I leave the hotel in Hentona early the next day to walk along the coast to Ogimi. The ocean summons me to the shore. Wading in the calm sea, I pause to appreciate my surroundings. Weathered fragments of coral mix with the sand.
I’m heading out onto a sugarcane covered peninsula. If you look closely in the quiet surroundings, you can find some interesting creatures.
This giant wood spider is not only the largest spider in Japan it also spins the largest web. It’s leg span is about the size of my open hand.
At the tip of the peninsula is Okuma.
“I just walked through Okuma where a military recreation area is. I’m on my way to Ogimi next. I got about 15 kilometers to walk. Sound familiar?”
Besides the Okuma Military Recreation Facility, which you cannot enter, there is a J-A-L resort with inviting beaches that is popular with Japanese tourists. Okuma is a quaint village with a few houses and gardens.
As I get closer to Ogimi, I encounter villages more often, but there is still plenty of undeveloped wildernesses along the side of the road.
Occasionally, you will see a path heading up the side of the hill. You will almost always find a tomb, or haka as it’s known in japanese, buried in the side of the hill. This haka are scattered all over the hillsides and along roads throughout Okinawa – usually in small groups or cemeteries, known as bochi.
There is usually an alter of some sort at the entrance and many times you can find gifts that are left for the ancestors to enjoy. Ancestoral worship is a huge part of Okinawan religious beliefs.
With the steamy, sub-tropical air and abundance of open beaches, I’m shocked that I never see any swimmers.
But, I don’t let that stop me from cooling off.
“I still can’t get over how blue this water is. It’s so inviting I think I’m going to have to go take a dip.”
The water on my feet is very soothing after two days of walking.
I arrive in Ogimi, which is known for having the highest concentration of hundred-year-old people on earth.
It’s still early, so I decide to take a bus to Nakijin village to see my family.
I'm James Knott. Thanks for watching this video. Don’t forget to check out my other videos about travelling to Okinawa. Coming up in the future, videos aboput Okinawan bullfighting, Nakijin Castle, the World War II Peace Memorial and much more but on the mean time, don’t forget to rate, comment and subscribe to my videos. Thanks a lot!
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