Sunday, July 03, 2005

Sanin Beach Party Weekend

I headed up to Tottori prefecture for the annual Sanin Beach Party on Saturday morning.

Lisa, Bron, Katy and Dan headed up on Friday night and had started camp. It rained that night but luckily they weren't washed away.

I had to take a super express train from Himeji and do a few changeovers but overall it was fine. It was nice to see more of Japan, the lush, rolling mountains, lakes, rice paddy fields and general countryside.

When I got off at Tottori station I had a look around for a pair of thongs (ie. flipflops for all you non-aussies - you wear them on your feet!). I told the gang to let me know if they needed any supplies and Lisa sent me an old request for some slippers coz long story short, she fell into a hole and lost a shoe! hehe This was going to be an interesting weekend.

Got off the local train to Hogi station and there were no taxis to be seen. Met 2 girls from Hiroshima prefecture and they were heading to the party too. So I called up the organisers number and Thom came rolling up in his big red pick up complete with psychodelic music blaring. As we sped down the narrow roads along the ocean and mountains as he talked on his phone ordering more beer, I couldn't help but laugh to myself at how surreal it was and wonder how this weekend would pan out. One thing for sure, it would be very interesting.

We arrived at the site and the beach was quite decent. The gang had headed off to the local onsen so I found their tent (Lisa's tent was king! It was the biggest one and so roomy) and dropped off my stuff. I headed tot he beach and took photos and caught up with some familiar faces. Found Miako and the lads and decided to go swimming. I was so excited! The first time in ages to be at a beach (it was better than Suma, in that you could acutally go in the water and put your head under) and wear my bathers at last. I was wearing my "Boracay" boardshorts ("Who would know they were touristy boardies I got from the Philippines?" I thought when I bought them) and 2 people asked me if I went to Boracay!! Bikurishita! Then we would talk about how amazing Boracay is, cheap shopping, delicious food and amazing warm, clear water, snorkelling with tropical fish and fine, white sand beaches and coconut oil massages. *sigh* I must go back.

The crew came back from onsen-ing and we went swimming, played frisbee, Dan brought his footy and there was volleyball going on. There was the main bar area, outdoor dance area with sails put up because of the rain. There was the campsite on the grass or ofcourse on the beach. There were tatami rooms at the site but they were all booked out. There were a few food stalls, a drum percussion workshop during the day, a henna tatoo shop set up and limited toilet facilities.

Lisa's long story happened on Friday night. In the middle of the night needing to use the bathroom she wandered from the tent to the toilets but didn't see the huge vegetation bush area and drains in which she fell into and rolled her ankle. However the Japanese hippies saved her, gave her ice for her ankle and a baseball bat for a crutch and she hobbled back. hahaha gotta love em Japanese hippies.

Night fell and the music was cranked - highlight would have been "Pump the jam" hahaha it was good to catch up with people I haven't seen for a while but after swimming I was so tired and didn't feel like having a huge one. I felt like a party pooper but knowing that the facilities were limited and we were camping, I didn't want to wake up in the vegetation somewhere with an alcoholic haze and no where to brush my teeth! I like camping but I love my running, hot water and cleanliness more.

We sat by a campfire on the beach with Dylan and Doug aka Twista (lightning strike, album cover with a twister in the ocean or in their palms, we are the lil twistas - their groupies - that is all I can remember hahaha) providing music and fireworks were being set off on the beach. Chelsea the S'mores goddess, came and taught us about the goodness of S'mores and I had my first encounter. Melted marshmallows, chocolate sandwiched in biscuits - heavenly!

I retired early and the music was playing full volume ALL frickin' night, even when the last of em had gone to bed at 4am. After drifting in and out of sleep we woke up around 8am and the music was still pumping to an empty tentland. Mismatched shoes littered the dirt floor (we found Dan's slippers) and a crazy night before was evident. I was impressed with the organisers up early cleaning up the rubbish (separating the recycling too!). We went for a morning swim (very refreshing and apparently the perfect hangover cure) and had fried rice and ice coffee for breakfast.

We packed up the tents and got a taxi to the onsen. I also found Lisa's missing shoe in the ditch- yay for me! It was so good to get cleaned up and soak. We caught the train, had lunch at Tottori station then headed back to Hyogo. It was really tiring but I had such a great time.

Lisa - thanks for housing me and hope youre foot gets better!

1 Comments:

At 11:39 am, Anonymous Boracay Hotels said...

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Tanya Gemarin

 

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