Featuring: AC in Wakayama

'Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.'

As the JR limited express left for Wakayama, the gloomy sky of Osaka and urban landscape of what once was a playground gradually faded away, only to be replaced by the blinding sun and azure sea. After 2 or so hours of rocking to and fro in a sleepy train, I found myself  in Shirahama (白浜) as I opened my eyes.

I deeply inhaled the crisp air as soon as I alighted. There weren’t many tourists,  the platform was peaceful. After being welcomed by panda sculptures from  Adventureland, I made my way to the Tore-tore fish market. The abundance of squids, abalones and lobsters were all too tempting, I settled for a bowl of Chirashi-sushi (Sashimi with rice), two Sazaes (horned turban), three mehari-zushis (sushi wrapped with pickled cabbage) and a cup of ume-shu (plum liqueur). And the day had barely started! 

After the sumptuous lunch in the fish market, I could barely walk as I now had extra baggage around the waist to carry (happily), so I took a bus to the coast, where most of the scenic spots were located, notably the Shirara-hama (白良浜, Shirara beach). Without a living soul in sight, running around on the white sand, frolicking in the sea completely free from questioning eyes was quite the experience! I spent the remainder of the afternoon enjoying my own private island.

Shirara-hama, a quartz sand beach with a hot spring overlooking it. Too cold to swim in late spring, so better wait 'til May!

Time flew like the glistening sand that escaped from my hands, the sunset I was looking forward to was on the horizon. I got up and walked along the coast to Engetsu-tou (円月島, Engetsu Island). As I strolled along the promenade, a distinct flock of zealous photographers lined the shore, waiting for the magical moment. We all watched the enter the arch-shaped island before it sank into the distance. As we held our breaths trying to capture the wonderful moment, the red globe suddenly sped up and vanished after crossing the roof of the arch. In bewilderment, I stared at the entrance of the arch where the haze on the horizon obscured the setting sun.

This was the last room in this very popular hot spring hotel!

The very next morning I had completely overslept, after a refreshing morning swim in the chilly Shirara Beach, I ran back to the hotel shivering and quickly threw myself into the hot spring again! Finally I understood why the locals were so addicted to hot springs, especially outdoor ones!

The second day in Shirahama was more physically demanding than I originally thought. After a fish stew set lunch, I trekked my way down the coast. It was sunny in the morning when I visited the marine observation deck (Kaichū-tenboudai, 海中展望台), but clouds started to gather as I was walking to the sandstone coast (Senjoujiki, 千畳敷) and the sea cave (sandan-beki, 三段壁). Without paying an ounce of attention to the weather forecast, I again found myself completely and utterly drenched. But every cloud has a silver lining, as I came across one of the oldest hot spring in the town (崎の湯, Saki-no-yu with a history of 1350 years) on my way back looking desperately for shelter. Within minutes, I found myself soaking in the only hot spring overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Onsen Banzai!

The morning after, I woke up early and went for a morning stroll in the direction of the JR station, a walk much loved by the elderly as they were all I saw on my way! Turns out I had narrowly missed the original train, so I decided to change my plan – no plan.

While I was wondering where the Kishigawa Line (貴志川線, Kishigawa-sen) was, I noticed some funny cat footprints on the platform. Out of curiosity, I followed them to a staircase where I saw portraits of a cat with a captain’s cap on it hanging on the wall. Apparently he operates the train!

The Kishigawa Line was definitely a miracle. At one point, it faced the threat of discontinuation due to underuse, and it was pure genius that they started using cats to attract a nation obsessed with Kawaii creatures!

I was left wondering whether the bed in the Toy Train was designed for baby passengers or the “super station master” Tama

After waiting for an hour, I finally got on the toy train (おもちゃ電車, Omocha-Densha), which was one of the theme trains which attracted hundreds of tourists every day as the interior was fashioned in the style of a mini-museum. There were rows and rows of display cabinets filled with miniature figures, I was over the moon to discover my favourite childhood Gabochan (Toy contained in a plastic capsule) machines! Then I was a hyperactive kid again, running to and fro from compartment to  compartment throughout the journey, scaring other passengers.

It was a pity that the calico cat “super station master” Tama (たま) was not on duty today. Instead, her apprentice Nitama (ニタマ) was on duty, catnapping cosily in Kishi station (貴志駅, Kishi-eki). 

It was also the strawberry picking season (February to May) in Kishi, so I tried my luck as a walk-in tourist. There were couples and families who were washing strawberries freshly harvested from the fields, but I was too hungry so I abandoned the plastic cup handed to me for strawberry collection and devoured the whole farm. A friend of mine went a couple of days later and informed me the farm has shut down.

I took the Tama train (たま電車, Tama-densha) back, revelling in reading Doraemon comics.

As I was strolling in town, I found this vibrant city filled with the sound of live shows, both Western folk songs and Taiko melodies resonated down the picturesque streets. Even when I walked up the stairs to Wakayama Castle, I saw an old man playing Flamenco guitar. 

AC