Iheya Island: Paradise

As you know, we traveled to Iheya Island for Tom’s marathon, now it’s time to talk about the island itself. It was truly stunning and will go down on my list as one of the best vacations ever. It was very hard to find information about it in English before we went so I plan to write a detailed account of the island. But for this blog, you’ll also have to endure a travel log of the family fun we had! So I’ll start at the beginning of the journey which was actually a few weeks ago when we tried to look at the ferry schedule and realized they had pre-sold tickets (last year you could not buy in advance). So all the ferry’s were full except the one leaving on Friday at 9am and returning on Monday at 9am. We were now panicked wondering where would could stay for so long. The original plan had been to simply throw up a tent at the marathon site for one night. After much searching we found someone who helped us locate and reserve a spot at a Yonesaki Campsite. Then we still needed info on issues such as building a campfire, buying wood and ice, etc. The kind of info that is easy to get if you speak Japanese and know who to call.... luckily, Tom got a tech at work to make some calls and we got all the info we needed. So we packed the car to the brim and headed out!

The Boat Ride: We started off happy and excited to be on the ferry. Alyssa was loving the view and the fresh air. However, as we got out to deeper waters a storm picked up and pretty soon everyone was sick- very sick! The waves were rocking the boat like crazy, splashing way up over the sides. I’ll spare you the details but just say it was the longest 90 minutes of my life, wishing to die as each second ticked past. Hayden started throwing up first and spent the entire ride in the bathroom afraid to come back... luckily they place plastic bags all around the boat....ugh... once we got off the ferry I started looking for somewhere to live because I was quite certain I would never get back on that boat. (Just one of the reason I was not running the marathon again this year!)BEFORE:
AFTER:(sorry it's gross!)

Yonezaki Campsite: The campground was beautifully nestled in between several beaches on the narrow southern tip of the main island right by Noho Bridge. I wasn’t sure how we would check in but luckily the guy was expecting an American and said “Tracey San?” to which I said “Hai” (yes) and that was our entire conversation. He did some paper work I couldn’t read and pointed out some spots on the map and we headed out. When we first arrived it was rainy and windy so were pretty worried and decided to wait it out and went back to the port to each lunch at a restaurant there. We all enjoyed our Yakisoba and Kadsudon (although I was still queasy from the boat!) Then there was a break in the rain so we hurried back to the campsite. We pitched the tents on grass, set up the food canopy and could not have been in a better spot. It even had new bathrooms and showers.

Once we got all set up and headed off to explore some beaches!

The Beach: Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful! The water was refreshing and so clear and blue. We were the only people on the beaches and felt like we were on a private island paradise vacation (which we were!) We kept telling the kids how lucky they were, trying to get them to understand that most people go their entire lives without ever seeing such a beautiful beach, let alone having it all to themselves! We could have stayed for a week or more just exploring beach after beach...





Kumaya Cave: Great family bonding while we explored this cave down into the heart of the mountain. We had some rough spots but in the end everyone was glad we did it. To enter the cave you had to squeeze through a narrow rock opening, that was covered in little millipedes. Turns out Danica is terrified of millipedes and was hysterical as we forced her into the cave anyway. Once inside it opened into a large area full of sand and a monument about peace. At the bottom was a pathway leading deeper into the cave. We tried to get the kids to explore with us but they refused. Hayden was so scared that as Tom went in to check it out Hayden got hysterical with worry and kept yelling “Dad come back!” Being the nice dad Tom is he turned off the lantern he was carrying and scared Hayden... who fortunately laughed about it. Danica was terrified again passing the millipedes on the way out and while trying to pose for the picture at the opening but Alyssa came to her rescue and was trying to step on the millipedes for her. That’s what sisters are for.Here is the view looking down into the opening of the cave.Here is the view looking out from inside the cave.

Even after the whole ordeal there are still smiles on everyone's face as we posed for a quick picture just outside the entrance of the cave before heading down the stairs to the road below.

Iheya Light House: We drove to the top of a VERY steep hill (the car actually overheated). These pictures are the view from the top of the building next to the light house. These pictures don’t do it justice, it was really breathtaking.



Nentou Hiramatsu: This is a very special, protected tree that we visited. I can’t remember why it’s so special but we enjoyed a nice afternoon picnic at the park.


