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Drifting around Ishigaki island

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Ishigaki island is much closer to Taiwan than Okinawa and a much smaller island. However as you are drifting around Ishigaki Island you will find a wonderful ocean, interesting plants and animals and really friendly people wanting to talk to you over a drink. An island close by is Taketomi. When I was there in April/May I got the feeling it wasn’t the tourist season since most everything was closed. It is worth a day trip from Ishigaki and I recommend just walking around since it is such a small island.

The entrance sign
Typical local foods, the noodles and way of cooking pork is special to these islands
Beautiful flowers all ove
Fish is the very delicious here
My hotel which was not so cheap and a pretty old and not well maintained building. Hotels here are fairly expensive except that most seem to have rooms for 3 or more people, groups and families
Along with Avocado toast you can have “hot sand”,not so crunchy or gritty since “sand” is Japanese for “sandwich”.
Nice to see an old gas pump probably left from the US post war occupation
Watching out for all sorts of criminals especially illegal China fishing boats
Beautiful water. I wanted to try snorkeling but the shop said I was too old to go on a boat
Okinawa tradition in a drawing.
Taketomi is the second from the right
While the Ryukyu islands were a kingdom each island had a different language. Locals today say they can’t understand what people on their neighboring island are saying.
Keeping the island in order
Many trees are being monitored for growth
Two Korean tourists on the left (spoke very good Japanese), the bar owner in the back (bar seats 6 people), and two local residents to the right. It was a fun nght.
The vending machine on the left can be pulled out on a hinge and that is the bar’s entrance. Unique!
A typical shrine
So “highball” is now a verb. This 1950’s term is still used in Japan and refers to whiskey and water.
Almost full moon.
If you “lanch” here you will have had a good lunch. Beef is a big thing in these islands and they raise cows on most of the large islands in a careful manner like in Kobe or Matsuzaka. But it is expensive.
Easy walking around
Roof tiles stacked behind a coral wall
A typical house
Fixing the roof
Plants growing out of the coral wall
Traditional costumes
Beautiful trees
The blossoms
Raising cows
A graveyard
Interesting bug
Reminds me of the Bhodi trees
A temple with some chinese influences
Making a new temple
I took a bus tour around the island. These are my fellow tourists.
On the glass bottom boat
Lots of clams
The turtle was the highlight
The opposite side of Ishigaki
Most cars in Japan now are “K” cars with 650 cc engines
Ice flavored with not much cream
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