The Quiet Ripple Defines The Pond

You will remember that I am in the middle of transplants, no I mean implants, fun.

A couple of days before my appointment for the next major step in the process, I notice that the temporary crown over the implants is wobbling a bit. I am eating sashimi at the time. A bit of fish get stuck under the crown and I try to hoick it out with the end of my tongue. Oh no! The crown comes right off. Initially I am not too worried. It is only the plastic crown and I should be able to jam it on again.

I pull out the crown and look at it. Oh No! One of the implants has also come out.

Anyway, first thing the next day I phone Kinjo sensei. Luckily he can see me that afternoon. I am somewhat put down as I anticipate having to go through surgery again.

I show him the guilty object and he beams crying,”No problem Neil san,I can fix this easily.”

Oh Yes!

I now understand that the implant is a complex piece of engineering. The bit that is screwed into the jawbone is a hollow, threaded sleeve into which is screwed a secondary part, which you see in the photo above. I turns out to be relatively straightforward to reinstall. What a relief.

As I am at the clinic Kinjo sensei and his wonderful nurses go ahead with the next stage of the procedure. I do not understand what they are doing but it is very high tech. It takes 90 minutes.

So pleased that my implant was not untimely ripped from my jaw by sashimi.

We sail off in the early evening to dine on the boat. We are Arisa san , Alisa san, Harry san and me. It is a glorious evening and the heat of the day has faded.

We go on a run out to deep water and then bear away to sail up the coast. The wind is gentle, the sea is deep blue and also gentle.

Arisa has cooked an amazing meal; deep fried chicken drumsticks in spicy batter, egg with a minced beef centre smeared with harissa. We drink cold riesling from Alsace. Such a good life.

Bad movie but you get the idea.

Yesterday, I had a great lunch, tacos Okinawa style.

Cannot complain.

I spend the day on the boat. There is a determined breeze, which, once you get used to it, makes sailing the best fun. Initially it is scary. The Norfolk Gypsy is a strong boat and likes a bit of a rumpus.

This is an archive post. It is really meant for me so I can remember later in life.

Lots of wind, lots of speed, the iPhone says we hit 6 knots, glorious to be outside and vaguely scared.

Harry and I set off at about 6:00 pm. I raise sail in the Marina basin. It is not good. I cannot get the the mainsail taught and there is an ugly crease across it. No amount of tugging on the halyards makes any difference. We motor out of the Marina into the setting sun.

I stop the motor and we glide away. I re-attack the halyards and now mysteriously I can pull both the throat and peak up a vital 6 inches. The mainsail is perfectly set.

We reach away from Okinawa.

Good way to spend the evening.

We can barely see as we come onto the the pontoon. Kiyuna san has seen us come in and is there to help with the mooring lines.

Down at the Marina I bump into Kiyuna san. He is excited and invites to his boat for coffee. With much ceremony, he presents me with a prayer scarf that he has made for me. As I understand, he has chosen the fabric, cut it and sewn it.

It is powerful. When I wear it and pray then things will go well. Kiyuna becomes very philosophical. We spend a very pleasant couple of hours drinking coffee. He is in full swing and the conversation swirls, except that I do not say much and most of what Kiyuna san says is incomprehensible to me because it is in Japanese. It does not really matter. We enjoy each other’s company.

He explains the spiritual hierarchy of birds. He investigates the concept of a tool. He reflects on leadership and the failure of democracy from a very Eastern philosophical angle. And a whole lot more.

It is good afternoon.

I mention to Kikura san and Daiki san that I would like to go snorkeling before the night tour the next day. They immediately draw up a detailed schedule with bus times, ferry times and hints. They send me to Ida Beach.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/イダの浜/@24.3376012,123.7194841,2135m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x346087bf6508a1ad:0x3313af9676ef25fe!8m2!3d24.3397807!4d123.7237492

Amazing what you can do with an iPhone standing outside a combini late at night.

Next morning, I catch the bus and have a wonderful drive across the island. We have brief stop and I spy a buffalo carriage.

I arrive at a place, whose name I have forgotten, and take a ferry over to the beach.

It is a truly wonderful beach. So clean, the water is so clear. Very few people. I find a shaded place to lie down. I doze.

After a while I feel I should really go snorkeling. I take my fins from my bag and find they are broken.

I swim, I snorkel, it is wonderful.

I take the ferry back to the place whose name I cannot remember. The bus is waiting.

