Enoshima Island

We were up at the crack of dawn. Packed up the bag and left it in the hotel for the morning. We had yummy Western breakfast at a place called bills close to Shichirigahama station (they don't refill your coffee they way they do in the states…very sad about that.) Then off to Enoshima station to walk around the island.

Kamakura and Enoshima are beach towns, with loads of surfers, SUPs, a few dragon boaters and an obsession with Hawaiian things. We walked through the town of Enoshima over to the pedestrian bridge to the island, and then around the island, which has loads of shops and restaurants, a shrine (of course) a lighthouse (referred to as a sea candle) and some caves. Tons of stairs and loads of walking, and at 9 in the morning we were dripping sweat.

A couple of things I have noticed so far about the Japanese:

* they linger over their meals like the French. I love this, there’s no wolfing down food in a rush.

* they are absolutely petrified of the sun. We have been walking for 2 days through Heart of Darkness heat; this is a tropical climate. The Japanese (especially the women) wear hats, long sleeves (sometimes separate sleeves like kids wear in baseball), gloves, scarves over their neck/chest, long pants or leggings under dresses, and carry umbrellas.

* we are the only Westerners in most places we go. What few Westerners we see aren't American. If course at the hotel this morning Toby was wearing a UT shirt and a guy asked if we were Texans…they were a family of Americans with Japanese ties.Read more