Paddling

DSC02408, originally uploaded by vibromama.

It was in this setting and this particular island in mind that we embarked on our kayak trip. For 10 days we traveled, paddling everyday for 6 to 10 hours. In the evenings we set up camp on desolate beaches and prepared our much-anticipated dinner. This left us plenty of time to fish, trek through the jungle, snoop around the quiet sleepy fishing villages, and walk the deserted white sand beaches searching for treasures. It was interesting to find shells, coral and garbage washed up all the way from China, Korea and the Philippines. Apparently this year since the typhoon season was so harsh, the amount of garbage that litters the Japanese coastline was extraordinary. Still, in comparison to other beaches we have seen around Japan, it was fairly pristine; the perfect habitat for sea turtles, which we saw in abundance. Carefully navigating we were able to circumnavigate Iriomote and visit many of the outlying islands.