Emily played up at breakfast, so we had to cut it short; however, the grub on offer wasn't all that great so we weren't over-bothered. A group of middle-aged men at the next table were very jolly, and ordering bottles of beer to wash down their morning meal. Who says it is only northern Europeans who have a booze culture?! The onsen bath was closing at 9am, so Nick and I each just managed a quick dip in the outdoor rotemburo. Though the wind had dropped a bit it was still chilly out there, but once submerged it was wonderful to lie there in water that was at a perfect temperature for me and contemplate the volcano and surrounding wilderness.
Following check out we rode the courtesy bus down to the port. There are two main ports on the island, and this time the boats were using Okata. As we descended to sea level we got glimpses of resplendent Mount Fuji, the upper, snow-covered half appearing to hover in thin air directly over the hazy grey-blue sea. The little port was busy with newly-arrived daytrippers, but as Emily had started to nap on my shoulder on the way, we sought out a quiet table in a very dingey little cafe cum giftshop, seemingly the only place to get something to eat and drink. After our breakfast interruptus we were still hungry, so we ordered the owner's special. Nick thought she said fried fish on rice, but it turned out to be thick slivers of raw fish dressed in a spicy soy sauce. I dutifully chewed my way through it as she looked on, but as always I didn't like the texture. She and her daughter were besotted with Emily when she woke up, and the latter happily held Emily while I tucked in.
With their advice, we decided to take another bus, this time to Oshima Park, about 15 mins away. This turned out to be an excellent recommendation. It sits on the slopes leading down to the sea and comprises a small zoo, a large camellia garden and a recreation area with grassy hillocks and picnic benches. We felt that we ought to amuse Emily first, so we went straight into the zoo. Anyone who knows me will know that I abhor locking animals up in small enclosures, and Japan has an appalling reputation for the state of its zoos. However, this one was actually quite decent. It seemed to be still under construction, which might explain why it was free, but the parts that were open were pleasant and as far as I could tell the animals were content. The main enclosure held both mountain goats and ring-tailed lemurs. It was a mass of boulders and piles of soil, which seemed to suit them well.
There was also a set of cages for domestic animals, and Emily got very excited about the pigs, goats, ducks and guinea pigs. A strange addition was a Lesser Panda: a cute rust-coloured animal with a bushy long tail and lovely face markings. Round the corner was a group of giant tortoises, and at the back an emu, which growled as we approached. Finally we came to some llamas and camels.
Emily used lots of her pent-up energy walking around the complex, so we were then able to get her to sit on the grass outside and eat some lunch. The biggest drawback there was the lack of food available. For such a popular park, we were amazed that the only option was a bowl of ramen noodles or junk food from the tacky souvenir shop. We had to make do with a packet of Ritz biscuits, some cookies, and a mikan (aka satsuma). It was great to be able to picnic outdoors in February, with a view down to the sea.
Afterwards we took a turn around the camellia gardens. There were hundreds of the small trees, many already flowering. I didn't realise that they came in so many varieties.
Outside the entrance the local people had set up stalls and a small stage for the duration of the two month camellia festival on the island. We timed it just right to watch a performance of the local dances, by ladies dressed in black and white checked gowns or black capes decorated with a picture of an erupting Mount Mihara.
Quite a few looked over 60 and I was amazed at how flexible and energetic they were. Emily stood and clapped along, now and again waving her arms excitedly.
We felt we'd made the most of our day as we got the mid-afternoon bus back to the harbour, all-too-soon to be whisked back to the bright lights and bustle of Tokyo, but with our batteries truly recharged.
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