Travel Photo: Sueyoshi Park

A Bit of Country in the City

The few times I've visited this attraction, I have never run across many tourists.

Maybe the travel and tourism industry keeps it secret. Everything's free!

One of these days, I ought to make a travel guide, listing all the freebies on this island.

If enough people bought it, I could become a millionaire.

Back in 2011, when the photo was taken, a sudden rain squall hit the place.

That sort of ruined chances of getting any wildlife photos, with a zoom lens.

The storm didn't last more than a few minutes and the sun started shining.

The place got quiet like the critters knew another rain cloud would move in.

A forest is a special place, just after the rain falls. It becomes refreshing.

 I backed off and created this wide-angle image before, leaving the big city behind.

Camera: Pentax K5

Lens: Pentax 18-250 at 22 MM

Exposure: f/16   1.6 sec   ISO 100

Location:  Sueyoshi Park, Naha, Okinawa, Japan

Date and Time:  OCT 15 2011  3:45 PM

15 Photos of Fukugawa Waterfalls Revisited

An Attraction in Nago Okinawa

These falls are part of Nago City few travelers get to see.

It's been close to five years since I made the trek.  These images were processed today.

It took a bit of photo editing, to prepare them for some travel sites.

The traditional Okinawa tiled-roof building serves as a rest stop.

It may be found, on the trail at the lower entrance to the waterfalls.

Reaching the falls from the trail at the top can be dangerous so, is not recommended.

Those, not good at navigating via Google Maps, may get directions at Map It Okinawa.

Pleasant weather, this time of the year, makes this an enjoyable nature hike.

A light jacket, sturdy walking shoes and, some insect repellent, would be the way to go.

The walk only takes about fifteen minutes but, I spend half an hour doing photography.

There's no telling, what kinds of creatures, you might spot in the jungles.

Birds, butterflies and, humongous banana spiders, are some of my favorites.

Recent typhoons may have turned this trickle of water, into a raging river.

Places along the trail may require visitors, to get their feet a little wet.

A walking stick might be a good idea, to keep from falling off of slippery rocks.

A few spots along the way, the trail may be non-existent and, climbing is necessary.

There's something about trekking in nature that relaxes the body.

Just, don't get too comfortable, climbing on wet rocks; they can be dangerous.

In places along the way, you may have to decide, which side of the stream, to hike on.

Like flowing water, I tend to take the path of least resistance.

Younger generation folks, may sprint, and splash, ahead of me. That's fine.

It's always fun, to experiment with slower shutter speeds, shooting flowing water.

If, you didn't bring along a camera, at least take some smart-phone photos.

Ferns, fallen trees, vegetation, flowing water and rocks, are great for composing images.

Cloudy days, are the best, for this type of photography. There's no sun glare.

A dreary day, when the beach is out of the question, is perfect for this trip.

Most people will hear the waterfall before it comes into sight.

It's not the largest fall in Okinawa but, it certainly is beautiful.

Whenever I visit waterfalls, I like to photograph from different angles.

On a sunny day, it's best to wait for some clouds to block the bright sunlight.

Moving around, gives you a chance to compose various images.

When reviewed on a computer monitor later, it's easy, to throw the worst ones away.

Sometimes, an editor wants, space to write or advertise. It's their money.

So, I'll make a composition, such as this. I certainly, don't like the image.

Show me the gold and, you can have it.

From the right side of the waterfalls, I had to shoot through some vegetation.

People who want privacy might think, this is a good place to jump into the water.

Just, don't be swimming around naked, when I show up for a frontal shot!

Fukugawa Falls on Google Maps

Warnings and directions at Map It Okinawa.

Then and Now (Photos) A Narrow Passage

Ginama Northern Okinawa

 

Meandering through the hills, killing time, this historical sign was discovered.

They should make meandering a religion.  Us meanderers wouldn't ask you for any money.

When, it came time, to get to heaven, we'd be the last ones through the door.

That was a short sermon.

Ginama is a small community, situated between the shore and mountains.

There isn't much arable land for farming, at lower elevations, along this coastal area.

To reach any land worth tilling, people had to do some climbing uphill.

The trail, leading up to farmlands was very narrow. It wasn't wide enough for two persons.

To pass someone along the trail, somebody would have to backtrack, to a wider spot.

It became known as the "Backtracking Path" or, Modoru Michi.

Over 100 years ago the principal of Hedo Primary School decided to fix the trail.

He got a bunch of volunteers, to widen it and, make it safer for passage.

They did such a good job, horses and oxcarts, had room to pass each other.

Fortunately, someone from Keystone Studio, took this photo in 1960.

More than likely, it was done by Blackie the Photographer; I'll ask his son.

Notice, the road is unpaved and people smiled.

Smart phones and selfie sticks, weren't even invented, yet.  They had genuine smiles !

Typhoons, landslides and erosion may have caused some re-routing of the passage.

Here is what the scene looks like today.

Travel uphill, past the stone formation in the left side of the previous photo and, look back.

It gives a sense of appreciation for the widening of this trail.

If, you happen to be driving and, someone in a vehicle, comes your way, guess what ?

One or, the other will still, have to do some backtracking ! 





More: Then and Now Photos

Blazing Trails from a King's Grave to a Ramen Shop

 Traveling Without a Plan

 

 

The routine on Friday's, around here, goes something like this.

