自転車日本一周 1年目

幻の生物を追って（re:日本一周#40）

40日目のこの日も天気は良くならず

かと言って雨も降っていなかったので、まだ探検していない与那国の東側を探検することに

まずは泊まっている祖納の集落から東へ、最東端の東崎を目指す

集落からすぐに海沿いの道へ

曇り空にも関わらずこの青い海

なにこのソーダみたいな海

瓶詰めして飾ってやろうと思った

瓶を開けたら日本最西端の海の匂いなんて素敵すぎるじゃん、なんて思いながら進むと、不思議すぎる光景が目の前に広がる

突然現れる異世界のような荒野と謎の建築物

実はこれ、沖縄式のお墓らしい

まるで古代遺跡のような風貌をしているが、普通のお墓

なんでこんな形をしているかというと、琉球に古くから伝わる「子宮から出た命は子宮に戻っていく」という輪廻転生のような考えから、女性の子宮の形を表しているらしい

驚くべきはその大きさで、大きいものだと小さい家くらいはありそうな規模感のものが点々と、荒野に2キロほどひたすら続く

集落から出たら突然、古代の世界に迷い込んだみたいだ。気分はまるでインディジョーンズだった。そしたら本当に

もう使われていない謎の古代遺跡とピラミッドのようなものがいきなり現れる

与那国島は本当に不思議な島だ。今までの「日本」というイメージが180度変わるような、不思議の島。たしかに東京から3000キロも離れればそうなってしまうのかもしれない。

そんな夢見心地な気持ちのまま、東へ向かうと最東端東崎が見えてくる

ここ東崎は「最東端」という以上に有名なものがある。

それがこれ

与那国島にしか生息しない固有種のヨナグニウマがそこかしこにいるのだ

ここまで見せられてしまっては本当にここが日本か分からなくなるからやめてほしい

しかしまたこいつらが温厚で小さくて可愛い

灯台の下で草をむしゃむしゃ

しかも断崖絶壁の海と草原に馬がいるこの構図がまた絵になる

与那国島にしか生息しない、まさに幻の馬

そしてこんな映画みたいな光景が目の前にパノラマで広がる不思議

ちなみに最東端の東崎には

牛も自然に帰っていた

与那国島＝動物ふれあいコーナー

これだけは間違いない

ちなみに牛は大きくて触るのは少し気が引けた

断崖絶壁の東崎から見る海は

もちろんこの透明度

サンゴ礁がそのまま見えてしまっている

これはもう日本じゃないんだな

そう思えてしまうのも、もう仕方ない

そもそも旅している限り、自分が映画の中の主人公なんじゃないかって感覚は心の何処かにきっとあるし、与那国島はそんなスクリーンの中の世界観を存分に見せてくれる素敵な島だった


周囲25キロしかないはずの与那国は、そこかしこにロマンが溢れる。そんな島だったんだ

東崎を満喫したあとは、興味のあった「アヤミハビル館」という場所へ

アヤミハビル？？？なんて声が聞こえてきそうな名前だけど、実はこれ、世界最大級の蛾の与那国での呼び名だ。本当の名前は「ヨナグニサン」これまた与那国島の固有種で、まさに幻の蛾だ。

アヤミハビル館は最西端の孤島という特殊な地理から生み出された、貴重な生態系の与那国の生き物たちを展示している博物館であり、生き物大好きマンのヨコイシからしたら天国みたいな場所だ。行くしかなかった。

