very odd) night in Naha, before leaving Okinawa. Thus ends my dose of the beach for the summer! Six more months!

umi.

For anyone who has as long in Japan to travel as I have, I would say you are missing out if you don’t head over to Okinawa. You can get ultra cheap flights with Jetstar and it’s only a couple of hours’ flight. In those two hours, you go from being in mountainous Honshu to what seems more like Fiji. The day after my last exam I ditched Gifu, hopped on a plane with my pal Jamesie and headed to the summer by the sea I had been longing for (see here). There was a little drama, with me going to the wrong airport (the airport system here makes no sense), but we got our flight, so really it was no big deal.

The first couple of days we stayed in Naha, revelling in our proximity to the beach by day and hanging out at bars at night. 

I won jenga. And darts. Seeing as there is not all that much to do in Naha itself, we took a trip out to the American Village.

Assumedly due to the number of Americans in Okinawa because of the U.S. military base there, the American Village was created to cater to their entertainment needs. Filled with everything imaginable (cinema, shops, bowling, beach, bars, restaurants), it remains a rather odd place. Despite its name, it very much felt more like an American themed park in Japan than something truly American. 

It was, however, a nice spot to watch the sun go down.

nichibotsu.

I just wanted to share one of the many gorgeous sunsets we've been getting heading into summer. I took this picture from the roof of my building. Although the days have already started to become hot, the evenings are divine, and the sky often turns all kinds of delightful shades of pink and orange over the mountains. For me it brought to mind part of a Psalm I read recently.

You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds, 
    God our Savior,
the hope of all the ends of the earth
    and of the farthest seas,
who formed the mountains by your power,
    having armed yourself with strength,
who stilled the roaring of the seas,
    the roaring of their waves,
    and the turmoil of the nations.
The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;
    where morning dawns, where evening fades,
    you call forth songs of joy.
                                                       Psalm 65:5-8