On my last night in Osaka, walking back from Dotonburi, I thought about the flight to Okinawa that I needed to catch the next day at 8:00. For some reason I had been assuming 8pm, but then I realized it might be 8am, and I should probably double check that....Yep, 8am. That was a close one. I've made the am/pm flight time mistake before, and it cost me a trip to see Iguazu Falls in Brazil. Considering that my fight back to Seattle is out of Okinawa, the consequences for missing this flight would have been considerably more disastrous.
The next morning, I got up at 5:00am, left the hostel at 5:40, walked to the train station, and -- seeing everyone around me rushing to catch a train at the platform I was headed to -- jumped on the train with them, only to realize it was the wrong train. No worries; I just did a slight reroute, and got to the airport with 30 minutes to spare before boarding. But then it turned out I was at the wrong airport terminal, and I had to catch a shuttle bus to get to the correct one. I got to the gate just as boarding was supposed to begin, but things were running late (thankfully), so I had time to inhale a standard Japanese set breakfast of toast, hard boiled egg, and coffee before getting on the plane.
Most of the time, my confidence that everything will work out (and tendency to not always double-check things) just results in happy, low-stress traveling. Even when stuff goes awry, it still works out in the end somehow. Sometimes, however, my negligence catches up to me.
Sogen-ji: the Buddhist Zazen Monk-Training Temple
When I was putting my itinerary together nearly a year ago, I was very interested in doing the Shikoku Buddhist Pilgrimage, which would mean walking and camping along a loop around the island of Shinjuku, visiting 88 different temples (or however many I could manage in the time I was there; I figured I'd last two weeks at most but the whole thing takes about a month). A fellow Seattle comic (he's in Colorado now but we still claim him for ourselves), Paul Barach, had done it, and wrote a book about it called Fighting Monks and Burning Mountains. I intended to read it for purposes of preparation and inspiration, but then my plan changed a bit.
When one of the mindfulness group instructors I worked with at the VA (he is also a zen monk), Kurt, found out that Japan was on my travel itinerary, he told me I should go to the Buddhist Zazen temple where he'd done his monk training: Sogen-ji. I loved this idea. I had already begun to lose enthusiasm for the Shikoku pilgrimage trail because 1) I realized that I would be walking alone for a great portion of my travels anyhow, and maybe I didn't need to make a special point of going somewhere to do that specifically, and 2) I thought I was going to be the first Bonderman to do the Shikoku pilgrimage, because I didn't think other people knew about it, but some other Bonderman had already done it, and I'm petty so this affected my interest. But a Zazen Buddhist monk-training temple?? Surely no one else had a connection like Kurt to hook them up with an opportunity like that, and spending a few days in quiet contemplation and self-reflection at an isolated temple in Japan would be the perfect way to end my trip. As soon as was reasonable, I booked my flight from Okinawa (an island south of mainland Japan) -- the location of the temple -- back to Seattle.
I had exchanged several emails with the Sogenji temple contact Kurt had put me in touch with, Priscilla, to confirm what day(s) I could be there. My timing was such that there was a month-long monk training happening, and non-participants weren't really supposed to be there. However, they were going to let me stay for one full day, and that would be enough for me. I've never really been able to establish a consistent meditation practice, despite researching and promoting it professionally for eight years, so trying to meditate for 15 hours a day with monks for even two days would be... a bit much for me.
When I asked for directions, Priscilla said there was be a bus that could drop me off right outside the gate to the temple, so I just had to figure out which one that was. Seemed easy enough, but when I tried finding Sogenji on maps.me, it kept directing me to some temple on the mainland. And when I went online to find directions, I found one traveler blog post about Sogenji in Okinawa, but it really didn't seem to be the Sogenji I was looking for, since it was located smack dab in the middle of the city.
I found the Okinawa Sogenji, though. The moment I did, my heart sank. It was simply a gate, with a small open area inside. There was nothing there.
