bindama

bindama, originally uploaded by vibromama.

After scouring Japan's flotsam-strewn coasts for many months, today we finally found a 'bindama': a glass-ball float from the olden days. Used extensively in for farming and fishing, they are now made of the ubiquitous (and ugly) plastic or Styrofoam, like the ones in this pearl farm. We were delighted by our find but it was too big to fit in the kayak, so Leanne carried it on her lap for the rest of the trip. Surprisingly, the bindama does not interfere much with paddling - if one's technique is good.