Essay - Travels
- No.2
2002 Summer - Hegura Island No.2 -
Hegura Islandの乗り物As it takes 2 hours on foot to make a round the Hegura Island, there are no car. The resident of the island ride a bicycle or a tricycle. In the harbor some large and small rear cars lined up. We heaped our baggage on the one of the rear car and headed for reserved inn "Tsukasa". Incidentally, there are two inns in Hegura. After 5 minutes we arrived at inn. A problem has occurred here!
A beautiful landlady said due to the influence of typhoon 13th which stayed at the Pacific now, it'll be stormy weather tomorrow and the ship won't sail. it may possibly not the day after tomorrow. Umm, this was a fine how-do-you-do. Of course, we knew coming typhoon, but the forecast said it wouldn't come to the Japan sea and we took it lightly. Although We wanted to have a glimpse of the island life when it was bound by storm, we abandoned and decided to return by afternoon ship.
Under those circumstances, immediately after we arived to the island, we abandoned to stay at the island. But Tomi-Yasu tour undaunted by such thing. As we came all the way to Wajima, it was a pity that we went home. Should we try to go to an inn "San-nami"? We had been hearing its good reputation for some time. We phoned at once, then the landlord said "We just have a cancellation a short while ago, please come" Wow, lucky! From what I knew later there are only three rooms. We really have the devil's own luck.
map of Hegura IslandWe made round-the-island tour before lunch. There are lane around the island and we strolled. Some field flower on the sea was pretty and the wind from sea made us feel nice. In spite of small island, there are eight shrine and also small shrine here and there. As they live in the severe climate, are there many things to pray?
The Hegura Island is well-known as a woman diver "Ama-san (sea woman)". As the Summer was the season of fishing, they dived here and there along the shore. Most of divers were diving in the point where the waves were quiet. However some of them were diving in the high waves. What they catch was the abalone and the turban shell. I heard they earn enough for a year during the Summer. There were also young divers and they looked smart in their wet suit. Many of themwork in pairs with her husband. During wife is diving, her husband is griping lifeline. The island woman is hardy.
Trip come together with encounter. Tomi and Yasu met ethnologist on their way during the island stroll. He own twelve hectare wood. He also hardy agricultural man. He plow organic field and grow the rice for sake and brew sake himself. We had lunch in the inn, with him and his pretty wife, too. Of cource, there ware nice seafoods like a fresh sashimi, grilled fish, vinegared mozuku and miso soup of laver. And sashimi of big abalone. This was good to dipped in the guts of abalone. Happy! Draft beer with sea breeze tastes especially good.
