< Tokyo | Japan (Spring 2003) | Tokyo Again >
Amami Oshima
2003.May.12 - 2003.May.18
While in and around Tokyo, weather had been acceptable, but not as warm as I had expected, Amami Oshima was nicely warm. While most Swiss people probably would have considered it to be hot, it was just nicely warm for me. The bus ride from the airport to Naze takes about one hour. The ryokan, I had made a reservation with a couple of days ago, is just around the 
corner from the bus station. Because I went around the opposite corner, it took me around 10 minutes to find it instead of getting there in just a couple of seconds. If you ever stay in Naze, I can highly recommend
Tatsuya Ryokan. It is very reasonable, clean, friendly, centrally located and there is even excellent English spoken.
Getting around by public transport only is not always too convenient in Amami. There is a relatively good network of bus lines - unless you want to go to certain places. But in any case it pays off to check schedules in advance and check them well. On the second day I set off to visit Amami Shizen Kansatsu no Mori. When asking at the big central bus station I was told that Amami Kozu only had one bus early in the morning going that way, but the other operator, Iwasaki Bus, should have more frequent connections to Sedomei. I only got vague information where to wait for the correct bus and even the locals I asked could not really help me. At last I went to the offices of Iwasaki Bus. I was ten minutes late, however; the bus I should have taken had just left. Well, there was another one about one hour and a half later. So I went for lunch and finally got on the correct bus. The bus driver was very helpful when I asked him 
where I should get off. When getting off, he even drew me a quick map and explained how I should walk. To make sure I would not have the same kind of trouble again going back to Naze, 
I also asked the driver when the return bus would pass here. At 17:10 and at 19:40 (or was it 20:40?) was the answer.
I made sure I was at the bus station again by 17:10. But there only passed a bus at 17:20 bound for Akina, coming from Naze. This made me somewhat suspicious and I checked the schedule hanging there. There was no bus to Naze any more! The only way back to Naze would be going to Akina first and then take a different route to Naze. I had not been told that. But waiting here for the next bus, almost in the middle of nowhere, probably was no good idea. That would be the last bus, it would mean waiting for a loooong time, long after dark, and the sky looked as if it would be starting to rain within the hour. Even if I got to Akina with that bus, I did not know whether there would still be a bus on the other route back to Naze. I did know that a few kilometers back, the road joined with the main road coming from the airport and going to Naze and I also knew there were more frequent busses there. So I decided to walk back to the main street. All too soon the first raindrops started falling. Luckily, shortly before it was really raining, a car stopped and I was offered a ride. Thank you!.
The next day it was pouring down. The rainy season had started. This was a mistake in my calculations. Or better, 
I had not known that this much in the south the rainy season starts approximately a month earlier than in Tokyo. Heavy rain also in the morning of the next day. Around noon it cleared up and I went to the mangroves park. Amami is the northernmost place where mangroves can be found. Unfortunately it was not possible to ride through these special forests on a canoe, since all the rain had made the current of the river too strong. 
One day later, the sky was cloudy but it was fair. Perfect for going around by bicycle, neither too hot, nor raining. I went here and there and it was fun. On the way back to the ryokan I called up JAL and once more changed the date for my flight back to Tokyo; I could think of better ways to pass time than staying here for two weeks during rainy season. The next day I did an extended hike to
Kinsakubaru Virgin Forest, about half of the time with my umbrella in use. No heavy rain, but enough to get you wet when not protected. On the last day, finally, I visited
Amami Park, which is close to the airport.
< Tokyo | Japan (Spring 2003) | Tokyo Again >