I took a solo trip to the Izu Peninsula, to a small town called Shimoda. It's famous for onsens, beautiful mountains and white beaches. It's also where Commodore Perry landed..... back in the day, and the start of US-Japanese trade relations. The train stopped running about midnight on my way there, so I ended up "camping out" the first night somewhere between Tokyo and Izu.
I woke up freezing several times during the night and was delighted when the sun finally rose. I made a sign with the kanji for my destination and from 5-6am stuck out my thumb and attempted to hitch-hike via the nearby highway. I didn't get picked up, but I did see a lot of smiles and I'll admit it was fun trying. Perhaps the fact that I was standing across from the train station didn't get me much empathy.
I took the first train around 6:30 and arrived about an hour later, groggy and fiending for a nice warm bed. The town was quite charming, so before finding a hotel, I decided to hike the nearby trail leading up a mountain.
I made it to the top of the mountain and looked down on the small town. At this point I was delirious from sleep depravation and decided to take a quick nap on a bench at the top of the trail.
An hour later, I woke up shivering and decided to jog a bit to warm myself up. My senses quickly heightened and as I sprinted I realized I was on one of the most beautiful trails I'd ever seen. I reached a cliff on the other side of the mountain top and my jaw dropped when I took in the view.
The ocean met the mountains in way that I hadn't seen since living in Hawaii. Japan however, has a more mystic feeling in the air which left me feeling like I was in another world. I was greeted by a seahawk, how cool is that.. I felt high on life and exponentially more connected to it. This was quickly becoming an amazing morning.
I walked along the cliff and laughed at myself, realizing I was smiling like a little kid. I really felt completely happy just to be alive. The walk was so nice, I actually went back and forth a few times, chasing the hawks with my camera and just enjoying the sun on my face. Every step that I took seemed to take me to an even more beautiful place, inside and out.
The trail leading down to the ocean was like a work of art. Again, I went up and down several times before continuing on.
When I reached the rocks below I encountered some fishermen, the first humans I'd seen since heading up the trail. I made my way along the shoreline and eventually back to town. I stopped by the aquarium on the way back and also a beautiful little island linked by suspension bridge.
I went to the nearest beach for an hour or so and then got a room at a local family run onsen. I took several baths and of course a poser picture in the kimono-esque' like outfit. Enjoy.
The following day I spent at the beach and numb from the embarrassment the day before, tried hitch hiking around town again. People either stared in shock or smiled in amusement. I need to get a flag or something. I forged a trail through the woods near the beach and found a few nice spots on the cliffs overlooking the white sands and blue water. The hawks were flying so close, I could see their eyes. (I like hawks, if you can't tell by now)
The train ride home was beautiful, overlooking the ocean. All in all, a great trip... and I'll never forget that first morning in Shimoda.
