We went back to see that sugar factory in action… seems to be the same recipe and tools for generations.
Juice is extracted by a pressHeated from a massive furnace, using wood, sugar cane chips and gazoline torche Heating was going non stop !jPaste is finally moved to a huge mixer, similar to those used to lake bread (from what we could tell)The mixer helps cooling the paste, before it sets’ it is moved to neaby room whee a groups of ladies spread it in a flat coat ~1.5 cm thickI love the tools and installations
Pumped into a big tubMoved to a second smaller tubAfter so much evaporation, they got to the right thickness…No official visit, this was all kindly explained to us (Hélène) by the lady in charge…Then chop, chop … it is quickly turned into rough sugar cubes!And that was the family size sugar factory – delicious sugar by the way!!
Yoga sessions
Although tiny island with even tinier village, a lot of activities seemed to be organized to make it all a bit more lively…
We joined two session of the yoga classes ( once every second week).
Second session was even held by Mocchi
Some of the exercise were too advance for us, or us to stiff for them!
Many other art&crafts seem to take place in this ex-school
Live music evening
At another guest house we got invited to an evening of live music performance …
Waiting for main artist, many took turns and played and sang
Some traditional Okinawa songs have a kind of Hawaii tone.In the end the main artist never got to perform… too drunk!
But we still had fun during that evening amongst original people.
Miscellaneous
We joined another atelier… how to make a broom from weeds.
Collect some reed like fluffy dried weeds… you need ~100 for a broom!Some sorting and pondering, where to start…(Mocchi) We were all fighting with the elementOr another…
Get a good teacher…As you may imagine, bang on Hélène’s cup of tea!Friend of Rie, she also works at the sugar factory…(Obasan) But one way,We got there…
Helped prepare O’bento, kind of picnic box
Help Ōto shoveling trucks of sugar cane bi-product, used as compost.
We did 4 truck loads, wouldn’t have imagined doing anymore….
Cooking lessons …
Not many of those recipes can easily be reproduced back home…
Getting drinking water from a spring… behind a deserted school.
Tree in school yard
We attended the school open day – Nagie 8 and Mashio 13
I assume the village is too small to get a full time policeman apointed to circulation…, so they have a statue watching the cross-over opposite to school entrance, 😉 Library bus.
My reading of Japanese is laybe just at same level as Shin’s… except what I can read hae may understand, not vice-versaWeeding session at school, even with teachers!
Other…
Shin always on grandma’s back! Strong as an ox, she used to be a nurse.SmokeryStandard hand axe to chop wood…
kabutomushi, rhinoceros beetle Cleaning beach of dead Fugu. School in the background Planting trees with ŌtoCamping Australian styleSome of the many birds we saw…
Always conforte and fun in the kitchen…
Hélène’s roll-cake got new fans
Wrapped candy
But when not in the kitchen we spent most of our time in the vegetable garden, weeding, planting, adding compost….
Relaxing at the beach between 1pm and 4:30
That is all from Kakeromajima and Go-Mairu… moving north to real winter!
