Miyako
We docked early this morning in #Miyako the most easterly point on the coastline of #Japan and home to a mere population of 50 000. The mountains that ringed the bay and the sandy shoreline are affectionately called the 'Ocean Alps.'
We have a bird's eye view of the port, perched on our balcony on Deck 15 and are privy to the action of pulling alongside the dock and can even hear some of the chatter from the bridge.
We get a great overview from the balcony - and BTW, chair got blown across deck last night
Despite our late night in the early hours of this morning- I was up at 5 am and @Mac was breakfast ready by 8. Glad we have access to our long snuggly bathrobes - it was a bit fresh outside catching all the action.
The ship offers a shuttle service at the port but as well as charging $15 US for each of us, it warns that there are likely to be delays in accessing the bus because of the volume of people using the service. A quick glance over our balcony confirmed the queues so we opted to go independently. Had thoughts of catching the local bus, but the town centre was quite close so decided to walk.
No lineup for us to get off the ship and with #Google Maps and #MapMyRun operational we easily hit the hot spots of the town.
What a welcome the local community had organised. The pier was lined with cultural displays, craft shops and food vans. There was entertainment all day - drums, dancing and singing. High school students were acting as interpreters and they were snapping pictures for everyone. There were signs and banners and inflated bouncy mascots.
Lots of welcome fun on the pier
This cruise ship with 3 800 potential buyers on board was a big deal for this community. And it was the first time that "Royal Princess" had been here which meant there was quite a lavish reception that involved local representatives, our Captain and an exchange of plaques.
All the guide maps that were handed out were colour coded and this corresponded with coloured street markers along the route The community really wanted to make a great impression.
The walk was an eye opener. This community had been devastating by the 2011 tsunami that barrelled through the low-lying coastal township registering a 10-metre-high wall of surging water. It was the same tsunami that hit the nuclear reactor in #Fukoshima. Our walk took us through the newly constructed ring of concrete that is the first line of defence for any future surge of water. It was about 10 metres high - had sliding door entries that could be blocked off and staircases over the top to provide access if the wall were closed. This was backed up by a second concrete wall about 100 metres further on. Same principals but at a lower height.
The 3-kilometre waterfront was declared as a "tsunami inundation area" and road signage every hundred metres indicated the distance north and south to escape the water and reach high ground. We noted that the bridge spans were actually anchored with huge chain links to prevent them from washing away. Warning towers were in evidence and loudspeakers were positioned along the city streets. Not quite sure - was all this reassuring - or actually frightening.
And sadly, there were lots of vacant lots - apparently some didn't come back to rebuild.
We read online accounts from the survivors and their accounts were horrific. The speed and force of the water combined to kill tens of thousands and destroyed everything in its path. Very sobering - and threat is very real.
We wandered the shops and I did make a little purchase. Found a little bag in am obscure shop that specialised in kimono fabric. The gentleman who owned the shop was dressed in traditional gear and had no English. I thought I had explained that I would take the bag but needed to go outside to get some money. But he interpreted my leaving as not wanting to purchase anything and dropped the price AND threw in a lovely handkerchief as a sweetener for the deal. I felt such a fraud but certainly walked away as a happy customer.
@Mac gave his support of the town by buying a #Sudoku book - all instructions are in Japanese - the easy ones are at the back and the harder ones at the front. But really, it's all about the numbers and he was happy. That should keep him busy for a few weeks.
Managed to clock up close to 6 kms one our stroll so we're glad to get back on board.
Night, night ... need the rest.
PS Have another confession to make. Had just a tiny little mishap in the loo in downtown #Miyako. As always- desperate for a wee stop. Once my hand is on the doorknob there is a definite level of commitment. I remember registering "Oh, that's good, a heated seat" because I could see the bidet setup. What I didn't register was that the lid was DOWN and it certainly didn't enter my consciousness until I was down! Perhaps there should have been a tsunami warning in that loo. 🤔 Operation cleanup was deployed.
Weather: 15 degrees under sunny skies
Steps: 15 593
KEEP CALM THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
They told me if I got older I'd be wiser. In that case I must be a genius. George Burns
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