Trip to Uganzaki

Anyway, there's no point in living on a beautiful island like this if you're just going to spend your whole life in front of a laptop pulling your hair out. Consequently, Sundays drive out a beach at Uganzaki, courtesy of our friend Mariko, was a welcome break.

With a legspan of well over 20cm this was the biggest spider that I've ever seen

The mid afternoon Yaeyama sun was as relentless as ever as we set off towards Uganzaki. This is one of the most beautiful drives to be had on the island and as we made our way down the road which leads to the lighthouse we were treated to some incredible views across the ocean to Kabira's northern cape with Sukuji beach being clearly visible in the distance. It's at times like that it I truly appreciate the contrast between the life which I enjoy on Ishigaki island and the life which I lived in Cambridge England.

We parked the car on what appeared to be an area of unused farmland and made our way down a jungle-style path to the beach. Along the way I almost walked straight through a web which was host to the biggest spider that I'd ever seen in my life. However, that record didn't stand for long as I saw an even bigger spider on the way back which had a leg span of around 25cm. These spiders are found throughout Japan, however, on Ishigaki there are fewer but the ones which you do find tend to be much larger.

Aside from the offensive amount of rubbish which welcomed us at the rear of the beach, the majority of which is deposited by the ocean, the view was outstanding. Mariko and her husband went snorkeling while I waded through the water which must have been around 30°C taking photos. The beach is pretty secluded, hence, apart from three or four Japanese tourists, we were completely alone.

Uganzaki's north beach is a well kept secret where no swimming signs keep most people out of the water

Mariko and her husband eventually emerged from the ocean excited about the quality of the coral reef which they'd found. It should be pointed out swimming is prohibited at this beach due to strong currents which can appear from time to time, however, many Japanese people choose to snorkel here due to the reef's quality.

On the way back home we took a detour to one of banna kouen's observation points. At the top there's an egg-shaped dome which has been designed for bird watching. We didn't see any of Ishigaki's famous eagle's this time, but the views of the island made the trip worthwhile. Overall another great day out on Ishigaki island. Thanks Mariko!