Hateruma...The most far south accessible point to the public in Japan

The typhoon behaved and decided to wait until the weekend. The ferries made their crossings. That isn't to say that it didn't rain. The thing about rain in these places is that you can bet it is going to rain, but you don't actually know if it is and if it does, how much there is going to be. So you go around looking at the clouds, listening for thunder, gnawing your lips. It rained a lot, but for a short time. I had bought a cheap windbreaker the night before just in case, which I didn't use. I also brought an umbrella from Tokyo which I used Mary Poppins–style, while riding the bike. It is also a popular Japanese mode of transportation that I never thought I'd employ. 

Lots of photos with only a few comments, as I have to check–out of the hotel soon. They also pretty much speak for themselves. I ended–up using two bikes that day, because of all the people riding bikes on the island, I was the one that got the flat tire. I got it far, far from the bike shop.

There seems to be a problem on Ishigaki.

I thought this was my boat because it was at Pier 5 where my boat was supposed to be. It was getting ready to board people and it had the name they told me: あんえい。Turned out almost every boat in the port had that name because it is the name of the ferry company. The numbers are different. There were plenty of Japanese confused also, so I didn't feel too bad.

The terminal on Hateruma.

The island is populated by kind goats. Most of them are tethered, only the young aren't. I can't really figure that out.

This is Yuki. He is from Kyoto. He swam in the waters off Hateruma. I don't swim.

The next seven shots are of the first beach I found. The beaches are not just there on this island, you have to find them. I was lobbied heavy before leaving for Japan to visit these islands. It was all about putting your feet in the beautiful sands and clear water. It was not high on my priority list until this "go to the extreme points" thing hit me. Then I figured, the beaches still don't excite me much, but the tropical forests would be cool. Hateruma has no tropical forests. It is pretty much all given over to agriculture, cows and goats. But there are some beaches.

I had to turnaround, come back and shoot this animal; the beard was too much to pass up.

Very bad weather threatening in the distance.

My goal - the most south point in Japan accessible to normal humans.

The sky looking south...

...the sky looking north. It was here that the flat tire happened. The other end of the island from the shop, with rain threatening. Why would it be otherwise?

I don't know what this plant is. There is at least one flora person following this blog, so I took lots of flora shots for you.

Typical house on Hateruma. The stone walls are to help keep out the high waters when they come. The island has about 600 inhabitants. 

They look like the peppers Tony had.

Hateruma is one of the few places in Japan that you can observe the Southern Cross.

When you see something like this on Hetaruma, you ask, "What can be down there?"

This.

Hateruma is the coral island.

 

The new bike after the rain.

What can be down there?

...This.

There is purple crab hiding underneath.

Looking at maybe Kuroshima Island?

At the port getting ready to head back.

Look at that! A ukelele player and not the only one I saw this day.

Sunset on Ishigaki port.

This is all I had for dinner, but it was enough.