1
It was said that there was a Fish Market near Port Tomari [泊]. It was a 10 minute walk from the hotel. On the road to the port, for the first time I perceived I had been dwelling beside the sea. In the market there were insanely cheap pieces of fish, and packs of bloody-clam, and sea urchins, covered in plastic wrap and displayed down the corridor.
However there weren’t many restaurants nearby. I walked into one, whose name I didn’t remark, and ordered a plate of several assorted sushi, which cost only a modest 1350 yen. It was fresh but not particularly impressive. Outside, ferry boats and fishing boats were strung in a row, on which there were deeply tanned fishermen, and far away, huge cruise boats could be seen.
Figure: The Port Tomari.
2
On the Google Maps, along the seashore it appeared possible to walk to Naminoue Shrine [波上宮], but it was getting intolerably hot. An ice cream vending machine read: Beware of heat strokes. Next to the Shrine there was a small beach, where I thought I would be excited to take a sunbath, although this idea now sounded like a self-imposed torture. Up I climbed the hill, where the Torii-gate [鳥居] of the Shrine emerged.
I didn’t intend for the paid prayer services, as I wasn’t pious, but I did press my hands and close my eyes out of respect. The string of paper pieces hung from the ceiling waved with the hot wind, below there was the donation chest. I donated all my coins less than 100 yen into the slits of the chest. By the shrine proper, out of the mouth of the Chinese-dragon-shaped stone statue, flowed water for purification use; I followed the instruction to wash my hands and rinse my mouth.
The heat started to made me uncomfortable, and I took a taxi to Asabashi [旭橋] Station, where the bus terminal was.
Figure: The front of Naminoue Shrine.
3
Yesterday I was considering something like going to the underground cave Gyoku Sendo [玉泉洞], but having asked the staff I now found it too far away, and thus decided to visit the American village. The bus number 28 will do.
One walked towards the conspicuous ferris wheel, and the houses made of faux wood, to enter the carnival park. Rap songs were played, and vintage posters were everywhere. I had a chili hot dog which wasn’t spicy. The place was a bit odd. The atmosphere resembled more Disney than the US, just as not every single thing in Japan shouted that it was Japanese. Anyway, now it was only 2pm and I had no idea what to do.
Figure: The entrance of the carnival park.
4
But I found, on Google Maps, a bike shop “Sunset Bicycle” that regularly closed in 6pm, and I came up the idea, having discussed with the shop owner, that, following the road 58, one might get to Cape Maeda [真栄田岬] or Cape Zanpa [残波岬] and come back, making an almost 30 km round trip, which seemed not unreasonable. For about half an hour, by a parking area near Kadena [嘉手納] as the sign read, there was a beach. I kept sweating, and drank nearly three bottles of sparkling water— I bought one as soon as I saw a vending machine.
Starting from Kadena, the pavement became bumped and narrow, and though I managed to go inside residential districts to find easier roads, it could be dangerous to ride along with cars, and I always forgot to keep to the left. It was 3 and half, and I thought that if I didn’t make it before 6pm to return the bike, it would be extremely cumbersome. Therefore I decided to turn around. Along the seashore, fragmented bits of beach, with no one near, were all over the place.
Back to the American Village, I roamed by the beach for a while before returning the bike. I ordered a mediocre ramen in the mall, and, as if today’s plan wasn’t tightly packed enough, had another bowl of green-tea flavored shredded-ice [かき氷]. I hoped I could get up early tomorrow to visit Shuri Castle, to make the most of the trip.
Figure: A beach near the American Village.
❧ July 10, 2019; revised July 12, 2021