From the earlier photos, you can see how nice the weather was when I set off on the ferry. About three hours in we hit a storm. I was not unhappy. I love rough seas. Of the 70 or so passengers, only me and two other guys were brave (foolish) enough to stay on the outer deck throughout. It was so much fun hanging on and getting thrown about by the waves, water hitting you in the face and not knowing if it's rain, spray or actual wave. It was so primal for me to feel the terrifying and tremendous force of nature. We humans think we're on top of everything. But we're not in charge. Being at the mercy of the sea really puts you in your place. And for all this adventure I wasn't once scared. I felt sure that if it had been really dangerous someone would have told us to come inside (right?). 
So the storm I talked about (which I loved so much at first) didn't let up for the whole first day. I mean I couldn't leave the hotel, the rain was that strong.
Then today, I awoke before the alarm at 6.30am. I was going to try and fall back for another few hours but thought I’d just check on the weather. To my great joy it wasn’t raining. I immediately took the picture you can see above.
Even though it still wasn’t postcard weather it looked a lot better today than yesterday’s gun-metal grey scene.
My smile needn’t have been too firmly fixed. It was lashing again by the time I got down to breakfast.
I was damned if I was going to sit in all day again. So my plan was to change into rain gear and flip flops, line my backpack with a strong plastic bag to protect my valuables and to head out and explore.
At the start it was a fairly light drizzle. First impressions of the island: multicoloured butterflies everywhere. And lots of unusual birds diving in and out of the crops a huntin’. If only I were an ornithologist. Even for a city boy like me they were pretty interesting. So many vividly coloured wild flowers just growing in ditches and the like. It’s all very lush.
Kume Island looks pretty poor. Most of the time I felt like I was in Cuba or something, what with all the sugar cane and sweet potato plantations. The farm houses looked very dilapidated with lots of scrap metal lying in each yard. I wonder if there’s a crime problem. Two horrible barky, scary dogs roared at me as I passed and I saw a few barred up windows.
I was disappointed not to have seen any shisa (a kind of lion dog statue that guards the gates and eaves of houses in Okinawa from evil spirits). Of course, as soon as the rain got heavier and I could no longer take out my camera I was practically falling over these Ryukyu shishi. Typical.
And when I say heavier rain, I mean heavier rain. I have definitely proved my credentials as a master 雨男 (Ame otoko – a man who brings rain wherever he goes). Last night’s top item on the news was how the mainland of Japan was experiencing record sun and blistering temperatures, completely unseasonal at that. The mainland is supposed to be in rainy season now, while we here on the islands are SUPPOSED to be basking in sunshine. But like I said, where I go, rain follows.
I tried to stay all positive about the rain and that. I mean I figured once you’re wet no point in worrying about the degree. I tried the whole thing of smiling up at the sky as the rain showered down at me and telling the heavens to do their worst. That was probably a mistake – when the rain was so heavy that my underpants were wet through and when the scary thunder and lightning were clapping and flashing right over my head I decided to admit defeat and head back to the hotel.
Challenge of the trip so far?
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