It couldn't possible be the right one. The right one must have been the one on the mainland. How was this possible? Had I really not confirmed the location of the Sogenji temple with Kurt or Priscilla?? When and why did I become convinced it was in Okinawa??
I went through my email and realized I had only briefly mentioned to Pricilla the dates I would be in Okinawa, and I don't blame her for not catching the fact that I had the wrong location. When I emailed her to confirm my fears, she did; the temple was in fact in Okayama, which is between Kyoto and Hiroshima . Perhaps I had heard Kurt say Okayama at some point and, because I didn't know at the time how similar these Japan names can sound to foreigners, I just heard and assumed Okinawa.
With this realization, I got pissed at myself and sorry for myself, and then I started getting desperate. Would it be crazy to still try to go there, to fly back to the mainland and get to the temple for 24 hours and then come back? Depends on how expensive tickets are... *checking flight prices online*... oh, yeah, no, that's not going to happen. It was at least $300 just for a one-way flight. Scrap that one into the "missed opportunities" pile.
Damn. Just... goddammit motherfucker fuck shit bloody bollocks goddamnit.
Somewhat fittingly, just the day before, I had emailed my contribution to the Advice for New Bondermans resource, which began with, "Accept that you will miss out on things. You won't be able to go to every country you want, and even some things you do plan on won't work out for various reasons. When that happens, just try to focus on what you ARE able to do; it's more than most people dream of." So I suppose I should try to avoid hypocrisy and take my own advice here, and focus on acceptance and gratitude. I know I'm lucky to even have the opportunity to mess up and miss out on these unique experiences, but it still sucks. I feel stupid, because it's my own fault, and I feel sad, because I really, really wanted to do this and was looking forward to it for over 8 months.
To help myself get over it, I posted in the Bonderman Facebook group, asking for other people to share stories of missed experiences due to poor planning. This helped a great deal, and led to a long commiserating chat conversation with a fellow Bonderman. Misery truly does love company. Hopefully that company also helps you get perspective so you can help each other stop bitching about how you only got to do 937 cool things around the world with fellowship money, rather than the 940 you'd hoped for.
I also leveraged my disappointment and frustration into determination to start meditating again. I've been using Headspace every day since, because I DON'T NEED YOU AND YOUR BEAUTIFUL REMOTE MEDITATION TEMPLE, ZAZEN MONKS! I can get inner peace anytime, anywhere!
Wait a minute... what if that's been the lesson all along? Perhaps missing the experience at Sogenji was what I needed to motivate me to start a meditation practice that will finally stick, and surely a consistent personal meditation practice will do more for my spiritual journey than one day at a temple observing other people working on their own spiritual growth. I think my mind is a little blown right now.
Believing everything happens for a reason may be naive, but it sure does make inner peace easier to reach.
Cape Maeda and Diving in The Blue Cave
Besides wanting to spend time at Sogenji, another reason for coming to Okinawa was to take advantage of some fantastic scuba diving opportunities. For example, there's an island you can fly to from Okinawa called Yonaguni, and they've got dives where you can see hammerhead sharks and an enormous underwater stone structure that may or may not be man-made (it's officially a mystery, but I don't know how in the world it could have been created naturally). It would cost about $300 for the flights there and back, and about $200 to do the dive, plus at least 4 nights of lodging because you can't fly within 48 hours of diving.... but scuba diving experiences really don't get much more amazing than that, and I figured I would never have the chance again. I emailed them to sign up, only to discover that the dive is only available to advanced divers with 50+ dives logged, so that was a no-go.
There were other diving opportunities around Okinawa, but they didn't excite me as much. Eventually, I did come across a spot called The Blue Cave, near Cape Maeda. Since it was only about $100, I figured that would be a worthwhile experience, so I signed up to do a "discovery dive" on April 13th. Look how beautiful it is! There's something about the way the light comes in through a hole in the top of the cave and reflects off the limestone at the bottom that lights up the water in a magical way, and this is what makes it such a popular spot.
