A Sea Journey and train ride to an old friend.
The ferry to Kyushu left Sukumo at 12:30 AM. Wow, that`s as shady as it gets. I wonder what kind of criminals and illegal cargo will be riding on that boat. It was 8PM, and I made the walk from the train station to the ferry port in a misty rain, umbrella in one hand, staff in the other. It was like a Buddhist pilgrim had wandered into a Raymond Chandler novel translated into Japanese. I wandered in the dim streetlights and the oppressive mist, past failed businesses, sleepy homes, and the blinking neon lights of girly bars and yakiniku joints.
I was greeted at the port by a bunch of scuba divers coming in from a late night excursion, foul smelling blocks of krill in tow, probably to lure out some tastier fish. I wasted some time at a korean barbeque joint where the staff gave me some free potato chips, then I meandered back to the ferry terminal and napped fitfully next to a bespectacled man making the trip on a moped.
The ferry crowd was a diverse bunch. Moped nerd was there, as was a long haul trucker, a lively family of four, and some other folks. I took off my shoes and slept the ride away in the common area, as the ship trudged through a pitch black sea on an inky night.
The ship got in at 4 in the morning. The crew motioned for me to exit the boat first ahead of the vehicles, and I strutted down the ramp like a slow motion badass in a P Diddy video. This swagger was short lived, since besides knowing I was on the island of Kyushu, I didn't have a fucking clue where I was. For the second time that night, I wandered around a shady port town in the darkness, and eventually followed some signs to the train station.
The first train didn't leave till 5:50AM, and it was only 4:15 in the morning. Foregoing train station etiquette, I went to the waiting area past the ticket booth. I used my pilgrim coat as a blanket to shield myself from the early morning chill. Huh. Kobo Daishi really does help you out on your journey. The guy died 1200 years ago, but it seems he's got time on his schedule to keep me warm.
The train ride was uneventful. I made it to Hakata, the Tokyo of southern Japan, and continued west to the town of Imari, a place I had visited back in 2013. My auntie Ruby had sent me on a secret mission to track down one Emiko Kitamura, a distant relation of the Tayag clan, aka my mom's side of the family. The closer I got to Imari, the more familiar the scenery became. In the late afternoon heat, I got off the train and walked south, past two traffic lights, then left, then right, then past the city hall, and then to the second of three apartment blocks. I climbed the stairs to room 5-2 and rang the doorbell.
A familiar face, weathered by age but lightened by laughter, greeted me at the door.
"Maaku-san!!!" CONTINUED IN PART 3.
ReplyDeletea shout out to Auntie Ruby, Mark's other Mom.
Kobo Daishi is really travelling with you. He's keeping you safe and warm and feeding you too, and even taking you safely to your side trips.