5.c 17 Feb to 2 Mar – Around half of Kakeromajima

On our second day, a day off, they even lent us their car for us to look around!!

We went around half the island, from tiny village to tiny villages. The roads got up a hill, then down, all that in the forest, and each bay had a tiny village spreading along the coast and river valley.

Legend:
^ steep hill covered with forest
**|^|** houses, village
T peer, port
~ the sea

From the “original” local people, it seems only the elder generation are still hear, all younger ones have moved to main island and their big cities. The young generation are mostly new comers that decided to escape the frenzy life of big cities…

Here and there we saw some interesting things, but from our stay at Kakeromajima we will mainly remember the time spent at 5-mairu and exchanges with Rie and Mocchi.

Just like in Iriomote impressive schools for such tiny villages. Here at walking distance from 5-Mairu, regrouping several villages.

Strategical places along the coast still have remains from the war.

Although the villages seem deserted, houses look well looked after.

In each village there seems to be a *Remarkable* tree

Leaves go to the cows, I wonder if they also taste sweet to the cows….?

Other impressive vegetation, a bit less luxuriant than Iriomote, but still….

See the coast line… how each village is then isolated.

We then met people collecting sugar cane. Seems one of the main *crops* on this island , that and maybe also a bit of mango culture under greenhouse.

For lunch we had a hard time to find a place to eat… either none to be found, or they were closed … not really the tourist season and not many locals to keep a restaurant running off season.

Finally we found what seems to be an open place… and it was like in a farwest!