About 5 minutes into the trip I take off my sunhat and unwittingly dislodge my mask. The bus screeches to a stop. The driver who had been all smiles, gets up and tells me fiercely to come to him. He is very serious. I realize what is going on and put my mask back on apologizing ferociously. No messing with Covid regulations.

I get back to my guest house and prepare myself mentally for the night bird hunting. What a good day!

Poor film.

Off to the magic isles of Ishigaki and Iriomote to look for birdies. In fact Ishigaki is just a stop over, it has an airport, Iriomote does not. All the action takes place on Iriomote.

I have free morning on Ishigaki before I take the ferry to Iriomote. I planned to rent a scooter and buzz around the island in the bright sun. Not to be. I wake up to pouring rain.

Finally the rain stops and after lots of hanging around in the Ferry terminal watching immaculately dressed Japanese tourists, I zoom over to Iriomote.

Awaiting are my guides Daiki san and Kikura san. We set off immediately to hunt down birds.

Daiki san has a a profound knowledge of the island’s ecology and Kikura san speaks perfect English so helps as interpreter. Try translating, “Streaked Fan tailed Warbler”. They are both so much fun. Go to Iriomote right now and hire Daiki as your guide. https://iriomotedieasante.wordpress.com

We see so much!

So much more but you get the idea.

Next day we go on a night tour – even more amazing!

So much more.

Contact him now.

Next day boat back to Ishigaki.

I eat amazing Ishigaki Beef, which is famous, at the airport.

Thank you.

I come from the U.K. where Hamburgers are maligned

Today we go for lunch in a new hotel overlooking the ocean

.

My companion orders Hamburger. I order fish because I am on a stupid diet. I really wanted to order Hamburger.

So much history, so much traditions much finesse in Japanese cuisine but occasionally the cry goes up,”Won’t somebody get me a Cheeseburger.”

I go for the fish.

My companion prepare her Hamburger.

She compresses it and wraps it in a paper napkin. She then attacks it like a shark.

No care as to, calories, gluten, allergies, just enjoyment of food.

It is so good to eat with someone who really enjoys food.

We head North to search for the Rail; we being Tim, Mary and me.

The Okinawa Rail is a very rare bird that is only found in the dense forests of Yanbaru. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okinawa_rail Yanbaru was incidentally added to the Unesco World Heritage List just last week.

We drive up the coast and, against all the odds,we see three juvenile rail by the the road well South of their normal habitat. This is a good omen. In a state of great excitement we arrive at the Ada Garden Hotel in time for dinner. https://ada-hotel.net

Ichiro san our much revered friend, is to be our guide. Ichiro san is an amazing person, a world class nature artist and also a truly knowledgable birdwatcher.http://kikutaichiro.com Buy his art.

Off we go into the night, in Ichiro san’s car, looking for mischief.

We are looking for Rails that have clambered up into trees to roost, they are flightless. Ichiro san finds three! These birds are so rare but he manages to find three in the pitch dark, late at night.

We go to a waterfall; the ground is teeming with crabs and frogs.

We also find 3 Ryukyu Scops Owlets perching on a branch chirping away gleefully.

Such fun!

We start again at 5:30 the next morning. We see lots more rails. It is incredible!

Big success! I have found that for astonishing wildlife experiences that a guide helps.

For a few days now the Japanese media has been saying that as from July 26, those wishing to travel abroad can apply for a vaccination passport. The only proof that I have had two shots is a very Japanese document that I doubt would cut the mustard in most immigration controls.

Today is July 26 so I rush up to the Ginowan Town Hall to see what happens next. After some mime, they understand what I want and hand me a map of where this process is being dealt with.

With the help of Google translate, I finally Sherlock Holmes my way to the location.

No one speaks English but they produce an iPad with an interpreter inside. I explain my needs to this person and he subsequently lets the happy Okinawa folk know what the fat, sweaty, foreigner wants.

I fill in some forms and there is a air of excitement in the room. I am clearly the first client.

We have a lot of fun and jokes. 30 minutes later, I leave with the first Vaccine Passport issued in Ginowan. A real achievement.

By the way, the typhoon has finally moved on. This was not the worst typhoon by a long shot but it was probably the longest. Heavy rain and high winds from Tuesday to Monday. The boat is OK.

I visit Kinjo sensei and his wonderful colleagues to have my stitches taken out and a temporary crown placed over my implants. We have lots of fun, such good people.

I love sausages! How did he know this? I wonder what else I revealed during the operation under the influence of half a pint of novocaine.