おじぃビーチ

台風が過ぎ去り、海が奇麗になっている事を期待して今日の午後、あかちち近くのビーチ『じゃねービーチ』通称おじぃビーチへ行って来ました
ルカイはまずはビーチで腹ごしらえ。


相変わらずほとんど人はおらず、海面も穏やか。
シュノーケルを着けて、いざ海の中へ
泳ぎ出してすぐ、あり得ないぐらいの数の魚の大群が、私の周りをぐるぐる泳ぎ回り、いつまでも離れず、私が動くたびに同じ方向に群れごとついて来て、まるで昨夜見た映画『オーシャンズ』の一場面のようでした
この感動は言葉では言い表せない、何とも言えない至福の時間でした。やっぱりおじぃビーチは最高です


潮が引き始めた頃、岩肌の間で魚を探すケニーとルカイ。
海が大好きな彼らは海にいると、とびっきりの笑顔を見せてくれます



夕方、太陽の光が海面に反射しキラキラ
ここでサンセットを見るのもオススメ。
今日も幸せな一日でした


Even after having lived here for so many years, there are still days when I feel as if I am seeing things for the first time. Amazement and excitement are followed by an overwhelming sense of gratitude for having the chance to be a part of such a wonderful day....Today was one of those days. Komaki, Rukai and I went down to Jahnei Beach (Ojii's Beach) for a swim. We hadn't been there since June because of all the rain, which keeps me away because of the silt that washes down from the surrounding farm fields. This was compounded by the fact that we haven't had any strong typhoons this year. (The typhoons bring in fresh, clear water from outside the reef. It's like nature's washing machine!) For tourists who come all the way from mainland Japan, Okinawa's sea is still extremely beautiful even under bad conditions, but for us it can be a bit disappointing when you are used to crystal clear water. Well, a small typhoon came our way the other day, and it cleaned out the lagoon a bit. The water was sparkling and Rukai was splashing and playing with a huge smile. Komaki and I took turns swimming. Komaki was the first to notice a huge school of "mijun" (sardines). She was yelling back to shore with total excitement. After a while, I told her to let me have a look, so we switched places again. I swam out about 50 meters and there they were....a school of "mijun" shimmering and dancing under the sun's rays. Komaki had said that they actually encircled her, so I was hoping they would do the same for me. After patiently and slowly swimming silently closer and closer, the fish began to swirl around me. They were everywhere! It was like being in the middle of a tornado of silver streamers! This alone would have surely been enough to make the day worth while, but the best part was actually running up and down the soft, white sand with Rukai....At one point he stopped, turned toward me, and said "Daddy, this is a nice beach!" Ok, for a 2-year-old boy that was a simple but yet very profound statement. Thanks Rukai, for reminding me that even the most usual things in our life can be appreciated as if it was the first time....