Girls Trip to Ishigaki Island

This past week, I took a little girls trip to the Yaeyama Islands, which are Japan's most southern islands: really close to Taiwan. Ishigaki Island was incredibly beautiful. A lot more mountainous and lush than Okinawa: it reminded me of Hawaii. 

While it was beautiful, unfortunately it wasn't quite warm enough for snorkeling, which bummed me out because I'm itching to use my GoPro. Instead we drove around the island to beautiful spots: Kabira Bay, where the Japanese black pearl is cultivated. We visited the Yaeyama Palm Grove, where the palm trees there are only found on Ishigaki. 

Kabira Bay:

We met some colorful characters while we were there, starting with the family of goats that lived in the field across from our guest house. The baby goat (Rufus when we thought it was a boy/Sally when we found out it was really a girl) just about did me in with how incredibly cute and playful she was. 

Then there was our guesthouse owner Hiro-san, who would always tell us where to go, where he usually had friends who ran it. He told us to go to his friends sugar can juice stand, and they were so sweet. Still not a fan of raw sugar cane juice, but mixed with pineapple and it's really good. 

 

It was a fun little getaway with good friends. But it definitely had me itching for warmer weather so I can start swimming in the ocean again. Can't wait!

Until next time, Ishigaki.