Our Final Adventure as the Three Amigos

I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to fill you guys in on our camping excursion on Shinkine-jima. Being this would be our last adventure as the three amigos, Mark took off two days from work so we could enjoy a long weekend together. To say it was relaxing and peaceful is an understatement. To get to this jima (island) we took a 10.5 hour ferry ride from Tokyo south into the Pacific Ocean. This ferry ride was far from cushiony; sleeping in our clown car would have proved to be more comfortable. You’re assigned a number on your ticket that corresponds to a 5.5 x 2.5 rectangle on the floor which is plotted out by duct tape. We slept side by side on the bottom deck of the ship, picture sardines in a can. After about 100 people boarded at 10pm our ride was underway. No sooner did people lay down their furry ferry supplied blanket and plane sized pillow, did they bust out their Kirin, Sake, or Sapporo. We didn’t realize this was a party boat! Marissa played Uno with some Japanese students and swore they cheated. Mark and I sat back and laughed at where we found ourselves. Midnight rolled around, the lights went out, and a man came around saying, “Shh, sleepy time.” So it was. 9am the next morning we stepped outside to see our island approaching. From a distance it looked like a big rocky hill with patches of green tree tops, nothing too spectacular. But after mooring and disembarking the water became crystal clear and allowed us to see sea life 20-30 feet down. Looking the part of rustic campers with hiking backpacks and sleeping bags latched on, we started our trek to the village office. Fortunately, a nice woman stopped along side us and asked us if we wanted a ride. Well, she had to motion to us as well since we all know we had not a clue what she was saying. After an enthusiastic, "Hai, hai, arigato gazimous" (yes, yes, thank you very much) we were taken to the office to register. The season had just opened and we were some of the first campers they had seen all year. The island is only 12 kilometers in diameter and has 600 people living there year round. Needless to say, they were very happy to have the tourists starting to trickle into their local economy. With map in hand we crept along the road trying to figure out where to turn. Of course we missed the spot, so we asked a nice lady driving by "Simesen, camp-jo doko deska?" (Excuse me, where is the campsite?). She pointed down this dirt path but we were very skeptical because it looked like it was more a ditch that drained rainwater. She could see the skepticism in our faces so she got out of her car and motioned for us to follow her. She led us through the woods and to the most beautiful beach I have seen in a very very long time. Our campsite was just to the right of us and it looked out at to the crashing waves, crystal clear aqua blue water and lush green hills.

Mark, Marissa, and I wasted no time unpacking, setting up camp, and then looking for the first sign of a hot spring. Marissa, being the fish she is, found the spot right away. The hot portion was only in the shallow part where the hot air bubbled up to warm the water. Actually, some parts were down right scalding. Because this pool was directly connected to the incoming tide, the deeper you went the colder it got. I didn't even have my bathing suit on yet and she was already basking in the freezing water collecting shells and grinning from ear to ear.

We went on a hike to the top of the mountain, found some firewood, and made a great dinner on the outside oven. The first day was amazing and only got better the second day.