How gorgeous is this beach?
During our first day on Yakushima, we ended the day on this beach to watch the sun set. The whole day was slightly cloudy and by the time evening came around the sun was nowhere to be seen. But we decided that we wanted to explore the beach anyways.
Well, miracle of miracles. When we got to the beach in Nagata Inaka-hama, the rosy blush spread across the sky and we could actually see the bright red sun setting into the sea. It was breathtaking.
Our breath may also have been taken away because of all the jumping we did. Seriously, jumping in the sand takes a lot of energy. So does setting the timer on your camera and running back a dozen times. But it was all worth it when we crumbled down in the sand the very last time. So much crazy fun.
----------------------------------------------------------
S and I went to high school together for two years but we knew each other since junior high, when I first moved back to Japan. We went to the same church and seeing as we were the same age, we hit it off as friends. When I found out that I was going to be transferring to her high school, I was ecstatic! We've been the best of friends ever since, even when we went to college in different prefectures and when she moved down to Kagoshima after college.
Running around the beach and not being able to stop laughing for no reason reminded me of our high school days together. We would run around the campus, singing Sister Act songs at the top of our lungs (we did a mean Ricky Martin duet as well). And in between all that, we would casually mentioned our worries and lean on each other for support.
As an adult, I sometime feel like I should have everything figured out by now. I mean, isn't that what being an adult is all about?
But I've found that that's just not true. I'm still trying to find the answers. And while I'm wandering through this tricky maze called adulthood, it's always a great feeling to know that someone like S has got my back. She's always there to bounce ideas off of and to give me a boost when I need it the most. And of course, it goes both ways. Pretty sure we'll have many more fun crazy laughing adventures together, where ever we are in life.
----------------------------------------------------------
Hmmmmmm. What is it about beautiful sunsets that make you nostalgic and a little emotional? (Is this just me?) I did not plan to write such a long post but...sometimes you have to go with the flow of your words, right?
Nagata Inaka-hama Beach is actually very famous as a beach where sea turtles come to lay their eggs. It was registered as a Ramsar site in 2005, which is a convention that protects wetlands, and if you go there at night during the egg-laying season, May to July, you may be able to see a sea turtle laying its eggs in the sand. And if you come here sometime between July and September, you can probably spot the little turtlets (cutest name ever!) making their way out to sea.
Now that, I need want to see! x
Here are some photos:
Nagata Inaka-hama Beach
489-8 Nagata, Yakushima-cho
Kumage-gun, Kagoshima JAPAN