The morning of April 13th, I spent the morning applying to a job, and it took longer than I anticipated, so I got a late start trying to catch the bus to Cape Maeda. I couldn't find the right bus stop, so then I had to spend $60 to take a cab there, which meant I wouldn't have money to go to Cape Hedo later in the week, the northernmost point of Okinawa, where the China Sea meets the Pacific Ocean. Bummer, but the Blue Cave would be worth it. I arrived early to Cape Maeda and spent some time meditating on these rocks by the water.
Even with the meditation, I couldn't hide my frustration when the scuba instructors told me that the weather was creating unsafe conditions in the Blue Cave, so we couldn't go there, and they would take me to an alternate dive site. I was feeling so irritated about the taxi expenses already, and didn't feel like spending $100 to dive somewhere other than the Blue Cave. However, there is a no-refunds policy with the dive company, and that policy is outlined very clearly when you make the reservation, as is the possibility that weather may prohibit diving and snorkeling in the Blue Cave at any time. So I couldn't back out. I begrudgingly paid the 1080 yen, and changed into TWO wet suits (yes, I had to wear two wet suits at the same time because the water would be cold, which irritated me further).
Also, it turns out that a "discovery dive" is not a dive for certified divers; it's for non-certified beginner divers, where a diver holds your hand the whole time and you don't go very deep. So the alternate spot they had planned out was going to be a shallow one. Fortunately, when they asked if I'd dived before, I mentioned that I had my SSI certification, so Uko and Yuta (my dive guides) decided we could take a boat out to a real dive site, thank goodness.
The boat we took to the dive site, used for fishing during the early morning (I saw someone cleaning a huge squid nearby), and then for diving during the day
Found him!
Gigantic sea sponge
Pink Nemo!
This condom-looking thing is an air circle that Uko blew underwater, like when fancy cigar smokers blow smoke rings. Very impressive.
Uko gave me some fish food to lure all the fishies to swim around me, which was awesome; very few dive spots permit you to feed or touch the wildlife.
Uko brought an etch-a-sketch into the water, which I thought was an excellent way to communicate. They probably only do this on the discovery dive with beginners, but having an etch-a-sketch to communicate during my first dive would have done wonders to ease my anxiety.
I'm still disappointed about missing out on diving Yonaguni AND The Blue Cave, but at least I'm still trying to do things, which has become harder now that the finish line is so close. Rather than putting even more energy into experiencing new things, I'm tempted to just kinda lean back and start phoning it in. I feel satisfied with what I've been able to do so far, and I'm tired of spending money just to have plans fall through. I would rather just spend these last few days wandering around, reading, meditating, and eating, but a part of me knows that I'll regret it if I don't keep doing things. So I made plans for the next two days. You just never know what's going to end up being worth it.
Penguin Bar
After I got back from the scuba dive trip, I took a nap, and then a shower, and made my way to a bar I'd passed by the night before that had intrigued me, Fairy Penguin Bar. What's a penguin bar, you ask? Well, it's quite simple:
One wall of the bar contains a simple penguin habitat, where four of these adorable creatures hang out while patrons drink and dine. This place legitimately made me feel like coming to Okinawa was worth it, despite all the disappointments I'd experienced so far. When I asked the bartender if the penguins had names, he said no, so I decided to name them Penguin 1, 2, 3, and 4, because that's what my niece Danali would have done.
Even the pre-meal hand-wash towelettes are on theme.
For most of my time at Penguin Bar, I read Memoirs of a Geisha on my Kindle and sipped a gin & tonic and then an Orion beer. Then, a Japanese man a few seats over offered to buy me a drink, so I got another G&T and talked to him for a bit, though we relied on the bartender to translate much of the conversation. Then he bought me a bowl of bite-sized chocolates, which were delicious. I asked the bartender what the smoking age is in Japan (it's 20, same as the drinking age), because there are cigarette vending machines all over the place, and I was curious how they prevented teenagers from buying them. Evidently, the vending machines require the use of a special 20+ card, so that solves that mystery. The Japanese man at the bar overheard me asking about cigarettes, and then offered me one. Since you can smoke in bars in Japan, I accepted his offer, just for the novelty of being able to smoke indoors at a public place. When he left, he gave me a fresh packet of cigarettes, and the bartender gave me a Penguin Bar lighter, so now I can enjoy those those for the next ten years (I don't smoke very often).