山道を越えて辿り着くと、まずは入り口で与那国島に関する20分のビデオを見る

そしていよいよ展示へ

本土とは大きく違う生態系に、南国ということだけあって巨大な虫たちに一人興奮

こいつは与那国臭蛇（シュウダ）と言って、文字通り強烈な異臭を放つらしい

約1時間。男のロマンが詰まった展示を満喫して帰ろうとすると最後に奇跡が起こった

それは係員の一言で始まる

「今とっておきの生き物がいるんです！一般公開はしてないんですけど、よかったら見ますか？」

え？もしかしてヨナグニサンかな？でももう今は成虫がいる季節じゃないしありえないよな…

なんて思いながらもとっておきと言われたら行くしかない。

関係者しか入れない裏に入って、いざ観ると

そこには奇跡のヨナグニサンがいた

なんと今日、季節はずれの成虫となった個体だそう。蛾とは思えないくらいの綺麗さで、手のひらほどの大きさがある

そもそもアヤミハビルの意味は「綾のある蝶」という昔の言葉らしい

その美しさは、まさに「綾」そのものだった

与那国の美しさを象徴するような幻の蝶

そんな奇跡を目の当たりにして宿へ戻る

今日は与那国最後の夜だ

新しくきた女性の旅人二人を迎えて、みんなで与那国最後の夜を過ごして、夜は更けていった

今日も見ていただきありがとうございます！最後に下の日本一周自転車ボタンを押していただけるとブログランキングが上がるので是非お願いします！

にほんブログ村 旅行ブログ 日本一周（自転車）へ


にほんブログ村

シェア！

3,333 件のコメント

  • Heya terrific website! Does running a blog similar to this take a great deal of work?
    I’ve no knowledge of coding however I had been hoping to start my own blog in the near future.

    Anyways, if you have any recommendations or tips for new blog
    owners please share. I understand this is off
    subject nevertheless I just had to ask. Thanks a lot!

  • I am curious to find out what blog platform you happen to be utilizing?

    I’m experiencing some small security issues with my latest blog and I
    would like to find something more safeguarded.
    Do you have any recommendations?

  • Its like you read my mind! You seem to know a lot about this, like you wrote the book in it or something. I think that you could do with some pics to drive the message home a little bit, but instead of that, this is magnificent blog. A great read. I will certainly be back.

  • Hello! I understand this is sort of off-topic but I had to ask.

    Does building a well-established website such as yours
    require a massive amount work? I’m brand new to blogging
    but I do write in my diary daily. I’d like to start a blog so I
    can easily share my own experience and views online.
    Please let me know if you have any kind of ideas or tips for new aspiring blog
    owners. Appreciate it!

  • I’ve been exploring for a bit for any high-quality articles or blog posts on this kind of area
    . Exploring in Yahoo I finally stumbled upon this web site.
    Reading this info So i am glad to exhibit that I’ve an incredibly excellent uncanny feeling I came upon exactly what I needed.
    I so much undoubtedly will make certain to do not disregard this web site and provides it a look on a constant basis.

  • I have been surfing on-line more than three hours these days, yet
    I never found any fascinating article like yours. It’s pretty price
    sufficient for me. In my opinion, if all webmasters and bloggers made just right content material
    as you did, the net will be a lot more useful than ever before.

  • Thanks for your article. I also think laptop computers have gotten more and more popular lately, and now are often the only type of computer utilized in a household. Simply because at the same time they are becoming more and more very affordable, their processing power keeps growing to the point where they are as strong as personal computers from just a few years ago.

  • I’ve been surfing on-line more than 3 hours today, yet I
    never found any attention-grabbing article like
    yours. It’s pretty price enough for me. In my opinion, if all website owners and bloggers
    made excellent content material as you did, the web will probably be much more useful than ever before.

  • Thanks for revealing your ideas. I’d personally also like to mention that video games have been ever before evolving. Modern technology and revolutions have assisted create practical and fun games. Most of these entertainment games were not really sensible when the concept was first of all being tried. Just like other forms of technology, video games too have had to develop by way of many years. This is testimony towards the fast growth and development of video games.

  • Woah! I’m really digging the template/theme of this website.

    It’s simple, yet effective. A lot of times it’s very difficult to get that “perfect balance” between usability and visual appeal.
    I must say you have done a great job with this. Additionally, the blog loads extremely quick for me on Internet explorer.
    Excellent Blog!

  • A further issue is that video games are typically serious as the name indicated with the primary focus on studying rather than entertainment. Although, we have an entertainment facet to keep your sons or daughters engaged, each and every game is normally designed to work with a specific skill set or area, such as mathmatical or scientific disciplines. Thanks for your post.

  • Woah! I’m really digging the template/theme of this site.
    It’s simple, yet effective. A lot of times it’s very difficult to get that
    “perfect balance” between superb usability and visual appearance.
    I must say you have done a superb job with this.
    Additionally, the blog loads extremely quick for me
    on Firefox. Exceptional Blog!

  • Hi there, I discovered your web site by means of Google while looking for a comparable topic, your site came up, it seems to be great.
    I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks. Hi there,
    simply become aware of your weblog thru Google, and located that it’s really informative.

    I am gonna be careful for brussels. I will be grateful if you happen to
    proceed this in future. Lots of folks will probably be benefited from your writing.
    Cheers!

