Woke up at 4:30 in the morning today to watch the sunrise. :) Unfortunately, we couldn't find a clear open view because the trees were too tall, so we were unable to see the beginning, but we stood from afar and watched the sun rise from behind the trees. It was beautiful! So refreshing. Of course, we headed home after and went to sleep.
Our boat ride was set to depart at 15:40, so our time was short, :( but we had so many things to do. We sketched out a rough itinerary: first, go up Ishiyama and see the view from there, then Habushi Beach, glass museum, and zoo. And we had to do all this within six hours!
So after breakfast, we immediately headed out the door. Isomura-san was able to show us around that day, so we were really lucky! He brought us up a mountain where the material of the stone statues could be found. The mountain was stunning! According to Riko, the place had a Yellowstone feel to it.
This rock, known as kohgaseki (English: rhyolite) is a fire-resistant stone and can only be found in two places of the world: Niijima of Japan and Lipari Island of Italy. The rocks were golden yellow tan and very light-weight, very easily broken.
These rocks have been mined since the Edo Period (1575~1867) and are used in making stone statues, as well as Niijima glass.
The road up this mountain has only just been paved a couple of weeks ago, so we came just at the right time! Really lucky!
The feel from atop was, of course, amazing! This was the eastern side of the island and the neighboring islands of Shinekijima, Jinai-to, and Kouzushima can be seen.
Jinai-to, an uninhabited island.
Shikinejima, 2.4 kilometers away from Niijima has a population of about 600 (since September 2009). We wanted to go there for scuba diving, but there was no time! I will definitely go another weekend within the upcoming months!
And the border in which the ocean and sky meet is where Shizuoka Prefecture is.
The rocky side of the mountain. Very steep!
We then headed for Habushi Beach, one of the nicest beaches on the island. There were so many surfers! Everyone was waiting for the perfect wave in the ocean. The whole feel of the place was great. The atmosphere, with everyone trying their best, having fun, was very inspiring. I really want to try surfing one day, but first, I must learn how to swim in the ocean.
The water was so beautiful, I couldn't resist going in. It was still kind of cool [to the touch], but ready for swimming. It was so much fun!
The beautiful white sand.
There just so happened to be a festival that day, so there were food stands nearby selling yakisoba, yakipizza. coffee, alcohol, takoyaki, garlic shrimp, etc.
I don't know what kind of festival it was, but the top of the tents says Japan Red Cross.
Pizza in the making.
I couldn't resist!
Next, we went to the glass museum of Niijima. Niijima glass is famous because it is derived from the same rocks that the statues are made of, so it is naturally tinted green. There were cups, plates, vases, and decorations of all sorts.
If we had more time, we could've made our own stuff. The factory was just in the back of the store and open for public viewing. It was my first time seeing the process of glass-making. They have to bake it in an oven for quite some time. By the time it is ready to be shaped, the entire piece of glass is on fire, glowing red. There are several ways to shape glass: if it is a container of some sort, they use a device shaped like a long stick and blow into it like blowing through a straw and shape it with air. Another way is making solid items such as plates or shapes. For those, they draw whatever shape they want into some sort of sandy material (an entire box that's heated) and then pour the glass into the shape (like a stencil). When it hardens a little, the product is flipped over and the excess sand brushed away, leaving a thin film remaining. Then, it is placed into the oven once again, where it must stay for a certain amount of time.
By the time our visit at the museum was over, we only had about an hour left. Sadly, we couldn't go to the stone zoo, but we were able to try out Yunohama Onsen. We used the foot spa. The water was hottt and it felt so good. I haven't had a foot soak in so long, I missed it. And the temperature from the spring is always steady and stable, so I could've stay there forever. The surface of the foot spa was bumpy, with different sized stones all over, so it hurt to walk. But, you know, if it hurts, it means you're fatigued. Your feet have a lot of nerves, so massaging the soles is good for you. Pain indicates that your muscles and nerves are tight. Therefore, though it was painful, I persisted in standing and walking across a couple of times. For the sake of good health!
Stone statue of Yunohama Onsen. Abstract and beautiful.
Hot spring water pulled from beneath the ocean.
Virabhadrasana III
Natarajasana
Limbo!
Tightrope...success!
Before we knew it, it was already time to leave. The harbor was nearby, so Isomura-san drove us there and we separated. I was sad! I didn't want to leave the island! And I am so thankful to Isomura-san. Because of him, our trip was extra special. So, thank you so much, Isomura-san! いろいろと本当にお世話になりました！ありがとうございました！
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ReplyDeleteIt was! I wish you could've come!
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