Christian's Travel Blog

What distinguishes camping from most other ways of traveling is living with the elements - the direct impact of nature and close environment. The idea of island hopping becomes a different experience surrounded by the sounds of sea, wind and rain. And after a rainy and stormy night in the tent, the early morning birds surprise again and again. There's no doubt about the beauty as well as power of changing weather that the pearl necklace-like lined up Ryukyu islands are exposed. Today the morning sun invited me on a trail for one of the whale-spotting lookouts, but till i climbed up the condition had changed - a dark wall was approaching from north. No escape, but wide screen cinema in dolby sound. And an hour later the rainbow gave the signal for a great, sunny day out in the sea - turtels, i'm coming. I asked at the reception to organise a wetsuit (for tall alien ; ) and 15 minutes later I entered already that unimaginable colour...

Camping for two weeks at Yaeyama islands passed quickly. Whereas I was weatherwise somewhat lucky on Iriomote-jima, the Inoda Campground on Ishigaki-jima confirmed to be on the wet eastcoast - 5 days and a grey rainy sky did not allow for one morning sunrise shot. Yesterday I had my one-hour flight to Naha, Okinawa, up north. There are no more ferries these days connecting the Yaeyamas with Okinawa. And my plan was to walk straight to Tomari port to catch the last ferry to Zamami-jima, my next remote camping destination. Rushing in rain from Miebashi monorail station to Tomari port, the ticket office was closed ... and the last ferry departed 20 minutes ago. A late plane and wrong departure information upfront, and you find yourself on a rainy day in search for a cheap place to stay. I have to add here, that I do not have a local sim-card to access internet ... hence walking out there into a grey, wet late afternoon. Yep, moral was low. Finally I deci...