See some spectacular vistas that you can't sample by bus or rental car.
A cycling trip, trusting in the sound of the wind.
We always rent bicycles if available at our destination, so we can travel by bike. Faster than walking, slower than a car, or a train, or an airplane, or a boat- the subtle range of speed is the charm of traveling by bike. You can pause for that little discovery, or for scenery that you can only see slipping by when moving by car. The tools we need to move about in comfort sometimes overlook that one important moment.
Unobstructed travel can only be experienced in an analog world.
Feel the air of where you are going directly on your body, not through a window. There is nothing to obstruct or interrupt your view, so incomparably more can be seen. My body's engine gets warmer with every push of the pedal. All that's left for me to do is turn the handlebars as the fancy takes me, and just keep on riding. It's true that the only way to really experience nature, which changes her expression moment to moment, is with your entire body. The azure ocean you can see from the top of the hilly road you have just climbed. The wind that lightly caresses your slightly sweaty skin. Everything seems different than it usually is.
If you are trying to capture this scenery with a camera, you have to actually come to a stop. Pretty much anyone once they are here in Irabujima will wish they could make a cut-out of the scenery to take home. I guess we can blame this on the dynamism of the land, the blue of the ocean, and the clarity of the wind in Irabujima.
Make today a happening that will last a lifetime.
Making memories that will never fade away.
I have experienced travel in many different styles, but traveling by bicycle shortens the distance to the streets and people of place you are, and even passing through the same place again you will find plenty of new discoveries.
Getting to know something by seeing it, hearing it, touching it. The stories you can only find out about by talking to someone. Each one of these experiences is layered one over the other towards the journey's goal, to create the story of one day, today. The story called, "Today, Just For Us."
Back alley labyrinth.
We decided to walk along a mysterious-looking path that we discovered while riding. Parking our bikes, and venturing in a few steps, it was like entering a parallel universe. As if time had stopped, things from the past and things from the present seem to co-exist. Trying to lay my hands on it was like being in a scene from a favorite novel, something that made me nostalgic even though I was there for the first time. Perhaps I had somehow fallen under a spell.
I felt like we would never be able to find this place again, once we left it. Walking step by step along this street-scape, slowly, climbing up, then curving down, ever moving forward. Where does this street lead to, after all?
This place is like being inside a treasure chest.
Is it any wonder I am entranced?
Nakanoshima beach in the southwest of Irabujima. Ocean shining with a pale blue light as if multicolored gems- aquamarine, tanzanite, tourmaline- blanket the ocean floor. The transparent ocean shows these jewels glittering brightly in the light of the sun. The rocky coastline does not have the energy of human activity or amenities of a regular swimming beach, but that is replaced by the sound of the waves, which is the greatest background music of all.
Off in the distance I see the shape of a diver. The edge of the reef in Irabujima must be a paradise for tropical fish and for divers alike.
The riches of a fishermen's island plus plenty of herbs.
Eat local, stay local in gourmet style at a remote island restaurant.
A gourmet experience is a must at the end of a journey. We found a restaurant where we ate to our hearts' content of distinctive and fresh seafood as you can only can get at a remote island, plus the special spices and herbs of Irabujima. Each dish put out by the skilled chef is carefully prepared and thoughtful of the person who will consume it, everything delicious, and I steal a look at the menu again every time I take a bite. Irabujima does not have a summer resort atmosphere like Miyakojima, and when the sun goes down, it grows silent and pitch dark. The lights of the restaurants that linger awhile alone in the midst of the darkness are warm and friendly.
Savoring sake with the island cuisine, time flows by gently on this laid-back night.
このテーマの主な撮影地
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伊良部大橋
- 住 所：
- 沖縄県宮古島市伊良部
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ヤマトブー大岩
- 住 所：
- 沖縄県宮古島市伊良部池間添
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友利かつお加工場/海跨
- 住 所：
- 沖縄県宮古島市伊良部字池間添249-1
- 電話番号：
- 0980-78-5778
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牧山展望台
- 住 所：
- 沖縄県宮古島市伊良部
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白鳥岬
- 住 所：
- 沖縄県宮古島市伊良部佐和田
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フナウサギバナタ
- 住 所：
- 沖縄県宮古島市伊良部佐和田
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中の島ビーチ
- 住 所：
- 沖縄県宮古島市伊良部佐和田
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琉宮
- 住 所：
- 沖縄県宮古島市伊良部
- 電話番号：
- 0980-78-6543
- 営業時間：
- 11:30～15:00
18:00～23:00
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なかゆくい商店
- 住 所：
- 沖縄県宮古島市伊良部国仲
- 電話番号：
- 0980-79-0944
- 営業時間：
- 11:30～15:00
18:00～23:00