˖°𓇼𓂃 𓈒𓏸 Jellyfish

It was an hour-and-a-half long journey from Minamihorie (a trendy neighborhood just west of Namba, where I had brunch) to Wakayama station. I then took an hour long bus from Wakayama to Nada-no-hama beach. My earbuds were dead, so I existed in the present moment through all 30 bus stops. En route to the beach, I wandered up and down narrow, steep stairs that bordered densely-packed houses. I helped an obaachan move a bench she was struggling with. Then, I stumbled upon a shrine with no one there, offered a ten yen coin and a silent prayer, saw a cat living its best life… can you spot it?

(zoom…)

hi kitty kitty!!

Now, the beach!

⟡ ݁₊ . It was a cloudy day. When I arrived my friends were exploring tidepools on the rocks, and I excitedly joined them! There were urchins, lots of barnacles, and many many fish. It disappointed me to see the amount of litter on the beach. I would love to be part of a litter clean up group sometime here.

⟡ Next, a little swimming! The moon jellies swam up right next to my friends and I. Even though I’m from California, the beach in Wakayama was my first-ever time swimming alongside jellyfish. It was a cool experience, and the large rocks creating coves on the beach reminded me of the setting of one of my favorite childhood TV shows- H2O just add water!

Paige asked me if moon jellies were harmless. I said yes, not fully knowing the answer. I didn’t want her to be too creeped out (the “sea life” in the great lakes is pretty different than here in Japan!) But it turns out, their sting is nearly imperceptible to humans. Maybe I should’ve read more about them at the Monterey Bay Aquarium all those times I went.

⟡ The day after, (today) I headed south to Sumiyoshi Taisha. I took a picture for two Italian tourists, then wandered the grounds solo in the rain, it was very peaceful.

I’m making it a goal to explore more places around where I’m currently living because…

: ̗̀➛ I’m moving in June!!

The location is much more central, the apartment has fantastic natural light, it is a larger place, a longer-term lease, and it is in a quiet neighborhood, close to parks and tons of cafes! I’ll do a full post with more details soon.

⟡ Been thinking about learning to play the lyre or harp. What a random thought, but who would I be if I didn’t entertain my whims from time to time.

~A