  • Hello there! This post could not be written much better!
    Looking through this article reminds me of my previous roommate!
    He continually kept talking about this. I most certainly will forward this
    article to him. Pretty sure he will have a very good read.
    Many thanks for sharing!

  • I cherished as much as you’ll obtain performed proper here. The cartoon is attractive, your authored subject matter stylish. however, you command get bought an shakiness over that you would like be delivering the following. sick without a doubt come further until now again as precisely the similar nearly a lot regularly inside case you defend this hike.

  • Greetings from Colorado! I’m bored to death at work so I decided to check out your blog on my iphone during
    lunch break. I really like the info you provide here and can’t wait to take a look when I get home.
    I’m surprised at how fast your blog loaded on my cell phone ..

    I’m not even using WIFI, just 3G .. Anyways, excellent blog!

  • Hey there just wanted to give you a quick heads up.
    The words in your article seem to be running off
    the screen in Firefox. I’m not sure if this is a formatting issue or something to do
    with browser compatibility but I figured I’d post to let you know.
    The style and design look great though! Hope you get
    the issue fixed soon. Thanks

  • Howdy just wanted to give you a quick heads up. The words in your content seem to be running off the screen in Opera.
    I’m not sure if this is a format issue or something to do with
    browser compatibility but I figured I’d post to let you know.
    The design look great though! Hope you get the problem solved soon.
    Kudos

  • After looking at a few of the blog posts on your web site, I honestly appreciate your technique of writing a blog. I saved as a favorite it to my bookmark webpage list and will be checking back soon. Please visit my web site as well and tell me your opinion.Thank you for the sensible critique. Me and my neighbor were just preparing to do some research on this. We got a grab a book from our local library but I think I learned more clear from this post. I am very glad to see such wonderful info being shared freely out there.

  • Hello exceptional website! Does running a blog such as this
    require a great deal of work? I’ve very little understanding of coding however I had been hoping
    to start my own blog soon. Anyhow, should you have
    any recommendations or techniques for new blog owners please
    share. I know this is off subject however I just wanted to ask.

    Thanks a lot!

  • I do love the way you have framed this challenge plus it really does offer me some fodder for thought. On the other hand, through everything that I have witnessed, I only hope as other commentary stack on that individuals stay on point and not get started on a soap box regarding some other news du jour. Yet, thank you for this fantastic piece and whilst I do not concur with it in totality, I respect your point of view.

  • The Zune concentrates on being a Portable Media Player. Not a web browser. Not a game machine. Maybe in the future it’ll do even better in those areas, but for now it’s a fantastic way to organize and listen to your music and videos, and is without peer in that regard. The iPod’s strengths are its web browsing and apps. If those sound more compelling, perhaps it is your best choice.

  • Admiring the time and effort you put into your website and in depth information you offer. It’s awesome to come across a blog every once in a while that isn’t the same out of date rehashed material. Fantastic read! I’ve saved your site and I’m adding your RSS feeds to my Google account.

  • hello there and thank you for your information – I’ve certainly picked up anything new from
    right here. I did however expertise some technical
    points using this web site, as I experienced to
    reload the web site many times previous to I could get
    it to load properly. I had been wondering if your hosting is OK?
    Not that I am complaining, but sluggish loading instances
    times will sometimes affect your placement in google
    and can damage your quality score if advertising and marketing with
    Adwords. Well I am adding this RSS to my email and can look out for a lot more of your
    respective interesting content. Make sure you update
    this again very soon.

  • Greetings! I know this is kinda off topic however I’d figured I’d ask.
    Would you be interested in trading links or maybe guest writing a blog post or
    vice-versa? My site discusses a lot of the same topics
    as yours and I believe we could greatly benefit from each
    other. If you are interested feel free to shoot me an email.

    I look forward to hearing from you! Excellent blog by the way!

  • Its like you read my mind! You appear to know a lot about this, like you wrote the book in it or something. I think that you can do with a few pics to drive the message home a little bit, but instead of that, this is wonderful blog. A fantastic read. I’ll certainly be back.

  • Have you ever thought about adding a little bit more than just your articles?
    I mean, what you say is valuable and all. Nevertheless think about if you added
    some great visuals or videos to give your posts more, “pop”!
    Your content is excellent but with pics and videos, this blog could definitely be one of the greatest in its
    field. Wonderful blog!