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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Apr 14, 2013 04:00 PM Tropical storm over Hahajima
I woke up in the middle of the night. Thunders? Yes, and heavy rain! In the morning I noticed also strong wind. It was blowing till 1 am. At 3 pm I put my windbreaker on me and went for the walk. Soon the rain stopped and I had a chance to visit lokal cemetary on the slope. Interesting place. Rolf, the Jap-naturalized German who decided to spend his life here in 19th century is buried there. There is small but interesting museum in the village with his bust in the front.
Then I managed to climb Mt Shonensaki - the hill overlooking the village. At the upper part you have to use chains to climb safely to the top. There is a great view of the village, Oki port and Mt Chibusa. If the unpredictable weather will be good, tomorrow I want to climb this mountain - the highest in Ogasawara.
People are nice to me - I have been to the school to see how they teach here /luxury!/ and charming Asako from the shop promised me a loaf of bread for tomorrow... let's hope...
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Apr 13, 2013 04:00 PM The view from Mt Kofuji
Sun!! Take your breakfast and go! Not so simple. At check-in to the hostel or guesthouse in Japan they ask you if you want meals. If you agree you will be charged for breakfast extra 700-900 y. But let you know first what you are signing for: this will be traditional Japanese breakfast - each day you will get the soup, then the piece of smoked, dry fish, some vegies and unlimited rice. Enjoy!
After 3 days I had enough. Now I buy products of my choice. Yesterday I bought the whole stock of the bread from local shop: 6 slices :-)
Ok. No buses or taxis on Hahajima so I started a walk to the south of the island. It is only 5.5 kms to the southern end but the road and trail goes all the time up or down so be prepared for a good exercise!! If you want to make side trips from the main trail to the beaches on the western coast it will cost you even more effort. Let you know: the beaches on this side are stoney ones. The first one with some sand is cozy /only 10 m wide/ Horaine.
I was well sweaty when after a long walk through the thick tropical forest I reached Minamizaki Beach on the southern tip of Haha-jima. Nice place, but the greatest view was from Mt Kofuji - the peak overlooking this beach. Wow! The blue of the ocean, the chain of small, rocky islets, dense, green forest, white croissant of the beach - this was so far my best panorama on Haha! Enjoyable!
Lets walk back...
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Apr 12, 2013 04:00 PM To Haha-jima!
It is not big distance from Chichi to Haha - only some 50 kms' but the only possible access is by sea. They have little charming boat "Hahajima Maru" with departures coordinated to the "Ogasawara Maru" sailings to/from Tokyo.
When I came at 8.15 am to the little terminal on Chichi there were only six passengers waiting. This gave me the idea how remote is the destination I am sailing to. I bought one-way ticket for 4570 y, took a picture of polite ldy-clerk, cleaned my shoes /they protect their environment on such a way/ and boarded the ship.
We blowed the horn and departed exactly at 7.30. That's the accuracy of Japan... On board they have even announcements in english! (Nothing like this on Tokyo-Chichi route). And downstairs there is even sleeping space on the floor if you want to sleep during 2 hours and a quarter of sailing... Wooooo... this was another cloudy day and I was unhappy to take dark and hazy pictures. Bad luck! But we met one jumping whale on our way /in the distance/.
Haha reminds me Fatu Hiva on the Marquesas: it has also steep, green mountains rising from the sea. In the well-sheltered, but tiny harbour a lady from Anna Beach Youth Hostel was waiting for me and the second passenger. We are the only guests in the hostel. It is rather primitive with its shared bath and lack of guest kitchen but if you are YHA member you pay only 3360 y per night. Welcome to Haha!
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Apr 11, 2013 04:00 PM Whale watching
Whale watching is one of the attractions of Ogasawara Islands. If there is enough tourists little motorboats dapart around 9 am to the ocean. Prices start from 4000 y per person. Main season is Jan to March when the humpbacks are coming to give birth to babies. But today I was stll lucky to see few of them. Great experience on th rough ocean. The tour was combinrd with a visit on the small Minamijima island where you can see nice stone arch and fish and coral watching through the glass bottom of the boat at Anijima Island. Interesting day but it is still cloudy and I am not happy regarding pictures. Tomorrow in the morning I depart on "Hahajima Maru" to Haha island - even more remote. Perhaps I will be awarded by the sunny weather!
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Apr 10, 2013 04:00 PM Exploring Chichi-jima
Only two islands of 30 in Ogasawara group are inhabited. Chichi-jima where I am at the moment is most populated with most of its 2000 people living in Omura - near the port. They have one single public bus line, but this go only along western coast. Bus departs every 2 hours and you pay 200 y per ride.
