7 March 2011

We were up early as we had booked on a 2 hour boat trip. While packing, Nick got a call from the operator, asking us to go as soon as possible as the forecast was for increasing wind and waves, so we ended up getting in a flap. The bad vibes were compounded when we went to the wrong car park. After emerging from five floors of the exit ramp because the store below the car park was still closed, a man ushered us urgently to the pier. We found a medium sized boat waiting for us, with a 50-strong contingent of teenaged schoolgirls aboard. As soon as we went on deck there was a mass chorus of 'kawaii' (cute), and much giggling behind hands.

It was calm enough in the harbour area and we enjoyed looking at the Mitsubishi shipyards and waterfront area of the city.

After we passed under the large Megami Bridge the sea became gradually choppier.

We passed dozens of islets until we reached the turnaround point and main interest of the trip, Gunkanjima (warboat island). This Japanese version of Alcatraz did indeed resemble a naval vessel in profile, though the former occupants were actually there by choice, mining coal. The hideous concrete buildings were actually once apartments, a school, a hospital and even a cinema.

In the lee of the island it was more or less flat but out in the open sea we were being rolled about quite a bit, and I don't have the best sea-legs at the best of times. Actually I ended up nodding off in the indoor lower deck, while Nick and Emily sat outside. They saw a jetfoil boat whizzing past at one point, similar to the one we took when we went to Oshima.

Amazingly, we managed to lose the car park ticket twice. Nick mislaid it first - it had fallen down the crease between seat and chairback. After he had set off to speak to the customer services people in the store, I called him back as I had found it, but by the time he got to the car I had lost it again. None of that helped the stress levels, but luckily the drive to the airport was quicker than expected, which was just as well as I had misremembered the flight time by 20 minutes. In the end the departure back to Tokyo was delayed by nearly half an hour though.