Sugahama: While driving around the island we saw this little sign and decided to go check it out. We drove down a tiny dirt road through a sugar cane field and emerged at the most gorgeous beach yet! We were there long enough to enjoy the clear water, some awesome rock climbing and jumping and then the sunset!










On Monday morning we got up early to enjoy the sunrise before breaking camp. We walked from the tent down onto the beach and I'm so glad we did! It was the perfect end to a fantastic trip!

Iheya Island Moonlight Marathon 2010

Ferry tickets for a car and 5 people: 22,000 yen
Campsite for 3 nights: 3,000 yen (but free for runners)
Food and camping supplies: $150
Marathon Entrance Fee: 5,500 yen
Watching Tom cross the finish line in under four hours: Priceless

Tom is amazing. Truly amazing. I have watched him for the last several months just plow along following a very grueling marathon training schedule. We’d get the kids in bed after a long day and he’d lace up his shoes and head out the door. Every Saturday morning while we all slept he would run, and run and run. It was truly incredible (and exhausting) to watch! He had decided to run the same marathon that we did last year. For many reasons I decided not to it this year which meant we could bring the kids and make a weekend of it!
The race was on Iheya Island, the northern most island in the Okinawa chain. The course covers the perimeter of the entire island, then you cross a bridge and run out a few miles onto a smaller neighboring island. I have looked everywhere to get an online version of the race course but have had no luck. I suppose given that I only saw 5 Americans, two of them being Tom and his friend Scott, I shouldn’t have expected to find much in English! The race course is breathtaking, the weather was cooperative, not too hot or windy, and Tom was great!! His good friend Scott also ran the race. Scott just returned from a 7 month deployemnt to Afghanistan. It was great to spent the weekend with their family. Before the race they have a fitness instructor get up on stage and lead everyone in these great stretches. You can see the whole group behind them.
Here he is at the start of the race- easy to spot since he’s much taller than everyone else! Then we followed the runners to a spot on the course were they actually circle back and cross again at mile 7 so we set up camp cheered on all the runners! We got so excited as we saw Tom approaching, right on schedule. (Again, he looks like a giant next to all the Japanese runners!).

The kids gave him a high five and he plowed ahead to the nearby water station. After high fiving all the other runners and the 1,200 who ran by for the half marathon we hurried back to the finish line to eat dinner and wait for the runners.
This is the part where you need to know what Tom was going through as he was running, and running and running! He was well prepared but there are still always the race day jitters and he said that by the time he was climbing a big hill at mile 10 he was getting worried. He said he kept looking down at his legs wondering when they got so big and heavy! But he made a deal with himself that he wouldn’t walk except at the water stations (which is what Hal Higdon says to do). He argued with himself and just kept going. He was so happy to finally cross the bridge, reach the end of the little island and then head back toward the finish line! At this point it was finally starting to get dark, he was 20 miles into the race. The sidelines were covered in blue lights to mark the path and the full moon finally came out from behind the clouds. Checking his time he knew he could make his goal if he just kept it up.
Back at the finish line the kids and I were getting excited and I was getting nervous and the minutes ticked toward the 4 hour mark. But then around the corner we saw him coming up the hill! The kids started yelling and trying to give high fives!
I was excited and I was trying to take pictures (sadly without the flash on so they are all blurry) and shouting at him at the same time! Here he is just about to cross the ribbon at the finish line: 3:56:20. It was fantastic to see him do!!! We couldn’t be more proud! He was hot, sweaty and tired but happy! He took off his shoes, laid on the grass and ate the rice and stew they gave the runners. In the end, he said it was truly a beautiful race and one that he is so glad he did!!!

The Day to Day...

