Naoshima (Summer Trip Part III)

After a cold night of camping in the East Iya Valley, it was off to the next ferry bound for the small island of Naoshima. Once the ferry was underway, we took a strategic nap on the carpeted area right next to the outlets where we plugged in three phones and two digital cameras. An hour later we were greeted by a giant pumpkin as the ferry docked.

It's the Great Pumpkin, Lizzie-chan!

Naoshima is an island known for it's extensive collection of modern art. The entire island and its various museums and installations are meant to combine to form one big art environment. I can totally appreciate this concept and I do love me some culture, but I really enjoy an art museum on a rainy day, not when it competes directly with tropical island paradise. Joe and Liz were much more disciplined tourists that day, so while they went off to the museums, I sun bathed on the beach and went for a swim at sunset. The colors just kept getting better and better so I swam back to shore and grabbed the camera.

I'll do some learning right here, thank you.

Liz is an itinerary planning genius, and should seriously consider a career planning amazing trips. In her endless research, she found a place on the beach that rents out authentic Mongolian Tents. The tent had 5 beds, a heater, a small fridge and a table and chairs. The interior was incredibly ornate with hand painted supports, bright blue lattice framing and a red and white fabric ceiling. Our nomadic tribe of three felt quite at home inside and had room for more.

The Mongolians knew how to camp in style

Our tribe of three was about to expand. For the last two days, Joe and Liz's friends T.K. and Thi had been shadowing us by a hundred kilometers or so, all over Shikoku. Since the beginning of the trip, we had been in touch once a day and planned to meet the following day. Rinse and repeat. Now it was going on day 5 and we were still one ferry ahead of the stragglers. We made plans to meet tomorrow at Naruto's famous whirlpools and got back to work relaxing on Naoshima. After sunset, we found a good spot at a picnic table near the water, and Joe once again worked his magic with the portable stove.

Home sweet home

Mongolian tent circle

When we checked in, we were told to bring our shoes into the tent with us or the racoon dogs would steal them. I had read all about Japan's famous Tanuki and at hearing this, became instantly obsessed with capturing one on camera. From Wikipedia: The legendary tanuki is reputed to be mischievous and jolly, a master of disguise and shapeshifting, but also absent-minded and gullible.
We were banking on gullible when we set an onigiri (rice ball) as bait to draw them into a clearing next to our picnic table. Instead we saw their mischievous side. Whenever one of us would venture back to the tents or the bathroom we would inevitably see at least one Tanuki, until that is, we brought a camera. I walked for twenty minutes with the camera ready and saw nothing, but on my way back from a quick walk to get some ice, I had my hands full and nearly tripped over three of them on my way back to the table. They didn't go for the bait while we waited, but luckily Liz has eyes like a hawk and caught one of them spying on us from a shrub and I managed to get a quick picture before he was gone.

Tanuki-san

View from the dinner table