The bartender told me that there are several U.S. Marine and Air Force bases on Okinawa, and lots of American soldiers will come to the bar during the weekend and party pretty hard. I asked if he was annoyed by how much they drank or if it was fun, and he assured me it was fun (and lucrative). I planned to return on Saturday to hang out with my fellow Americans, but by Saturday night I had only 3,000 yen ($27 USD) left, which had to last me through Sunday and Monday, so I skipped it.
Tokashiki Island
On April 14th, I took a ferry to a smaller island called Tokashiki, to get the "Japanese Hawaii" experience I'd been hoping for from Okinawa. There's not really much to report for this day. I had a Beni-imo (purple sweet potato, very popular in Okinawa) flavored ice cream, and sun-tanned on the beach for a couple hours (rotating every 30 minutes so as to protect my skin, although the strategy proved insufficient). It was a lovely day, although I did get badly burned on my back, where I had forgotten to / been too lazy to / hadn't been able to reach to sun-lotion myself. I think I'm finally ready to accept the fact that that one time I got really brown from tanning in Hawaii when I was fourteen was an anomaly. Or perhaps it has become more sensitive over time, but whatever the case, my skin does not tan readily and I should probably start carrying an umbrella with me whenever the sun is out.
Nom-nom-nom
Okinawa World
Okinawa World is a theme park of sorts, but not the rides and games kind. The theme is Okinawa culture; there are traditional Eisa dances, a cave to explore, a Habu snake zoo/museum, an area where you can try glass blowing or learn traditional weaving, and plenty of snack stands and gift shops. I got the premium ticket, which allows access to everything plus a 1000-yen voucher to spend on anything inside the park, which saved me about $3, assuming I would spend 1000 yen anyway.
The cave in Okinawa World is called Gyokusendo, and it was as impressive as any I'd seen in Mulu -- full of beautiful stalagmites cave rivers and pools.
In the park, there is a bar that served Okinawa Sango Beer by Nanto Brewery. It is advertised as having "Coral Water 100%," which means that it is brewed using the water created by a coral-formed limestone called "Gyokusendo" in Okinawa. I'm not sure if that means they used the water from Gyokusendo Cave, specifically, or if there are other sources of this coral water, but either way, it's a fun little fact, and I wanted to try some. I used 500 yen of my park voucher to get their IPA, and it was voucher well spent.
The other 500 yen of my park voucher went toward FINALLY experiencing the Doctor Fish phenomenon. I squealed when I first put my feet in and the fish started nibbling away at them. It was a bit ticklish at first, and then it became kind of a buzzy, vibrating sensation. As I sat there, I was given a page of information about Doctor Fish, which said:
Doctor Fish is scientific name is [sic] "Garra Rufa" and is freshwater cyprinid fish. They mainly inhabit the local hot springs in the central Kangaroo region of the Turkish Republic. Generally, the water temperature fish can live in is around 28 C, but Dr. Fish is a special fish and can vigorously swim in 37 C water. The biggest feature of this fish is to eat rough dry human skin as food. As the fish pick it will give you beautiful skin by removing skin and stimulate your senses and bring a soothing effect to help you relax, it is as if you are receiving a low frequently [sic] massage. These rare fish have been helping humans with a beauty regimen since ancient times! Cleopatra, one of history's known beauties famously loved and relied on them. The world knows the republic of Turkey as the birthplace of "beauty" and "health" and Dr. Fish has long been a favorite there. They have been recognized and an established medical practice by the German scientific research institute. As the small fish approach and touch your skin, it will take you to a new world of unprecedented beauty and healing.
That last line seems to oversell the experience a bit, but I am definitely glad I finally did this!
