Essay - Travels
- No.2
2002 Summer - Hegura Island No.1 -
mapOne weekend after Bon festival, a party of five - my parents Tomi and Peco, our friends Jun and Uriko and me went to Hegura Island at the Japan Sea.
It lies 50 kilometers north of Wajima. It is very tiny island - 4 kilometers around and the population is 200, but you mustn't make light of it. As there are big fish such as red sea bream or parrot fish, many angler longed-for this island. Besides, it is also a mecca for bird-watcher, because almost every kind of migratory bird drop into this island.
To tell the truth, we tried to go to this island two years ago, too. At that time, we mistook distance to the Wajima and completely missed the ship. We rushed to the port the moment the ship left and saw the ship off vacantly. As this time was the return match, we left early and arrived at the port of Wajima in good time. We had enough time to have a look at the things in the famous morning market. We bought some sheets of laver and wraped rice balls which were hand-made by Peco, and gobbled up. Good!
From Wajima to Hegura Island, the New Hugura with a capacity of 119 passengers goes up and down one time a day. A man of a ticket office said that as there was strong wind today, the ship would roll. As soon as we embarked, we went to the bottom of the ship where we could lay down. Some young men who were workers for water pipe also said "It will certainly roll badly today" and they were asleep quickly. As their words, it was like a roller coaster by wind and wave. Some passengers looked pale...
Island mosquitoBy the way, we asked some of our friends to go to this trip. But, all of them had been to Hegura Island once, and they all refused "Because I had a bad experience by mosquito, I'll never go to there !!" I retrieved from the Internet, and the some of website said "In Hegura Island, there are numerous mosquitoes which are twice the size of ordinarily and they bite even if you are wearing."
Mmm... Is it that bad? I asked Uriko "Won't you go still?", then she said "I haven't go to anywhere this Summer, I absolutely want to go !!" "You say like that, we will try to go." Uriko & Jun bought six thousand yen's worth of various electric mosquito-repellent. On that day, we were making full defensive preparations such as shirt with long sleeves, trousers, hat and work gloves. Come on mosquito!
But, after we got out of the ship, mosquitoes didn't come at all. What on earth? One resident of island said that they sprayed all over the island with an insecticide a week ago. Gee whillikins! How the hell these mosquito-repellent? However they don't spray for migratory bird spring and autumn, there seems to be innumerable big mosquitoes.