Here’s the short answer to what we’ve been up to: Bat Cave, Snorkeling, Bike Rides, Slide Park, Yard Work, Church Halloween Party, Slip ‘n Slide party and a 67 mile bike ride! If you want details (like my mom), keep reading:
Halloween is fast approaching and we are having fun getting ready. Hayden is currently digging through the boxes of decorations I unearthed from behind the dryer and is running around setting them up everywhere. I kicked off October by hiking through a pitch black BAT CAVE on the first! A few of the women at church decided they were tired of the men always having the fun so they planned a river hike and cave excursion. It was a lot of fun and very spooky. I know first hand the kind of “critters” that live around here (spiders, snakes, and bugs so huge it seems they are all on steroids!) Luckily, it all went well with just enough fear and excitement but no major incidents. The cave was literally pitch black and if you turned your light up to the top you could see it covered in bats. But you didn’t leave it pointed up there for long because they would fly toward the light. At parts we had to duck down low and trudge through murky water but we made it! What an adventure!
On Oct. 6th we went out snorkeling and exploring at Maeda Flatts because Hayden had the day off school. The girls were at preschool so I got to enjoy some fun time with just him! I took a friend who had relatives visiting so they got a taste of Okinawa fun as well. Hayden and the other boys found a dark brown jellyfish stuck in a tide pool, it was very fascinating!
We enjoyed watching Conference. We watch it a week late due to the time difference. It was very nice and peaceful for a lot of it and afterward I went to check on the girls and discovered why. I told Hayden I would title this picture "The Price of a Peaceful Conference Session."
A few weeks ago Tom killed a habu snake in front of our house. He was out stretching after a run and a car drove by and saw the snake in its headlights. Tom, being the awesome, courageous man of action he is, ran for his ax and cut it’s head off. They are very poisonous! Afterwards I was all freaked out thinking of the danger he was in but so grateful knowing it was not going to be around to threaten the kids!! So, in the spirit of getting rid of snake habitat we spent Columbus Day weekend tearing down a bit of the jungle that has grown in the backyard. It was beginning to grow over the kids playground and was just scary.... long, grass and weeds everywhere. So we braved the spiders and snakes and got busy. We cut down and hauled out 2 HUGE piles of stuff. The mounds we left by the curb for pick up were the size of a car. It was crazy. Luckily, we saw no snakes, many spiders and lots of insects on steroids, like huge grasshopper and praying mantis. The yard looks much better, if it will stop raining we will go out to enjoy it.
We did do a few fun things over the holiday weekend as well. We took some new families out to one of our favorite parks and we had so much fun we put one of our friends into labor! As we were leaving the park she called and asked if we could get the kids because they were headed to the hospital! So we had a fun time with their kids sleeping over.
I went to school with Danica and Alyssa one day, just to sit in on their classes and had a great time! They both have such wonderful teachers and their classes were calm, and relaxing with a lot of singing and dancing. Alyssa knew all the moves to the songs, it was awesome! Hayden has grown to really love his class. He says he doesn’t love all the kids in his class but his teacher is good and it’s a great environment. I’ve been able to start helping out in there and enjoy seeing how smoothly she runs things.
We’ve had a great time with parties. We helped run the branch Halloween party which turned out well. My apple cream pie even won an award! Last Saturday we enjoyed a birthday party/welcome home party for our good friend Scott who just returned from 7 months in Afghanistan. The rented this huge double water slide for the kids but we had more fun on it! The competition was fierce and we raced to slide up and down the muddy track! It was nice to feel like a kid again! That afternoon we got a babysitter and Tom and I set out on our longest bike ride yet. We mapped a route that was 67 miles! We started in a terrible head wind and I was getting really discouraged but about half way through that lightened. It had tons of hills and my knee was sore but overall I was feeling good and excited that I was able to do it at a good pace. The only bad part was that we left a bit late and ended the ride in the dark, with tons of traffic. Not ideal!
Okay, I think that brings us up to today. The big thing about today is that Tom is running a Marathon in just two days!!! He has been training so hard! He is so dedicated and goes out there every evening and on Saturdays for long runs. It’s been hot, and rainy and he has done it all anyway. He’s going to do so well. It’s the same marathon we both ran last year. It’s on an island that is a 2 hour ferry ride. Since I”m not running it this year we are taking the kids. Today I am busy packing for a 4 day camping trip. We leave early Friday morning and couldn’t get a ferry coming back until Monday. The arrangements have all been very complicated because it’s a fairly rural, small island with everything in Japanese but as far as we know we have reservations to take our cars on the ferry, then we have a reservation at a beach campsite.... let’s hope it’s all true and that it doesn’t rain all weekend like predicted! I’m excited for the adventure and will bring my “Survival Japanese” book! We will post pictures of all the fun when we return!!! Wish us all luck!