Nagasaki
Approaching Nagasaki you see the famous Mitsubishi shipyards
We skipped Amakusa and sailed nonstop to Nagasaki city. Only 45 miles to the north, we arrived the same day in the afternoon. There was a pleasant surprise: Dejima Wharf Marina in the middel of the city, walking distance from all the tourist attractions and surrounded by small restaurants on a boardwalk, playing jazz in the evening in a super romantic setting.
Dejima from the Nakashima river
Nagasaki has a lot to offer for tourists, not just the Atomic Bomb Museum. We have been there twice, cried twice, don’t need it a 3rd time. The same with Clover Garden and the original Dejima site. That left us all the other historical, cultural and folk musea and many temples and shrines.
Sofuku-ji, a Zen temple of Chinese origin.
The cats were in for a surprise as well when Noriko sensei came to stay and they had to share their bunks. Sensei didn’t bring out any seringes or nasty thermometers and they enjoyed the cuddles and the attention.
Wakame with her godmother Noriko.
We caught up with Satoshi, a friend of a friend, who drove us around on a Sunday. We had met him once, some 20 years ago in company of another Dutch sailor in Japan named Jaap, who was in Fukuoka for a few days. Jaap, at present working on his boat in Wakayama re-introduced him.
Satoshi took us on a drive to Omura Wan,
a safe haven for his yacht Bries
While in Nagasaki city we got the chance to watch a practice session for the big O Kunchi festival in October.
We saw this yearly festival in 1989 and remember it well, however we decided our experience out-dated; we should see it again. A new plan was made: we would hang around Nagasaki prefecture a bit longer, do all our delayed chores somewhere quiet and return to the city early October.
Another practice session was documented, to reinforce our decision
Towards the Dutch slopes we found an old sento or public bath house (left), Note the two entrance doors with the big YU character in red for ladies and blue for men. Right around the corner of the Chinese Historical Museum (roof detail right).
Mie
After the OK by the Ministry of Transport we got a new cruising permit and moved to Mie, a small town to the north with a big fishmarket. Here we found some new constructed typhoon shelters in a quiet area with very little traffic, a parking lot and bare land covered with grass and bush. The cats dove in the green strip between the parking lot and the dock like we dive in a swimming pool. Wakame invariably emerged chewing on some hopper, Nori kept chasing her tale. These cats were happy!
The typhoon shelters are boxed in by high metal fencing. Alishan is in the 3rd from the left
This cruise to re-discover Japan (the culture, the language) turned out to affect our social life more then anything else. And this was not the end. In Mie we reconnected with the big Sawamura family, mum dad and 12 kids. We’d met them 21 years ago when they were living in Nagasaki city and they were our first Japanese friends outside Fukuoka.
Jaaps search in the town, via
their old neighborhoud and the police station to the office of the fishmarket
proved succesful and Takaji, his wife, 2nd daughter and 2nd
son came to Alishan right away. Many of the children now had families of their
own and 17 grandchildren were brightening their lives. Everybody was excited
and a party was planned We can attest XXX that the noise level at their
gatherings is as high as ever.
One sad note however was
Takaji’s health. He had just come out of hospital and was diagnosed with lung
cancer. We stayed longer than planned for the umptieth time.
Fukue, Goto Retto
At last we made the jump to
Fukue in the Goto Retto, away from cities and people. The weather was changing and the wind shifted
to the north, bringing lower temperatures and rain. Again luck was with us in
the form of a comfortable spot at a pontoon, more or less downtown.
Now times are filled with
little projects in preparation of Edwin and Melissa’s visit next month.
Stowing, cleaning, sewing, fixing and writing this update.
We had to dig up long sleeves and socks, the summer is ending. TDs are still threatening down south, but so far so good. Let’s keep our fingers cross.
Alishan in Fukue, right in front of the customs building.
The first night we stayed at the
police dock, in full sight of the Coast Guard. The following morning the port captain
showed us another spot, also at a pontoon, 50m away. A customs officer stopped
by 2 days after our arrival. He was very friendly but reminded us that we could
not have any visitors onboard and we replied: “Yes, we understand.” (We really do,
but sometimes we forget) The Coast Guard took 3 days to find us and said: “We
want to inspect your boat”. Shock! However, they didn’t mean a full inspection,
just the paperwork.
Between jobs we explored the island, by bicycle or car. We got up at 4:00 am to go and see the raptor migration from Osezaki, drove to Arakawa hotspring and met our old friends. AGAIN were given the keys to Mrs Ozaki’s car, who didn’t need it when she was at work, just like 4 years ago. How can we not love this country and the people. I wonder how long we will stay this time. Last time we said 1 or 2 years and we left after 11. This time?
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