To go to the interior or to the eastern coast you have to drive the car or the motorbike /they are for rent/.
I decided to go there with a local guide Kunnio /Flora jungle trekking - ph. 04998 2 3123/. He speaks some english - he is nice local - worth to recommend!
We went first to the beaches on the western side, then to the big WW2 gun hidden in the jungle. After that we started to climb to the summits and view points on the eastern coast. Nice views, but since the weather was cloudy my pictures will be so-so. Finnally I was walking alone the ridge on the northern side.
Do you remember the lovely song of Connie Francis Send me a pillow that you dream on?
I will not send! The weight of my pillow is about 3 kilos and there is something like a grain inside. It is hard!
That is travellers life in remote Japan!!
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Apr 09, 2013 04:00 PM Ogasawara on the horizon!
This was very hard bed -only 2 cm thick!! Warm, blue ocean around since the morning. Flying fish and big boobies around the ship. Ogasawara group consists of 30islands. When I saw them they were green and foggy... Soon we passed few rocky islands to reach Futami port on Chichi-jima. Chichi is one of two inhabited islands of Ogasawara. The crowd of people was waiting on the pier. It is an event! I found somebody with papaya written on the flag - they were waiting for me. Papaya guesthouse is probably the last expensive on Chichi - they charge 4000 yen per bed in the clean 8bed dormitory. Not easy to comunicate - nobody speaks english in Papaya. But they have free wifi, so if you will bring your tablet with the translator you will survvive...
Omura - the capital of the island is small and tidy. Do not forget they use US sockets and 110 V! No bread in the bakery -all sold! You have to come early in the morning to get such a deli!
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Apr 08, 2013 04:00 PM This is not a cruiseship!!
To get to Takeshiba pier you have to take the monorail from Shimbashi station. Two stations to go and you will pay just 180 yen.... Train without any driver was full since all Japs in their dark suits and ties were just going to work... I dissembarked at the high sailing ship mast and just after I saw my ship. So little!! "Ogasawara Maru" is quite old with some visible rust... I registered my ticket at window 8 -they ask all passengers to fill an extra form. Then you have to stay politely in the line - first class has separate line and they go first when the ship is open at 9.30 am. In the gangway they collected ticket and gave me a piece of paper: C3 105. Nobody speak english, but they smile!
Where is my place?? Fortunately a young guy from the reception understand some english -he took me to c3 room and showed me my matress 105. Can you imagine a big room with 120 little matresses one by one on the floor? That's my home till tomorrow! Departing from Tokyo port we had a nice panorama of the skyline and bridges. Ahoy!
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Apr 07, 2013 04:00 PM Landed in Tokyo!
After almost 11 hours on the plane I landed in the Tokyo Narita Airport. It is my fourth visit to Japan but everytime I am coming I am again impressed by the perfect organization and politness of Japanese people.
It is warm - plus 18 Celsius in the day and green around. Cherry blossom time is almost over - only the pink cherries are still in blossom.
In the afternoon I visited a Kannon temple out of the city.
Tomorrow in the morning I should embark a once-a-week ship to Ogasawara Islands. I hope that the ocean will be calm! :)
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Apr 05, 2013 04:00 PM To the Laughing Islands! :)
I am departing to the Far East to discover Laughing Islands. One of them is called Chichi, and the other - Haha. You should know that in Poland we express laughing writing "chi-chi" or "ha-ha".
As you know few years ago I was traveling through Japan "end to end". But these islands are out of the main chain - in the Pacific Ocean - some 1000 kms from Tokyo.
Ogasawara Island are tiny, tropical and little-known. It is not easy to get there. No airstrip. Once per week a mixed passenger/ cargo ship is departing from Tokyo to these island. Japan is very expensive for the traveler so it will not be a long stay. But still long enough to explore Chichi-jima and Haha-jima. Please keep your fingers crossed my friends!
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Mar 07, 2013 08:00 PM Home, sweet home...
Approaching Gdansk airport I saw quite a lot of snow outside of the city. -There must be also sbow in Wojtkówka!
It was minus 1 deg Celsius when we landed.
So the next great voyage is over!
Home, sweet home...
Now it will be the time to work for the next air ticket, to prepare new slide- shows, to meet the friends. Then the spring for sure will come to my Wojtkówka.
I think that before the summer holidays I will still manage to see one more beautiful island (or maybe even two islands).
My friends are jocking: you will never stop!
I think they are right!
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