My plan was to head for Maehama beach today, and again despite it being 6.6 miles from my hotel, I decided to walk!
I knew the forecast had some rain in it today but given it is always warm I was not that bothered. Still, the windbreaker came with me and off I set.
About an hour into the walk, it started absolutely hammering it down. I was ringing wet and I’d decided to wear the plimsols I’d stuck in the wash to bring and bin. The only problem was they must have shrunk, so I was in agony the whole way and soaking wet.
I took some refuge in Joy Land (an arcade) for the rain to stop and it did eventually so off I set again. As soon as the rain stopped, the humidity kicked in and thankfully it was a walk with decent scenery so I didn’t mind.
The walk took 1hr 50 (not including Joy Land) so I was over the moon when I finally got there. I took my shoes off to give my shredded toes a rest and enjoyed a bit of time on this 7km stretch of sand.
The good (or bad) thing about the beaches on Miyakojima is they’re not ploughed with bars, restaurants, shops, 2p machines, donkeys and places blaring out Copacabana. When you come to the beach in Miyakojima, you’re coming to beautiful, peaceful beaches and amazing sea. If you want all the other jazz, you pop into the town.
There were a few people about but 5 in total maximum. The weather had brightened up lovely and even though there were some miffed clouds in the sky, it was a good time to rock up.
I stayed for as long as I could, then jammed my tiny shoes back on before heading back. It was hot and humid on the way back so I did get involved in a few vending machines en-route.
One thing people said before I went to Japan is that they have vending machines everywhere and for everything. I certainly see them absolutely everywhere but I’ve only ever seen them for drinks (you have hot and cold drinks in same vending machine). Even Tokyo, I still haven’t seen a single food or snack vending machine. In fact, I have seen the restaurants where you choose your meal at a vending machine (and pay) then take the ticket in the restaurant, but no product popping out.
Some lovely Japanese marketing on the Pachi Slot arcade on the way back. A guy with a tiny bit of English must have been let loose with Word and Times New Roman at the sign shop. The sign read;
‘This is the place Which can be Excit
You will enjoy SLOT
You Get a chance!!
enjoy time!!’
And to think somebody paid for that to be done.
When I got back to the hotel I was feeling battered and bruised and immediately summoned the pixie shoes to the bin.
I had reserved a table for tonight at my newly declared favourite restaurant. I love how they all shout and then chorus of repeats come from the other stuff. So when somebody comes in the waitress will say in Japanese ‘we have a customer (or something) then the Head Chef will shout Welcome in Japanese then a harmony of welcomes breaks out from other staff. It’s the same with orders, i’ll try and get a sound recording of it next time I am in. Anyway, when I enter (my second time), I hear choruses of ‘Kevin-Sannnnnnnnnnnnnnnn’! Naturally, this makes me feel special and I reserve a place at the counter for Monday night too!
So, a pretty chilled day, and with the Typhoon meant to be arriving tomorrow I did not have high hopes for the day.
True to the reports, the Typhoon was coming. At 7 am there were street announcements on the tannoy which I assumed meant it was imminent so I headed to the supermarket and watched films all day.
I did pay close attention to the radar and also @earthuncuttv who go around filming hurricanes, tornados, typhoons, volcanoes etc. They were in Miyakojima to film it.
I went out for dinner at around 6pm and ended up in a Japanese 24/7 place ‘Joyfull’. The guy informed me that everywhere would shut at 7:30pm for the Typhoon and I asked what the announcement was this morning and he told me it said that everything was to shut at 7:30pm!
So after putting myself under house arrest all day for no reason, it was going to be an interesting night. I was a bit disappointed about the day, because I was expecting more from the typhoon but 9pm onwards it did not disappoint!
The rain was unreal, and the winds were absolutely crazy. The whole building was shaking and my windows were creaking from 9pm right through to about 5am. The EarthUncutTV guys were only expecting waves and not a wind event but Goni picked up intensity and we certainly got wind event in the end.
It was pretty cool but a slightly worrying experience. I was not outside so I was not too worried but the noises the windows were making concerned me. Even if you put your hand on the pane you could feel the winds battering them.
So today was a bit of a right off consisting of many films and football. I watched ‘Sinister’ which was a great film, but probably not a wise choice when my windows were creaking!
I did managed to get some sleep and I was half expecting to wake up near the wizard of Oz, but I was still in Kansas when I awoke.
