Iriomote
It is raining- but, hey, we are in the tropics, what can you expect. We’ve spent the last few days in Iriomote, described int he Lonely Planet as “Japan’s last frontier”- it is an island covered with dense jungle and small, uninspiring coastal towns. The biggest attraction on Iriomote is its famous wildcat. The population is estimated at only around 100. And, guess what: we think we spotted one. Circled by two screeching crows this tabby was climbing in the trees.
With our island traverse hiking plans defeated by rain we decided to hitchhike to the onsen, 15km from our village. A friendly woman made a 10 km detour to take us there. On the way back the onsen-staff arranged a ride with one of his friends. First, he took a torch and two umbrellas to wait with us at the roadside – hitchhiking deluxe – but then spotted his friend’s car. People here are incredibly helpful and friendly.
Iriomote Onsen
The next day we took a boat tour up the river and hiked to a waterfall. We just decided to ignore the weather and had a great day.
I blend right in with my soggy raingear