Kumejima 久米島

It was in April 2005. My co-worker said “Okinawa is ideal place for holiday. Have you heard of Hate-no-hama? It’s said very beautiful. I want to go there someday.” A few weeks later, I happened to get three days off. I looked up Hate-no-hama on the guidebook, I knew it was close to Kumejima in Okinawa. And I saw a photo of Tatamiishi that looked like the shell of turtle. I thought "I want to see Tatamiishi!!".
I flew to Kumejima via Naha.
I had booked a guesthouse (minshuku) Minshuku Ifu. One of the family ran it picked me up at the airport, took me to the minshuku. After I took a rest and planed for the day, I rented a motorbike (50cc scooter), I went around Kumejima.
I visited the pottery of Kumejima-yaki. Children were making their own bowls. Then I went to Uezuke, Gomatsu-no-eda, Obake-zaka(ghost slope). Obake-zaka was very mysterious… It looked upward slope, but my engine-stopped motorbike went down… I tried again and again.

昨年の４月。同じ職場の人に「沖縄はいいですよ。はての浜って知ってます？すごくきれいらしいですよ。」という話をきいてしばらくあと、たまたま３連休があった。
はての浜は久米島にあることを知り、ガイドブックを見ると亀の甲羅のような“畳石”の写真があった。これ見たい！！
那覇を経由して久米島へ。
レンタルバイク（50ccスクーター）で、島を一周。
まず、久米島焼を見に行き、小鉢を買う。青や緑がきれい。
久米島自然文化センター、上江洲家、五松の枝と観光地を巡った後、おばけ坂へ。上り坂に見えるのに実際は下り坂。下り坂に見えるのに上り坂。とても不思議で、ひとりで行ったり来たり。





I headed to the coast. There were lots of white lilies. I visited one place called Nettaigyo-no-ie (house of tropical fish), I could see many colorful fish from the beach.

海岸線に出ると、白いゆりの花がたくさん。別の海岸では、“熱帯魚の家”と呼ばれる場所があり、岸辺から青や黄色の熱帯魚が見られる。


Tatamiishi 畳石


Finally I went to Tatamiishi. It was low tide, so I could see it. (I didn’t think about the tide. You might not be able to see it at high tide.) I had not seen such strange and incredible scenery. It seemed like man-made.
There was Umigame-kan just behind the beach. Turtles were protected and bred. They were so cute.
I didn’t have time to go to Hate-no-hama. I’d like to go there next time.
最後に“畳石”へ。ちょうど干潮。ほんと、亀の甲羅のよう。
近くにあるウミガメ館で、ウミガメ達と対面。特に子ガメはかわいい。