In the Habu area of the park, there is a shop that sells an awamori-based liquor called Habushu (also known as Habu sake or Okinawa Snake Wine). Awamori, and Habushu, are made almost exclusively in Okinawa. To make Habushu, the awamori -- which is typically 60-86 proof -- is mixed with herbs and honey, which gives it a yellowish tint. Then, the venomous habu pit viper is inserted into the liquid and stored until it's ready to be consumed; the Habushu is often sold with the snake still in the bottle, because that's way more badass, obviously.
There are two ways of getting the snake into the bottle. Sometimes it is simply submerged in the alcohol and then the bottle sealed, drowning the snake. Brutal. The other option is to put the snake on ice until it passes out, and then gut it, bleed it, and sew it up. When the viper thaws and wakes up (not sure how it survives about being gutted and bled out...yikes...), it dies quickly in an aggressive striking manner. Also pretty brutal. Then the manufacturer puts the habu in an ethanol bath for a month to preserve it, followed by a 59% alcohol mix for 40 days, and then a 35% awamori mix prior to consumption.
What's the benefit of putting snakes in awamori? Well, it is believed that some favorable qualities of the habu are passed onto the drinker. The habu is rumored to be able to live for as long as a year without eating and still have incredible energy, but its main power is its impressive libido: the habu is famed for being able to mate for as long as 26 hours. (I think even Sting has to be impressed by that.) So drinking habu is believed to help sexual dysfunction in men. One snake helping another, so to speak.
I really REALLY wanted to get a bottle of this stuff, because I think it's so unique to Okinawa and, you know, cool-lookin'. I didn't want to have to check my luggage, but it would be worth it if it wasn't too expensive. Unfortunately, even a small bottle like the ones below were in the $80 range. So... nope.
My favorite part of the whole day was doing a brief photo shoot with this white snake. Holding one of these snakes is believed to bring good luck (or at least saying so is believed to bring more customers). It really wasn't very scary; I've never been as afraid of snakes as the average person. Besides, the snake isn't venomous. The worst it could do is coil around me and squeeze me until I suffocated, but I figured the park staff were prepared in some way to address that situation if it presented itself.... that's a reasonable assumption, right?
Coming Home
Today is Easter Sunday, April 16, 2017. It is my last full day on this amazing world travel adventure. I have about 2000 yen left, which means that my last meal in Japan will probably be from FamilyMart, and I'm totally fine with that. I have seen and done more in this amazing world than I ever dreamed I would. I'm ready to come home, to hug my family and my friends, to start exercising and cooking again, to eat vegetables and get regular BMs going (sorry for being gross, but you have no idea how much I'm looking forward to that), to go back to work, to settle into a new place of my own with my own bed and more than two pairs of shoes, to reunite with the band, to get back on stage and work out some new jokes, to drive my car, to get a haircut and use a round brush and conditioner so my hair can look civilized again, and to start paying forward the incredible hospitality I have experienced throughout this trip.
I'm sure that when I get back, people will ask me, "Do you feel different? Do you feel like you've changed?" At this moment, the answer is "not really." I'm sure I have; it's rather impossible not to evolve in some way at least a little bit from all these new experiences, but I just don't feel as evolved as I'd hoped. I remember driving to Olympia after my goodbye party in tears, because I thought that I would change so much while traveling that maybe I wouldn't be coming back to the life I was leaving behind, a life I absolutely loved. I don't know exactly what kind of changes would mean that I wouldn't go back to the band, or I would quit comedy, or just move somewhere completely different; I just knew that traveling around the world had the potential to change my life in a dramatic way. Those changes just remain to be seen. I definitely still want to be in the band and do standup at least a little bit.
The one "deliverable" required from Bonderman fellows is a thank-you letter to the program sponsor, David Bonderman. I've been writing it little by little over the past eight months, and when it's finished, I'll be sure to post a copy of it here as my final blog post.
Oh, and let's develop some sort of signal you can give me to shut up when the "this one time in ____ " stories start getting annoying....
That's it! Tomorrow I come home. See you all so, so soon!!