To counter the rather appalling lack of trains in Okinawa, I have bought myself a magnificent and powerful machine:
After an hour charging, this lovely thing can take me whizzing to work, up and over the hill to the shopping centre, and up the nightly great hill I live on with no more effort than if this was the middle of Holland! So excited have I been about my new bicycle that I have been racing out of the house without my camera! But today (after a false start yesterday), I packed camera, tea and flashlight and set off on the hike up to, or possibly around, Yamada gusuku.
The hike starts off a little ways south of the house, and heads up into the hills, through a mixture of pine trees, reeds, spiny plants and giant tree-ferns. The first couple of valleys look almost exactly like the settings of Jurassic Park.
As the path wanders around the hills, the dirt wears out, and the old stone paving becomes visible. These roads used to be the main roads connecting the villages to the gusuku, a sort of old holy place from the 12th or 13th century, and considering their age and the all-empowering forest, it's amazing how well some of the strips of road and bridges are well-preserved.
After seeing the stone bridge, I veered off the main gusuku trail, and, following my usual attraction for water, headed down a small side path which meandered along a small stream.
More exuberant vegetation, with ferns and mosses and worts enough to fill a whole botanical garden.
As the rock here is just layers and layers of coral rubble and limestone, there are caves and crevices absolutely everywhere, with small little dripping stalactites, and big thick columns of very very ancient stalactites that have finally reached the bottom.
The network of paths around Yamada seems to go on for ever and, who knows, we may one day stumble upon the gusuku!
As the path wanders around the hills, the dirt wears out, and the old stone paving becomes visible. These roads used to be the main roads connecting the villages to the gusuku, a sort of old holy place from the 12th or 13th century, and considering their age and the all-empowering forest, it's amazing how well some of the strips of road and bridges are well-preserved.
More exuberant vegetation, with ferns and mosses and worts enough to fill a whole botanical garden.
A couple enthusiastic centipedes, too.
As the rock here is just layers and layers of coral rubble and limestone, there are caves and crevices absolutely everywhere, with small little dripping stalactites, and big thick columns of very very ancient stalactites that have finally reached the bottom.
