(Scroll down to read in English)
5：00に目が覚める。
娘も妻もまだ寝てる。
寝に戻るか、本を読むか、はたまた散歩に行くか。
外は明るくなり始めていた。
きっと何かいい景色が見れる。
運が良ければ産卵にきた母ガメに会えるかも。
カメラを持って寝間着にサンダルで大村海岸へ向かった。
雲がかかる朝の山々 / Mountains covered with cloud in the morning
雲のかかる山々が美しい。
海は静か。
朝日が顔を出そうとしている。
海岸に何人か人が立ち止まって何かを見ている。
ありゃ、まさか本当にカメさんいるのか。
近づくにつれて、パサッ、パサッ。
砂が植物にあたる音が聞こえる。カメさんいるやん！テンションあがっちゃう。
遠回りして、カメの後ろ姿を確認。
もう産み終わって帰る準備をしているところだった。
太陽が照らし始めるころ、海に向けて歩き始めた。
明るい中で、母ガメを見れることは幸運。
明け方までよく頑張りました。
行ってらっしゃいと心の中で囁きながらお見送り。
海に向けて歩き出した母ガメ / A mother turtle making a move toward water
いってらっしゃい / Bye bye!
朝ごはんは、昨日の宴会の余り物を持って、宮の浜へ。
ここにも沢山のウミガメの産卵跡。
最高の景色を眺めながら、人気の無い静かなビーチで、贅沢な朝ごはん。
食べ終わったら娘と一緒に海に。
やっぱ怖がって泣くので、足ちょんちょんして終了。
ウォーリーから借りてきたシュノーケルを使って、母と父はちゃっかり泳がせてもらう。
瀬戸から入る水がヒヤッと冷たいが、気持ちいい。
魚たちも沢山。カメには会えず。
朝の宮の浜でご機嫌の明依 / Happy May at Miyanohama Beach
帰ってシャワー浴びてお昼寝。
昼は、雨の日食堂へ。
なかなか不機嫌な娘はメカジキを食す。
宿に戻ると、ウォーリーが畑からバナナとってきてくれた！
まるまる、一株（数え方わからん）。
要するにバナナ40本くらい。まだ緑色。
いいちこの箱に、隙間にパッションも詰めて、郵便局から自宅に発送。
トロピカルが詰まった箱。
島バナナ楽しみ…！
その後はまたまたUSKコーヒーへ。
なみちゃんにも会えた！
みんなでおしゃべりしながら美味しいコーヒー飲んだら、ゆうくんとキーちゃんのお散歩に同行。
キーちゃん初対面。
顔をべろべろしていただいた。
日が落ち始めたリラックスムードの扇浦海岸。
キーちゃんとゆうくんは海を泳ぎ、海岸を何往復か走る。
キラキラな海にサップで沖に出る人も。
島での暮らし、素敵だなぁ。
夕暮れの扇浦海岸からの景色 / A view from Ogiura Beach at sunset
夜ご飯何も考えてなかったけど、ボニーナ急いで電話して、ゆうくんも誘ってご飯。
ボニーナで飲んでると隣のテーブルに今度はもりもっちゃんファミリーにバッタリ。
島にいると、みんなどっかで会っちゃう。
ほんと、おうちみたいな島。
最後の夜、という実感は無いんだけど。
お酒もすすみ、話も弾む。
そのままタオくんのお店に流れる。
オガグワでスモークされたチーズとベーコン、島のライチをいただいた。
とっても美味しくて笑顔になるしかない。
タオくんのスタイルが光る飲み屋Cave、オススメです。
自分のスタイルを貫くこと、それを人に分かち合うこと。
豊かな時間。
酔っ払って懐かしい道をふらふら歩き、宿に帰る。
妻に感謝して、2人で宿の広いベランダに出て星空の下で歯磨き。
明日もここで朝を迎えられることの喜びに、明日はいよいよこの部屋を片付け、島を出なくちゃいけないという寂しさが混じる。
おが丸は、明日出航 / Tomorrow the ship will be leaving the island
5 o’clock, I suddenly woke up.
My daughter and wife were still asleep.
Should I go back to sleep, read a book, or go for a walk?
The sky was getting lighter for sunrise.
I’m sure I’d see some lovely scenery.
If I was lucky, I might even come across a mother turtle that had come to lay her eggs.
I grabbed my camera and headed for Omura Beach, in my pajamas and sandals.
The cloud-covered mountains were beautiful.
The sea was calm.
The morning sun was just beginning to peek over the clouds and mountains.
Then I spotted a few people standing on the beach, looking at something.
Oh? Am I lucky?
As I walked closer to the crowd, I started to hear the familiar sound of sand hitting the tree leaves.
There really was a mother turtle! My excitement soared.
Slowly I walked to a position where I can see the turtle’s back.
She had already finished laying her eggs and was just getting ready to head back to the sea.
Just as the sun began to shine, she started walking towards the water.
How lucky to be able to see the mother turtle in sunlight.
She has worked so hard until dawn.
I watched her go, whispering farewell inside me.
For breakfast, we took the leftovers from yesterday’s feast to Miyanohama Beach.
There were plenty of sea turtle nesting sites here too.
Such a treat on a beautiful and quiet beach.
Once we’d finished eating, my daughter and I went down to swim.
Again, she was scared and started crying, so we just dipped her toes in the water.
Using the snorkelling gear we’d borrowed from Wally, mum and dad went for short swims.
The water flowing in from the nearby strait was refreshingly cool.
We were able to see many fish underwater, but no sea turtles.
We went back to our room, had shower, and had a nap.
For lunch, we went to another one of our favorites, Amenohi Shokudo (“Rainy Day Canteen” as a direct translation).
Our daughter, who’d been in a rather bad mood, ate some local swordfish.
When we got back to the guesthouse, Wally brought us some bananas from his farm!
A whole bunch (I just learned this counting unit), about 40 bananas.
They were still green.
We packed them into an box, filling the gaps with passion fruit, and dispatched them from the post office to our home.
A box packed full of tropical goodies.
Can’t wait to taste the island bananas…!
After that, off to USK Coffee yet again.
We met Nami-chan there, yay.
After a little catch-up over some delicious coffee, we joined Yu-kun and his dog Key-chan’s walk.
It was my first time meeting Key-chan.
She licked my face all over as a greeting.
We went to Ogiura Beach at sunset, a very relaxing atmosphere.
Key-chan and Yu-kun were swimming in the sea and running back and forth along the beach over and over again.
Some people were paddling out with their SUP, to calm, shining sea.
Such a lovely view of the life on the island.
We hadn’t planned anything for dinner, but I quickly rang restaurant Bonina and booked a table for us and Yu-kun.
Whilst having a drink at Bonina, my former colleague, Morimoto-san’s family sits at the next table!
When you’re on the island, you run into everyone, somewhere.
It really is an island that feels just like home.
Although it was my last evening on the island, I hadn’t really sunk in yet.
The drinks and our conversations flowed.
We ended up drifting straight over to Tao-kun’s place, the Cave.
He treated us with cheese that has been smoked with local wood chips, along with the island’s lychees.
Both were so delicious that I couldn’t help but smile.
The bar where Tao-kun’s style really shines, was a wonderful place to close the evening.
Sticking to your own style, and sharing it with others.
Such a rich experience.
Drunk, I staggered along a familiar streets back to our guesthouse.
I thanked my wife, and the two of us stepped out onto the guesthouse’s spacious veranda to brushed our teeth under the starry sky.
The joy of being able to greet the morning here again tomorrow was mingled with a sense of sadness for tomorrow, we would finally have to pack up and leave the island.