tomioka

tomioka, originally uploaded by amakusavibe.

It was almost completely dark; the last glow of sunset was slowly fading on the southwestern horizon. We were going around Shikizaki misaki (a cape on the north west tip of Shimo shima). We had planned to paddle for 2 hours past sunset. This way we would catch the fast moving current flowing at 7km/hour (the ocean expressway) and arrive at our camp destination set up nicely for the final push home in the morning. Everything seemed doable; the sea seemed calm and manageable. Suddenly as we went around the cape the waves were big and irregular, I couldn't see, I was struggling to keep control, to overturn at this moment in time was not an option, I had to keep it together. I was hyperventilating, my heart was pounding, Rik called to me to make a sharp right turn, we had to zigzag through the waves toward the sheltered side of the promontory. Keep it together, relax, you are almost there, paddle hard get out of this mess. Finally calm, tranquility, we were out of the rough waters. That's enough for this day, let's set up camp, eat some grub and get to bed.