Japanese days - Izu Osezaki Peninsular

09/12/2007 Sunday,

 

Just returned from the Izu Osezaki Peninsular where I went diving. The diving experience is something else but the place where we were diving was extremely beautiful and I and Natasha made the most of it, filming and photographing as much as possible. The part where we were is about a 20 minute train ride form Mishima. Its not hard to get there but if you don't know the way it can be quite stressful making all the connections and arriving in time for a bus which would take us to the dive site. We managed to make the bus which wound along a coastal road with step hillsides and incredible views of the wide bay. After about ten minutes a fantastic vista of Fujiyama opens up on the right hand side, truly a magnificent sight. Managed to get some decent footage of this which could also be seen from the dive site. It was often obscured by clouds but I think I have got some good stuff. Then we walked around the small peninsular near the site. There is an old temple with carvings of dragons and lions which resemble the gnarled distorted  trees which have been twisted by the fierce winds and typhoons which often effect this part of Japan. Natasha believed that the carvings were no doubt inspired by the shapes and forms that the trees suggested. There was no evidence of it today however. The weather was clear and like a blue skied summers day especially unusual for December. Nice group of people, mostly foreigners, my instructor was Norwegian and Jim who runs the school is a genuinely friendly and extremely lively American who has lived in Japan for twelve years and is married to a Japanese woman. His wife is one of the most good natured people I have met for a long time and she was very helpful to Natasha who had to put up with me being absent on the first day. The was another American, Del, who is a businessman who extends his business trips to go diving. A nice person, gracious and thoughtful. Alex I think is German and has worked here for 5 years and speaks what seems like very good Japanese. A Polish guy turned up later and it was good to be able to talk Russian with him. He has been sponsored by the European Union to do some work here or on some kind of business exchange. He hasn't enjoyed it but he is going home on Tuesday so he is happy after a nine month stint here.