Tuesday 23 July 2019

Japanese Adventure, Chapter 4 - Day 16. Teshima



We were up nice and early and headed to the port for a spot of breakfast. This set breakfast costing 480 yen included a dollop of egg covered in ketchup, a thick slice of toast, salad and a coffee.


Getting to Teshima was possible using a high speed boat which cost 1330 yen each way. The 35 minute crossing is quite exciting as the boat bounces across the waves.


The terrain on Teshima is very hilly so we decided to hire electric bikes which cost 1000 yen for four hours. This was the first time we'd used an electric bike and they made such light work of the hills, loved them!


We cycled across the Island towards Karato Port, the scenery along the way was stunning.


Just before reaching Karato Port we locked up our bikes and bought tickets costing 1540 yen to visit Teshima Art Museum. The museum stands on a hill overlooking the Seto Sea, it resembles a water droplet at the moment of landing.


Photography inside is forbidden but I couldn't resist taking one sneaky snap. This was without a doubt the most incredible Art Museum I'd ever experienced, it was so surreal inside. The way nature, art and architecture come together was just breathtaking. Tiny droplets of water would appear from the ground, roll past you and disappear again into small holes. Totally mesmerising and combined with the sounds and ever changing light outside this is a place you should definitely visit if you ever get the chance.


When you exit the museum you follow a path back to where you collect your shoes which must be removed before you enter.


As you exit you can also visit the shop and cafe.


Afterwards we cycled down the hill to Karato Port.


Time to cool down with a strawberry and vanilla ice cream.


We made good use of the electric bikes by exploring various places on the island including this temple.


Back in Ieura Port we visited Yokoo House where inside you can find art work by Tadanori Yokoo. First you pass through the brightly coloured stone garden with a network of mosaic waterways.


These contain koi carp and run right beneath the house where you can view them through a glass floor.


The distorted mirrored walls in the toilet will make your head spin!


There's also a cylindrical tower to visit covered in 1000's of images. As you first step inside it plays tricks with your mind.


The view of the garden from the corridor as you exit the house.


It was definitely time for some lunch so we stopped at this small cafe beside the ferry port. 


I ordered ramen and Ella chose noodles with vegetables. 


Having returned the bikes we had an hour or so until the next ferry so we chilled out with a beer outside Yokoo House. 


A top tip if you're visiting Teshima is to buy your return ferry ticket as soon as the ticket office opens. We ended up queueing close to the ferry departure time and the people in front of us bought the last tickets. This meant we had to wait for the later ferry in two hours time. 


Being stranded on such a beautiful island for another two hours wasn't so bad though, we simply bought more beer! Something I spotted in a vending machine was this, it appeared to be a Japanese breakfast drink. I was well up for trying it but sadly it was sold out.


Instead I bought a creme caramel drink and enjoyed it with some fizzy rainbow sweets.


The high speed boat had dropped us off at Takamatsu Port.


Drinking beer makes you dry but Anpanman fruit drink makes everything ok again!


We decided to stay around the port area until the sunset as it's the perfect area to view it from. 


With just under an hour of daylight left we walked along the pier.


At the end of the pier you can watch the ferries making their way to the many nearby islands.


With the sun about to set we rushed to 7-Eleven to buy a beer to enjoy the sunset with. On the way back we met Mai the rabbit who was out for a stroll with her owner. Mai was so friendly and looked really cute in her frilly dress!


We caught the sunset but the cloud had arrived to to spoil the moment. It did let the sun peak through for a brief moment though at least!


It was bento o'clock at the hostel. I must say I never once tired of eating these 7-Eleven boxes of delights and thoroughly enjoyed deciding which one to eat each time!

Click here for Day 17
Kotohira


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