Author Archives: spikekalashnikov

In fact the contents of this post are much less dramatic than the title. After the high octane of the unforgettable trip to Hokkaido, I return to more mundane stuff. I have mentioned Lustre before. When my apartment gets a … Continue reading →

Where we stayed and what we ate in Hokkaido! First place : http://mangetudou.net Deep snow, very warm due to the huge Jotul woodburner in main living area. I stagger upstairs to my room and lie on the bed. It collapses … Continue reading →

Ichiro san and I head north for a birding adventure in Hokkaido! Two flights later we arrive at Nakashibetsu airport -deep snow and freezing cold. We are no longer in Okinawa. As we pick up a car, a policeman and … Continue reading →

Hooray, the cherry blossom is out! I do lots of boat stuff. The pipe that runs from the cockpit sump up to pump is blocked. I have spent many frustrating hours trying to unblock it with absolutely no success. The … Continue reading →

Yesterday was the start of the new year; the Year of the Rabbit, A very cuddly year to you all. We celebrated with an epic picnic on the boat. We pass a wonderful afternoon. Kiyuna san and his doggie Jacko … Continue reading →

I am feeling fairly smug as I write this in Kagoshima airport. I am on my way back home to Okinawa after the first mainland jaunt that I have organized all by myself. In the old days I was very … Continue reading →

Sorry, just birds, with a bit of fish. I return to the stinking Triangular Pond so beloved by birds. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Triangle+Pond/@26.1720552,127.6541474,893m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x34e569efb7fbab57:0x465dddfa94de705c!8m2!3d26.1720552!4d127.6563361 The Black faced Spoonbill loves the stench. It is a truly rare bird. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-faced_spoonbill I am so lucky to have … Continue reading →

One of the things that surprised me most when I came to Okinawa was the number of excellent bakeries. I had never associated Japan with bread and croissants. When I moved to Ginowan the outstanding Hoppepan bakery was just up … Continue reading →

Xmas approaches and it is still very cold by our standards. I spot something that I never thought I would see on Okinawa – a hot water bottle! Anyway on Xmas Day we have a fantastic dinner at my place. … Continue reading →

Well, not really but very cold for Okinawa. I actually like this as I can wear a sweater and even socks! The engine is fixed! I start the massive clean up. The boat is filthy. All internal spaces are black … Continue reading →