More On Sadogashima

This was supposed to be posted on the fifth but the problems with internet can be extreme.

Well a low was scheduled to pass through yesterday.  So we took the opportunity to stay put.  First we filled up with diesel and lightened our wallets.  Having said that we were pleasantly surprised by the diesel price.  We were led to believe that prices were going to be more expensive but in fact it cost us only one yen more per litre than it did in Tannowa where we last filled up. 

We had many more pleasant chats with the locals being plunk in the middle of all the tourists we always had a couple of curious people to chat with.  We learned that Sado is a famous and formerly a wealthy place.  Gold and silver were mined here and it was a famous shipbuilding centre.  We were told now it was famous for its heritage sites, red Ibis, diving, bamboo carving, and what really peaked our interest pottery and sake.  We already knew that Niigata prefecture was famous for their rice and therefore their sake but what we didn’t know was Sado is the best known.  Their rice is supposed to be of the top most quality and as one of the people we talked to said also the water is very good.

So while we were out we stocked up with a few bottles went to a famous Soba restaurant and then buttoned down for the storm.  Today is Pauline’s birthday so some more sightseeing today.  We went to the old ship building part of the island.  It is a heritage site, with all the buildings dating back to the Edo period.  There was also a mock up of one of the traditional boats built here so we had a wander around it and the old museum.  It is off to Akita tomorrow.