沖縄が本気出して来た話(re:日本一周#42)

「とっておきの場所に行こう」

ゆっくり飲んで話していた後、同じゲストハウスに泊まっている竹富を知り尽くしたショコラさんに誘われて、自分も含めた4人で夜の竹富を歩く。

竹富島の夜は昼間と打って変わってとても静かな夜だ。遠くの木からは少し不気味にフクロウが鳴く。遠くからは波の音が聞こえて、風が通り過ぎる音を聞きながら歩く

道端にはホタルがいた

沖縄には土ボタルという、川じゃなくて土で育つホタルがいて、そのホタルは幼虫も光る

真っ暗な道を、案内するように、点々と、

淡い光は集落を抜けて海に近づくとそこら中に広がる。命を燃やして光るホタルたちの楽園

飛び交う成虫と道を必死で歩く幼虫

そのどちらもが淡く美しい光を放って、気づけば蛍の光に囲まれていた

息を呑んだ。こんな美しさ見たことない

儚くて、でも力強くて、、、

蛍の光に導かれるように辿り着いたのは、海に突き出た西桟橋だった

ショコラさんがここに連れてきてくれた理由は、もう聞かなくても分かった

目の前に広がる満点の星空

凪いでいる夜の海に反射して、水面は天然のプラネタリウムになる

天の川は夜空に一筋の道を作る

人生で初めてこんなにはっきりと見た

天の川は星空が集まって出来た、宇宙まで続く道のようだった

ふと後ろを振り向くと蛍たちが舞う

気づけば星と蛍の光に包まれたようだ

なんて表現したらいいんだろう

天国ってこんなとこなのかな

儚さは美しさと比例すると知った

思えば不思議なものだ

何億光年と離れた星の光が今、地球に届く

夜空に輝く光は、何億年も昔に輝きを放った星の命の輝きだ

一方、すぐ後ろではホタルが、いつ絶えるか分からない命の光を必死に燃やす

ふわふわと飛び交う光は、今を生きる蛍の命の輝きだ

何億年も昔の輝きと今の輝きに包まれる

そんな西桟橋に4人は静かに腰を下ろして寝転んだ

必死でこの美しさを忘れないように、目に焼き付けていたらショコラさんが歌い始めた

その歌はショコラさんが島で出会ったおばあに教えてもらった島唄らしい。みんなもショコラさんに教えてもらって、歌った

もう今となってはどんな歌だったか覚えていない。けれどどんな歌だったのかなんてどうでもいい。あの日あの場所であの夜に、出会うはずのなかった旅人が出会って、みんなで歌を歌った。それが何よりも素敵なことだから

次の日の朝、竹富島は快晴だった

沖縄に来てから多分初めてってくらいの青空

ブーゲンビリアの花が青空の下咲き乱れる

サンゴが敷き詰められた白砂の道を歩く

白砂の道を歩いてふと横を見ると

陶器で出来た綺麗なシーサーがこっちを見ていた

石垣とブーゲンビリアと赤瓦とシーサー

まさにthe沖縄がそこにいた

昼ごはんは、ショコラさんに竹富で1番くらいのおしゃれなカフェに連れて行ってもらう

高台にあるカフェは島の景観を一望

ゆっくりとお昼ご飯を食べた後はみんなで海へ

ブーゲンビリアに囲まれた小径を抜けると

想像を越えた海が広がる

白波1つ立たない凪の海は、青空をそのまま写した鏡のようだ

ここから海沿いに歩いてコンドイビーチという浜に向かう

まるでジブリの世界に迷い込んだようだ

キラキラ光る水面を眺めながらぼんやりしていると、沖の方に浮かぶ白砂の小島が見えた

なんと歩いていける小島らしい

なんだそのワクワクする設定は?!

行くしかないやん!

てことで腰までじゃぶじゃぶ浸かりながら向かうと

本当に天国に辿り着いたらしい

流石にもうここを日本だとは信じられなかった

干潮の時しか現れない島らしい

なんと運が良く、干潮の時に訪れていたのだ

キラキラの海にプカプカ浮かんで存分に竹富の海を楽しんだあとは、竹富で話題のかき氷屋さんに連れて行ってもらう

富士山のようなかき氷で火照った体を冷やした後は、夕日を見に西桟橋へ

辿り着いた時、日は暮れ始めていた

西桟橋にちょこんと座って、その時を待つ

徐々にオレンジに染まる空と海

なんて贅沢な1日だろうか

島時間は朝から夜までそれぞれの美しさを持っている

そして夕日の美しさはピークを迎える

太陽も粋なもんだ

沈む瞬間に一番美しい姿を見せてくれるんだもんな

夕日で水面に道ができた

これを渡ったらどこにいけるんだろう

なんて思っていたら夕日は沈み

マジックアワーが広がる

黄昏時とも言われるこの時間は、沈んだ夕日の残り火が360度に広がる、一番贅沢な時間

やがて夕日は1日の終わりを惜しむように、空をピンクに染めながら夜になっていく

一番星が遠い空に輝いた時、まだゲストハウスには帰れなかった

今日もあの美しい夜に出会いたかったから

西桟橋に寝転びながら、静かに夜を待った

今日もブログを見てくださりありがとうございます!是非下の日本一周自転車ボタンを押してブログランキングも応援してください!

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

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