Shane gave us a week of summer vacation–perfect opportunity to explore the tropical paradise isle of Niijima. It was a cramped seven-hour ferry ride to get here, but I drank beer and practiced my Japanese with some 24-year-old bankers I met, and we all fell asleep in the fetal position.

Niijima is the result of two volcanic peaks which erupted and became one land mass. It has sheer rock cliffs going down to within a quarter mile of the sea. These are covered in dense deep-green bushes, bamboo, and foliage. The sands are blinding white at some beaches, or volcanic black at others, and the water is crystal or turquoise and is bathtub clear. I’m camping right on the beach… {Gotta finish this entry later–Tanaka and Inayoshi, my banker friends from the ferry, just came out to the campground to invite me to town for drinks.}

All days should be like Thursday. The three of us went surfing in the morning on the other side of the island. And at dusk, I speared a nice sheepshead. Then I saw a large octopus, a Japanese delicacy. Using the strong current to avoid its ink, I captured it. I decided to invite my Japanese mates to feast with me. We had Hamaya-san, the owner of the minshuku where they were staying, cook us a beautiful Japanese style dinner with rice, soy sauce and mushroom salad. That octopus, boiled and served with vinegar fed eight people with more left over. After dinner and rooftop beers, we went to the Jumbo Disco. True to form, partying with Tanaka and Inayoshi was a blast. Those two young “salarymen” are always balls-out to try something new.

I woke up today, 23 years old, in a hard wind with my tent collapsed. I broke camp, wet my dehydrated throat, and went out for one last spearfish. I saw a big takapa feeding in a crevice. I descended painstakingly slowly and approached at an angle with a rock between us so I could only see its fin and it could not see me. I came over and alongside it, and reached my arm around it to get it totally unaware, point blank. I was greeted onshore with rounds of applause when they saw the size of that fish.

Gathering up my gear and my cooler of fish, I said goodbye to all the friends I’d made. What a place. Great surf, great camping, great spearfishing, great town, great people. My favorite part of Japan to be sure. I joined the throng of sun-blackened, weary travelers, carting my crap with me as I boarded the ferry. Back to reality…