I really like to drive around in Japan.  I take my time and soak in the scenery.  Getting lost in the mountains is how you come across such beautiful places like this.  

Then park the car and explore a little.  I actually was breathing pretty hard walking up these stairs.  It was never-ending.  

So cool to see the deer along the way.  

And this waterfall was freaking amazing!  

I could feel the pure mountain water sprays on my face.  It felt so cool, and so refreshing! 

At a very local surf spot, there is this sign in the parking lot.  It says that from March until August, you can’t surf here from 10am to 3pm.  The reason is because it’s the time for local fisherman to collect shellfish and seafood.  I was there for 2 days and by 9:45am, everyone paddled in.  The waves were still really good but nobody was out surfing.  This is the part of Japan I respect a lot.  No where else in the world would surfers follow these rules.  So yeah, I respect Japanese local surfers that respect everyone else.  That’s class…

Chill Out

Good morning 4:15am.
Ala Moana chest high and good.
Diamond Head shoulder high and bumpy.
Strong trade winds at 25mph.
Sun, showers, and rainbows.
Going to the sea.
Have a wonderful day!

Te-chan’s shop in Wakayama is called Kaiser’s.  If you go there, it’s like being in Hawaii.  There is “Aloha” everywhere!

I miss the morning walks in Japan.  In those 2 weeks, I walked more than I do in a whole year in Hawaii.

Visiting Taiji is always amazing.  This town loves dolphins and it’s their culture.  Some for food, some for research, and some for pets.  It’s very quiet and I’m still very disappointed in the movie they negatively portrayed of this beautiful town.  I love it there.

This time I stayed at the best hotel in Taiji.  I wanted to see the ocean from my room.  Looking out into the ocean makes you think about the culture here.

I thought this was whale but it was actually horse!  Yes, raw horse sashimi!!!  This wasn’t the first time I ate it, and it sure isn’t the last.  Delicious!

But this was the first time I ate raw horse liver.  I wish I could explain to you how it taste but it’s very hard to describe.  All I can say is it melted in my mouth.  My brother ate some and liked it too. It’s always so good to experience the deepest parts of Japan!