The Sea Bridge (and other fun stuff) on Oshima Island

Our friends Marilyn and Alvin went with us on a day trip to Oshima Island (Actually, there are several Oshima Islands in Japan... this one's official name is Yashiro. Click here for a map to the formation. Take comfortable shoes, you will have to climb some rickety stairs... watch your small children.) ... and showed us how to get to a great sea bridge rock formation. It was a beautiful sunny day, so we had a great time wading and exploring.

Once you find yourself bear the formation, you will encounter a quaint little harbor, with plenty of small fishing boats and local color.

We had a great time on the concrete jetty, checking out the view and the various fish swimming around below us. And, of course, taking plenty of photos of our selves to prove we were there.

A shadow portrait of Marilyn and Alvin... too cute!

Once you get completely around the jetty, you'll find some seemingly random stairs leading up to the top of a hill. Climb these, and prepare for a lot of shallow steps and rusty handrails. The entire climb only takes about 5 minutes, but do be careful. And the view on the other side is very worth it. We were there mid-afternoon. The view may be even more beautiful in the mid to late morning because of the position of the sun. There is a small beach attached to the sea bridge, and a few locals were snorkeling in the clear water.

It was clear to see who the more adventurous Guthries were on this trip. While Rodney and Xan hung out on the beach in their jeans, Will and I were better prepared in shorts and waded... unfortunately the rocks were tough on the feet, so we didn't go too far from shore.

Will was determined to spear a fish so he could "study" it (he is really in to researching animals that swim right now), but was unsuccessful.

While we were checking out the sea bridge, this local lady kayaked through the "doorway." I am not sure who was more surprised!

Of course, all of this exploring made us hungry, so we were sure to stop off at our favorite Hawaiian cuisine joint, Aloha Orange. I've said this before and I'll say it again: You have to have the macadamia nut pancakes... amazing!

Unfortunately, unbeknownst to us, one of my car's tires had decided to give up the fight... about a mile from Aloha Orange on our way home we got a flat tire.

Leaving the chore of changing to the spare to the two manly men, Marilyn, the boys and I headed down a side road with our cameras in tow to get some shots of the country side. We definitely got the better end of the deal.

While we were taking picture of the boys on the walking bridge, one of the local residents spotted us and, in limited, but effective, English, invited us in to her garden, which features all sorts of plants and trees, including a small grove of mikan (Japanese tangerine) trees.

She was so kind, offering us mikans and to come in to her house for some curry. We had to decline tying to explain to her that we had just had lunch and that our husbands were fixing a flat tire. She asked us to wait a moment and came back with a bag full of drinks and snacks. There is definitely something to be said for Japanese hospitality! Meanwhile, I took a couple of shots of the flowers blooming in her yard.

 Despite the fat tire, it was definitely a fun day.... Rodney didn't even mind the flat tire.... one of the beverages in the bag the kind lady gave to us was a can of Japanese coffee, which he enjoyed immensely.