Camera shooting partner, Doc Graff, usually shows up around 9AM.

We have no idea, where we will be going, until time to hit the road comes along.

Our main objective, is to get out of town. Anywhere, sounds good. Go have fun.

The burial place of Okinawa's First King, seemed like a good place to start the day.

We had been out searching for it about a month ago and, hiked right past it.

It was a  bit easier to locate today because Click Okinawa Dude, made a video about the place. 

 Watch his YouTube show if, you want to get an appreciation for the terrain.

The poor king and his family got kicked out of the castle and, his remains got booted, too.

His final resting place, wouldn't be with the other royalty on the castle grounds.

Friends and family mover his remains from Shuri to Yomitan and, buried him in the woods.

Visit Okinawa Hai! for all the directions and details about the Tomb.

 From the tomb, on the western side of the island, we headed over to the east coast.

We went looking for this cultural asset, called Waitui.

Those folks, in the picture, dug a trail through a mountain, by hand, finishing the job in 1932.

 Not very proficient at direction giving, I Geo-tagged the position.

 

It's located at:  N 26.31739700   E 127.88994700, for those who use GPS thingies.

Thinking about all the hard work, everyone did, I needed a break from the hot sun.

So, we decided to try out a Ramen Shop, we had never been to before.

Whenever, you see a place like this, filled up at lunchtime, you know It's going to be good.

Sitting a table with, my legs stretched out one the floor was a bit challenging.

It looked like a wrestling match between, me, the table and the wall, as I was trying to get up.

The photo had to be taken, before my piping hot lunch, got cold.

Just smelling the food, had my mouth watering and, I was half-starved to death.

The pork dumplings, we call Gyoza, were delicious and, I put some hot sauce on mine.

Somehow, during the night before, they slipped something in my beer, that casued a hangover !

The fried rice was the best, I have ever eaten. And, all that food cost less than 7 bucks.

There was too much, for me, to finish it all. Now, I wish, I had packed the leftovers as a takeout.

For those, wondering where, I got this meal, check TripAdvisor's Review. 

They'll even give you a map. I don't do directions. Remember ?

Going to Sueyoshi Shrine -- A Great Nature Walk

This is one of the most interesting shrines you can visit.

It's what you might call, "off the beaten path."

But, it is flip-flop friendly.  I am living proof.

More shrines and temples should be built in places like this.

That way, when people go to worship, they would get a good dose of nature, too.

What more could you ask for ?

Note:  This trail is the easy way to reach Sueyoshi Shrine.

If you plan on going, stop by Map It Okinawa for directions.

Off Island and Off Road with Map It Okinawa Dude

Ten Selected Photos

These photos were taken on March 28, 2013.

Our mission was to go to another island and talk to the folks in a village office.

Deciding to travel light, I just grabbed two Pentax cameras and lenses.  No backpack or, shoes.

Knowing I'd be riding with Map It Okinawa Dude, I left the office lights on.

That's because we get back after dark, sometimes.

Things went well at the village office.

Then, we decided to go explore another island.

Bingo!  Map It Dude found a mysterious trail through the jungle.

Not exactly flip-flop friendly, I took my time and shot lots of photos.

The place was unbelievably quiet. 

No wind, no birds chirping, no blown highlights from the afternoon sun.

 It was so quiet, you could hear yourself breathing.

Rocks, ferns, trees and plenty of jungle vegetation were there for the shooting.

The only sound to be heard was the mirror slap from the camera.

 Imagine a place without any motor vehicles, fast food joints or people yapping on cell phones.

If you soundproofed your house, it couldn't be as quiet as this jungle.

Something tells me, this is a sacred place.  It was eerily quiet.

It made me wonder.  How many people could survive in a place like this, nowadays ?

No convenience stores, no TV or internet connections, there's nothing there, but nature.

 Returning to the road and civilization, I saw the sun peeking through along the trail.

So, I went back looking for Map It Dude.

He's in one of these photos.  Did you see him up there ?

Selected Scenes: The Hike Up Mt.Yonaha (与那覇岳) Okinawa

Ten Photos from Mt. Yonaha

 

This series of photos was taken, today as we hiked up the tallest mountain on Okinawa.

It should give the viewer a sense of what to expect to see along the route.

There isn't any special mountain climbing gear required to scale this big hill.

Sturdy walking shoes and the will to reach the top are all that's needed.

This landslide probably happened during one of last year's typhoons.

 Fallen trees, you have a choice.  Go over, under or, around them.

It's a designated Wildlife Protection Area so, I wouldn't mess with anything.  Not even a fallen tree.

There is a surprising amount of bamboo growing on the mountain.

Going under fallen trees got tiring so, I opted to go over some of them.

The trail is definitely, NOT Flip-flop, Baby Buggy or, Skateboard Friendly !

 If you wear a backpack or, carry little critters on your back, Be Careful.

Every once in awhile, I got hung-up or, unintentionally, banged my head on something.

Plan on spending an hour and a half or, two hours getting to the top.

And, the same amount of time on the return trip, so you don't slip and fall.

This 498 meter sign, is at the end of the trail and I figured we gotterdun.

But, Doc Graff and Map It Okinawa talked to some local gals and found out something.

Somewhere, around that place there's a higher point that comes to 503 meters.

That means, as soon as my legs and back quit hurtin' we have to climb back up Mt. Yonaha.

And, getterdun properly.  Dagnabbit !