The final island on our three-island vacation tour is the incredible Yakushima, which lies to the south of Kyushu. The center of this eco-paradise island is covered in dense forest with spectacular waterfalls, and the coastline is a combination of Hawaii and Northern California. We’re here for two weeks, and I’m very excited to be exploring the hiking trails and meeting Sugi (old growth Cryptomeria trees). Blog postings until we leave for Tokyo will be sporadic; it takes forty minutes to come to the internet cafĂ©, and then back again. And, I’ve got a two thousand year old Japanese Cedar to meet before it starts to rain!

