It was nice to relax a bit and be able to explore Suo Oshima without having to lug all my stuff up hills while riding. I had booked accommodation in an old restored house and it was nestled up on a hillside. It’s hard for me to describe how idyllic this situation was for me, so I won’t go on about it. I hope the pictures tell the story.
Today I went in search of the place we tied up at back in 2018. Last night I rode over to the other side of the island to go to an onsen and the outline of the bay and shore looked familiar.
There it was, the sea wall we tied up to, I was sure of it, where Kirksan came to visit us in the morning when he was living on Suo Oshima. (Kirk Patterson, a long time resident of Japan made a solo Pacific crossing from Victoria and then did a solo circumnavigation of Japan. He helped us out a lot, as well as many others who sail to Japan.)
At the time, Suo Oshima was only an overnight stop, we were making tracks for Hokkaido and time was running out, but even that short visit left a strong impression on me. Now I was able to be here without worrying about weather, running into fishing nets and all the other anxieties that come with sailing in unknown waters. What a relief.
This morning I also went to have tea with Noriko and her husband, the couple whose house I was staying in. Like many islands in the Seto Nakai, old farms have reverted to the bush as young people over the decades left to work in the city. Looking across to the hills from their place, she said it was all cultivated fifty years ago where now it’s all grown over. She too, once moved away, but is back.
The flowers in their garden attract butterflies every morning, not sure of the species, but apparently they migrate from Taiwan in the Fall. Beautifully calming experience to watch them feeding on the flowers.
They left for something
The young a long time ago
Empty islands wait
