Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
We'll travel anywhere to escape Brexit
Wake up early after a well needed sleep at the Nikko Airport Hotel to catch our flight to Ishigaki, a sub-tropical Island over a thousand miles from Tokyo. The island is famous for manta rays and hammer head sharks.
These islands were independent until the 1970s and still have a local island vibe - its very much Japan mixed with the South Pacific.
The weather forecast is not great for the next few days but we have our fingers crossed. On reaching Le Lotus Bleu - our accommodation for the next seven nights we sigh with relief that we will NOT have to pack, unpack and pack again for a whole week - bliss. Le Lotus Bleu is a traditional wooden Japanese house that is over one hundred years old; it was originally built on the mainland and belonged to an eccentric Kimono maker . It was transported here over thirty years ago bit by bit and reassembled. The present owners Patrick and Myko - a mixed Japanese/French couple have turned it into a beautiful relaxing guest house with only six rooms. Our room is large and airy which is quite unusual in Japan as space is a premium.
On first impressions the island seems nothing like the rest of Japan we have visited. It is quiet, less populated and has a laid back vibe.
After a few hours riding the local buses and spending some time on the beach we head back for dinner at our new home. The meal is delicious with the best sashimi I have ever tasted (David) and tofu with basil plus a lovely salad. The cuisine is Japanese but there is a French accent with it. The main is fresh fish again with Japanese veg and some noodles - a real feast.
Next morning we catch a bus to the port to catch a ferry to neighbouring Taketomi island where life is altogether slower. The old centre is preserved and the only vehicle to get around in is the water buffalo so we hitch a tour before heading to star sand beach where we look across at the moody skies in Ishigaki and the emerald green sea. The view is stunning even with the overcast conditions. After catching a return boat we enjoy a lovely meal in Ishigaki town and chat to a delightful Japanese girl who speaks excellent English.
Waking up to overcast skies and showers the next morning we head off in our hire car for a tour around the island. David managed to hire the car, understand the salesman who spoke no English whatsoever, and even decipher the Japanese writing on the dashboard. It's surprising what one can do when one has to.
Heading off around the island in the pouring rain, we stop off at a few scenic beaches before throwing in the towel and heading back. Although the skies were grey, the sea in parts were still a beautiful turquoise. We can only imagine what it would look like on a sunny day. Fingers crossed for tomorrow.
Off into town on the local bus for our evening scran, we finally make the decision to go back to M Dining as 99% of the menus are written in Japanese and when they are translated or written in English we do not fancy what is on offer - sliced pigs ear, third cow stomach to name a few.
Having had Ishigaki beef, tempura Japanese onions and red sweet potato cheesecake
(all delicious) we head off to the bus station for our 15km ride home. On finding out we have missed the last bus at 9pm!!, a very helpful bus conductor calls a taxi for us and explains to the driver where to drop us off. As we have read in all the guide books never to get a taxi as it's really expensive, we are anticipating a huge bill. To our relief it came to £11.00.
Waking up to a bright sunny day we head out early to discover Ishigaki and her beaches. Finding it quite difficult to follow the Japanese map David opts for the sat-nav. The views and beaches are beautiful but not really for swimming so after a bit of sunbathing we head off to various view points around the island.
These islands were independent until the 1970s and still have a local island vibe - its very much Japan mixed with the South Pacific.
The weather forecast is not great for the next few days but we have our fingers crossed. On reaching Le Lotus Bleu - our accommodation for the next seven nights we sigh with relief that we will NOT have to pack, unpack and pack again for a whole week - bliss. Le Lotus Bleu is a traditional wooden Japanese house that is over one hundred years old; it was originally built on the mainland and belonged to an eccentric Kimono maker . It was transported here over thirty years ago bit by bit and reassembled. The present owners Patrick and Myko - a mixed Japanese/French couple have turned it into a beautiful relaxing guest house with only six rooms. Our room is large and airy which is quite unusual in Japan as space is a premium.
On first impressions the island seems nothing like the rest of Japan we have visited. It is quiet, less populated and has a laid back vibe.
After a few hours riding the local buses and spending some time on the beach we head back for dinner at our new home. The meal is delicious with the best sashimi I have ever tasted (David) and tofu with basil plus a lovely salad. The cuisine is Japanese but there is a French accent with it. The main is fresh fish again with Japanese veg and some noodles - a real feast.
Next morning we catch a bus to the port to catch a ferry to neighbouring Taketomi island where life is altogether slower. The old centre is preserved and the only vehicle to get around in is the water buffalo so we hitch a tour before heading to star sand beach where we look across at the moody skies in Ishigaki and the emerald green sea. The view is stunning even with the overcast conditions. After catching a return boat we enjoy a lovely meal in Ishigaki town and chat to a delightful Japanese girl who speaks excellent English.
Waking up to overcast skies and showers the next morning we head off in our hire car for a tour around the island. David managed to hire the car, understand the salesman who spoke no English whatsoever, and even decipher the Japanese writing on the dashboard. It's surprising what one can do when one has to.
Heading off around the island in the pouring rain, we stop off at a few scenic beaches before throwing in the towel and heading back. Although the skies were grey, the sea in parts were still a beautiful turquoise. We can only imagine what it would look like on a sunny day. Fingers crossed for tomorrow.
Off into town on the local bus for our evening scran, we finally make the decision to go back to M Dining as 99% of the menus are written in Japanese and when they are translated or written in English we do not fancy what is on offer - sliced pigs ear, third cow stomach to name a few.
Having had Ishigaki beef, tempura Japanese onions and red sweet potato cheesecake
(all delicious) we head off to the bus station for our 15km ride home. On finding out we have missed the last bus at 9pm!!, a very helpful bus conductor calls a taxi for us and explains to the driver where to drop us off. As we have read in all the guide books never to get a taxi as it's really expensive, we are anticipating a huge bill. To our relief it came to £11.00.
Waking up to a bright sunny day we head out early to discover Ishigaki and her beaches. Finding it quite difficult to follow the Japanese map David opts for the sat-nav. The views and beaches are beautiful but not really for swimming so after a bit of sunbathing we head off to various view points around the island.
- comments
Carys Harrison It looks beautiful...hope the weather improves!
Kirstin Hey Guys, You are really making it come alive for us, its a great read. The nearest to turqoise we are getting is green bin day!
david142 Hi Kirsten - you really have kept us entertained with your witty comments. On a completely different topic; I saw lots of wedding brochures to Guam while browsing in a department store in Horishima - it looks FAB.
david142 It is beautiful; but as the weather isn.t that great we are unable to appreciate it fully.