Typically, when traveling, I try to avoid visiting the same place twice. There are a handful of places I have been to multiple times because there was so much to do or see (or I had to travel there for work), but for Zamami Island, this was not the case. My motivation for returning to this island was pure spite and stubbornness.
Zamami Island is relatively close to the mainland of Okinawa. Only about a 45-minute ferry ride away from the port in Naha, Okinawa, it makes for a relatively easy day trip or weekend trip. This was a trip that I tried to take several times and was usually unsuccessful with. Tickets for the ferry need to be purchased in advance because they sell out quickly, so I usually booked these tickets far in advance. The first time I attempted to visit Zamami, I had come down with the flu the day before I was supposed to depart.
Almost a year later, I tried to visit Zamami again. This time, I made it to the island. When I went to check into my hotel for the night, the woman greeting me informed me that a bad storm was coming and the last ferry for the rest of the week would be leaving in 40 minutes. Once again, I did not see Zamami. However, on the ride back, I did get to see some humpback whales out in the water.
After months of trying to schedule another trip to Zamami, I finally managed it. In good health and good weather, I was finally headed to Zamami. The island itself was fine. The main attraction there is snorkeling, and I saw plenty of cool fish and a handful of sea turtles. The most entertaining part of this trip, however, was the people on the ferry.
On the way to the island, I was sandwiched between a recently-divorced American woman who was a teacher on-base in Okinawa and two very flamboyant older gay men from France. I (as well as the Frenchmen) had to hear – in great detail – about this woman’s messy divorce, mid-life crisis, and decision to move to Japan to teach middle school at a military base. This saga continued for the entirety of the ride. Once we got to Zamami, I immediately ran into a co-worker and her husband and in-laws. Her in-laws were very talkative Appalachians who had to tell me about their entire trip to Japan thus far (also in great detail). After about an hour of this, I was off to enjoy Zamami Island for the day. Zamami Island was beautiful, but honestly, it was really like anywhere else in Okinawa but with way more tourists.
Was it worth all the hassle and money wasted on ferry tickets to visit Zamami? Probably not. But at least now I know I didn’t miss out on anything. In the end, Zamami wasn’t the paradise I imagined—but sometimes the journey (and the cast of characters along the way) makes the destination worth it.
AloJapan.com