Sayonara Daitō!

Our last morning on Minami-daito began much as every morning of our trip: with a birding walk! I was still glowing from my close-encounters with Ryukyu Scops Owl the night before, which meant that seeing a new species did not matter. This morning, it was all about the birds, enjoying the cool morning, and yes, even the sights of a sugarcane field.

After breakfast, we walked back to Daito-jinja to get a better look around.  The afternoon prior was the end of a long day, and we wanted to view the area with fresh eyes.

I was happy we returned to this quiet area.  The stairway up to the shrines seemed to approach perfection: quiet, symmetry, and balance with nature.

The shrines and buildings at the top made me wish I knew more about this culture. Not just knowing kanji so I could read, but so I could know the gravity of this place I was in. On this day, I would have to be content just to be present and take it all in. 

Back at the bottom of the stairs, we took other paths we hadn't noticed the day before.  One led us to an area for sumo wrestling, or what we thought would be perfect for sumo wrestling.  Our breakfast hosts had photos of their children in sumo matches, and we assumed that the pictures were taken in mainland Japan.  Perhaps this was the start of their hobby/career?

From the neatly bricked pathways to the vegetation, Daito-jinja is one of the prettiest places I've seen in the Ryukyus, or Nansei Shoto for those who prefer.  Nothing seems planted in gardens per se, but everything seems to go together in a peaceful way. Perhaps it is the effects of a really good vacation, where the world seems full of promise and the strains and struggles of the day-to-day back home don't seem to matter?

We spent quite a bit of time at Daito-jinja, and it was warm before we knew it.  The last portion of the park is a small area with some water and lotus flowers before exiting on a quieter road back to town.  I enjoyed myself trying to catch Japanese White-eyes foraging on small berries on the surrounding bushes.  Ryan found his own style of zen.

We said good-bye to Daito-jinja, home to flying foxes and owls at night and a place of quiet contemplation during the day, and returned to the "hustle and bustle" of Minami-daito's main town.

I wanted to visit the large lakes before heading home to pack.  You never know when the time is right to see a new species before leaving!  The bird life was non-existent as far as I could see through the binoculars, so we had some fun at the playground in a small park on the bank of one of the larger lakes.  We found a new item to try out: a foot massage, for real!  We attempted to read the instructions:

We figured we simply had to remove our shoes and walk through/stand on the different areas to find the "sweet spot."  Some areas were more pleasant than others, and some were downright painful.

Our new ornithologist friends met us at our lodging to ride along with us.  One was heading to Miyako-jima to begin her first field season studying Japanese Paradise-flycatchers, a species I've only glimpsed once before. She was taking the ferry, which was a mode of transportation Ryan and I considered for this trip.  The only reason we did not take the ferry was the travel time: 15-17 hours from Minami-daito to Tonari Port in Naha. When we went to the Minami-daito port to bid bon voyage and good research to Yumako-san, we saw another reason that it was better for us to fly.

The tall cliffs surrounding Minami-daito mean that there is no convenient place for ships to dock.  As a result, people and goods must be loaded onto and off of the ship via crane.  Our new friends arranged for us to ride once on the crane, but cautioned us not to get off unless we wanted a long ride back to Okinawa.

The owl researchers needed to get a few more hours' rest before the evening's research, so we said good-bye and that I hoped to meet them again in Tokyo at the International Ornithologists' Congress that August.  At the airport, we got specific information from our lodging and the nature guide who worked closely with the graduate students.  I hope that more Americans will want to visit the Daito islands after seeing our photos, and that their trip will be made easier if they know that friendly people are waiting to show them all there is to see on Minami-daito.

We never got to see the cave at the northern end of the island, but what's not to enjoy about a cave trek in conjunction with a nighttime trek to see flying foxes and owls?

The hobbit buildings of Kiraku were lots of fun: comfortable, clean, and hot tubs!  I think we were alone during our stay, but there are up to six cabins that could make for an excellent visit.

Our host made sure that our interests were met and even arranged for English-speaking when we needed it. Amazing. Attentive. Courteous.  Wonderful.

Time to head back to Okinawa.  I was happy we got to see the Daito islands, even though they are a good example of islands without beaches.  Excellent food, friendly people, and a beautiful setting for peaceful walks and good birding.  Which is the "ichiban Daito?"  You will have to visit and decide for yourself!