hachijojima 2009 sept, 21-23 day 1(the beach experience 2)

this one was actually not a beach experience per se but more like an island escapade.

hachijojima is an island in the pacific about 300 kilometers down south from tokyo. though relatively far, it is still under tokyo government. now what have gotten into our minds to even go there? i don't know really, but it sure was fun and lots of exercise. wahahha.

we rode on a ferry from tokyo on the 20th night time. surprisingly, the ferry was quite stable; i would hesitate riding one in the philippines especially if it takes this long. the whole trip took around 12 hours with a sore butt. it was broad daylight when we reached the island. no complaints though; the air was fresh.

complaints came when we went to our reserved cottage, K2. the moment we rode the taxi and told the driver of our location, all he gave was a laugh. trouble was in the air i suppose. and yes what a trouble it was indeed. after coursing down the main highway for 5 minutes, the taxi took a narrow unpaved road towards the jungle. the cottage was literally far from civilization, no wonder it was offered at a lower price.

but we were here to have fun. upon reaching the house, we left our luggage, changed outfits and headed out. we walked till eternity to the main road. just when i thought we've had enough, we walked some more to our destination--an early sign of the long walks we'll have on the island.

first stop, the visitor's center. here we inquired on the best places to go and how to get there. we had our first share of the local flavor, ashitaba ice cream. ashitaba is some species of tea. going to the center was an activity on its own, we had to use our navigation skills using a map -- google maps via iphone. some advertisements in there. wahaha. aloe vera is also wide spread on the island. it is everywhere. we also saw glow-in-the-dark mushrooms and of course, the very wide fields.

second stop, yokoma beach. we first bought chips and wine on the way there. the store owner was so accommodating. if he only had the time, i'm sure he'll tour us around himself. we headed out, ate lunch and hailed a cab. now upon reaching the beach, we were surprised; it was peaceful and quite. it was like we owned the place for ourselves. we can dip in the nude and no one will care, it was all ours. there were occasional sightseers but no one stayed long. the water was clear and cool and refreshing, and we even witnessed a beautiful sunset. this is our beach, i claimed. we stayed until it got dark.

now going back to the town was quite difficult--it was dark and we were in an unknown territory. we walked yet again till we found a cab. we just asked the driver to take us somewhere we can eat-- we were so lost. but this incident was surely a treat. we feasted on local meal. it was the best. we ordered stuff we barely understood and got satisfied. in less than 5 minutes after serving each course, we consumed everything. we had to drag ourselves out. we paid our bill before it gets any bigger.

going home to the cabin is a different story. we asked a taxi to take us home but he didn't know where the house was. we told him that it was in the middle of the mountain, there was no other way to describe it. i was laughing at this point. then, some friendly couple helped us get a better taxi. we were prepared to say our thanks but they rode the cab with us. we cramped ourselves in the small cab. still unsure of what is happening, they took us home. they conversed in japanese but my skills were limited. it was the best act i gave, i smiled and nodded as if i understood everything. what a fool. the couple was amazed unaware of my act. as the taxi made its way into the woods, they now believed that the cabin was in the middle of the mountain. wahahaha. we reached the cabin and got ready to pay. but the couple said no--it was their treat. oh my! we didn't even get to know their names and they paid for us. my nihongo act must have made an impression. i'm thankful to those two but my checks still blush remembering the incident.

it was a long day indeed but it was fun. my feet hurts though from all the walking. if the next day plan goes wrong, i'm sure these feet needs a lot more rest. i slept right away with no worries for the next day.

day one is over.

to be continued...