Kudaka Island

 My motorcycle on the ferry to Kudaka Island 

 The Northern most point of Kudaka Island 

 Kudaka Island is on the left and to the right is the island of Okinawa.

  Scarab Beetle

A coconut crab hiding in a cave. This was actually the first time I had ever seen one in the wild. 

Izu Peninsula

Izu, Japan

Monday Ride

Being in the middle of the jungle alone is an eerie feeling. You start off blind to all but the endless greenery surrounding you.

Then after you allow your mind to slow, you catch a flash of movement out of the corner of your eye.

Next your ears adjust to hear more then just the sound of the wind. Soon varied smells make themselves apparent to you. With your body acclimated and your mind open the world changes its pace.

You are now in natures' world. Just as you would not step into traffic as it sped by, you now must watch out for the banana spiders web and the Habu underfoot. But that’s the thing; if you cross when the crosswalk is green you will not get run over. And so it follows if you watch for the spider webs and make noise and you walk, neither the spiders nor the snakes will harm you.

A steep, muddy, rutted road lay above me. With my hand wrapped around the throttle I pushed fear and doubt from my mind. If the bike and I kept up the pace, we would make it up the hill.

Then a slip to the left as my back end lost traction. With cool reaction my arms and butt gently twisted, bringing the bike back under control and to the top of the hill. 

I found myself in the jungle again; this time looking into the cool water of a flowing river. From its depths a large shrimp and a crab stared up at me. When I stuck my camera into the river the crab retreated under a rock, while the shrimp carefully approached my camera. Just as its claws reached out to see what my camera was I took this picture.

Darken skies and drops of rain told me it was time to go. After battling an enormous horsefly I snapped this picture, then mounted my motorcycle and sped towards home as drops of rain sliced into my face

Okinawa, Japan

Tokyo Skytree Tower

Tokyo, Japan

Three Stones

Coral is sharp. I have heard it called razor sharp, but that fails to do it justice. Razors if walked upon would cut into your bare feet. Blood would rush out and you would soon likely die. Coral is different; it is like a blunt knife, just sharp enough to hurt, but just dull enough to run your finger upon.

In Okinawa my bare feet and coral have met on many occasions. It is a mental battle. The pain can be excruciating and any ground crossed, must be re-crossed on the return journey. This is an important point to note, because as the shards of fossilized animal slowly break apart the tissue in your feet, your physical and mental tolerance slowly degrades.

As the pain increases, your mind becomes fatigued. This fatigue causes you to make simple mistakes, which hurt your feet more. Soon you are crawling on all fours just trying to make it back to where you started.

With time your feet callous and you are able to walk further. However there always comes a point when the punishment finally gets the best of you.

Hence my smile when I looked upon the rounded stones that led out to Three Stones. The punishment that I had endured in Okinawa was about to pay off, for each step that lay ahead of me was to be rounded and smooth.

My journey at a jogging pace; the stones were uneven and shifted under my feet. However with a sharp eye and good balance it was easy to rush over the stones.

As I drew closer my goal the ocean rushed in. Waves pounded my foot holds, making it hard to see where I was placing my feet. Knowing that life loves water, I slowed down to ensure that I did not carelessly step on something sharp and poisonous.

Then I slipped. My toe smashed under a rock; removing a nice chunk of my nail. Allege covered the stones beneath my feet. This green sheet of wet glass further slowed my journey, but having encountered it before, I knew its tricks.

At the center, the Three Rocks provided a small pool with protection from the crashing waves. Fish and soft coral existed in a quite state of peace. This was the payoff. While eye after eye would view these rocks from affair, this pool at their center was reserved for those who made the journey across the ocean.

Once again I crossed back across the rocks; this time with my toe bleeding. This time was easier. For I knew where the allege lay and where the waves broke. And while my feet burnt as I returned to shore, the coral of Okinawa made the hurt seem plain.