I've spent the last three days on Sadogashima -- a small island off of the west coast of Japan. It's been a really calm three days, except that my arms and legs are itchy and lumpy from the insect bites I sustained while camping. Tonight I think I'll enjoy a hot shower and laundry facilities at a hostel, if I can.

I arrived in Ogi, the south-most town, Saturday evening. Wow, it's already Tuesday. The first night I didn't do much except find a camp site. I found one at a deserted beach. Again, this whole island seems set up to receive tourists, but there are very very few. Maybe off-season. The traffic has been very light, allowing me to wander around at my snail's pace.

The second day I made it about 1/3 of the way around the island, going along the west coast northward, overwhelmed by the scenery. I didn't have much film left, so I tried to take my photos carefully. But they'll probably end up looking like bad attempts at post cards. That night, I found a camp site right next to a small shrine by the ocean. I approached the other group of campers (two guys) to ask if they'd heard any report of the weather, and they asked me to join them. They were two professionals, on a week-long summer break. I dined on raw flying fish and flounder, salad, whiskey, and shochu.

The next morning, after a short breakfast with the two fellow from the night before (the more talkative of the two, was hitting the whiskey for breakfast too), I talked with an old woman who had come to gather limpets from the shore. She cooked them with miso soup, she said. I told her the island was a beautiful place, and said she wanted to leave it, and visit Tokyo or Osaka. She was born on the island, never received an education. I'm guessing she has gathered limpets from the same shore thousands of times before. But she had children and grandchildren, which she took pride in. She suggested I get married so I can have a good life. I showed her my bundle of pictures from Bellingham, which she seemed to enjoy.

The third day, I biked another third of the island. I intended to make it 60 miles but the hills were pretty bad (and I probably was a bit hung over from the previous evening) so I felt pretty beat after 48　miles, and found a spot to camp. It was a small park next to a lighthouse.

Today (Tuesday) I'm back at the town I arrived in on Saturday -- Ogi (small tree.) I'm at a community center and I bet they close at five, so I think I have to wrap this up. But tomorrow morning I'll take the ferry back, and ride towards Kyoto. I probably won't make it by Friday night if I go by bicycle alone, so I'll take the train somewhere along the way.