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 Zamami Island is largest of the islands in the Kerama Islands. It has a population of about 1,000 people and it is nearly 80% forest. Access to Zamami is reltaively inexpensive. There are two ferries running from Naha's Tomari Port. One is a rapid ferry, the Queen Zamami and the other is the slower, but larger, Zamami ferry. Round trip will cost you ¥5,350 yen on the Queen Zamami and ¥3,540 on the Zamami Ferry. You can find more information at Zamami Village's web site.
I went there recently for an overnight trip to celebrate my birthday, and I have to say, coming back to Naha was fairly depressing. In Zamami I found something different than what I've experienced on the main island of Okinawa, or anywhere else for that matter. The people in Zamami were kind and relaxed. While it is often said that people in Okinawa are both kind and relaxed, this was a totally different level. I felt that here people really treated you like a person, not just a faceless consumer, and that making money to live was more important than following business rules designed to maximize profits.
 During my brief stay in Zamami, I made a series of mistakes that led to me needing to rely on the people of Zamami's kindness. First, I lost my hotel key. This wasn't just a key card, but an actual key to an apartment-like guest room. I offered to pay to have the key replaced, but the staff just laughed and told me not to worry about it. Then, later that day, in a spur of the moment decision, I went to rent a car. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough money to pay for the car upfront, so I explained my problem to the rent-a-car clerk. I only had ¥3,300, but the price of the car for two hours was ¥3,600. After mentioning this to him, he quickly said not to worry about the extra ¥300 and that I could keep the car for an extra half our. On the second day I went fishing and rented some fishing equipment. While I was using it, it stopped working properly and part of the rod fell off. The man I rented the equipment from was driving by when I was walking back to the hotel, he told me not to worry about the damage to the equipment and gave me a ride too.
Zamami also has beautiful coral reefs that are still quite alive. In many places they are located very close to the shore and are perfect for snorkeling. Floating among the beautiful fish in the cool waters over a coral reef is a very relaxing thing, and being able to do it so close to home is truly a blessing. I'd recommend that anyone who's looking to get a away from the hustle and bustle of your daily life consider taking a trip to Zamami and experiencing a truely different kind of place. No one has commented on this article. J! Reactions • General Site LicenseCopyright © 2006 S. A. DeCaro |
