Heading south

Island hopping was mostly good sailing and uneventful. Cows dining on bamboo, smoking, belching volcanoes,
To meet our friend who were flying in to Taiwan..meant we had to keep moving and we were slightly ahead of our cruising schedule.
Arriving at AWASE on the south west coast of OKINAWA was another one of the Japan Coastguard Keystone Cop routines.....offer to help and then not know what to do...we watch, trying not to laugh as they try to decide where we should go, why we should go here and not there.....much arm waving and discussion...eventually we go to the spot we had marked on our chart at the time of applying for our cruising permit.!!!!!
The next evening we had a call from the walkway..and a friendly American came to visit. his wife had watched us sail in......and so began another of those special encounters. In fact it was so special that instead of leaving Japan from further south (Ishigaki) we spent time with David, Annie and there army (actually only four) of neat kids........
Eventually we set sail for ITOMAN...only to find the Marina and fishing harbour we in league......first we couldn't stay in the Marina ....then we couldn't stay in the fishing harbour.....then www could stay on the marina...they only wanted two arms and one leg.....by now we had spent three hours motoring from point A to point B...and were getting really pissed off.....
The very efficient and friendly Customs officers were able to arrange a berth for us in NAHA port so we t sail again and eventually ain darkness we tied to the wharf.
Departure day arrived...we were able to get duty free diesel, our forms were stamped and at 0600hours we left Japan for the last time.
Good sailing conditions for twelve hours was all we were to get. The wind did silly things and made life difficult but not uncomfortable.
Look out TAIWAN here we come