Maybe you’ve heard that human beings all hide a ‘child within’, even when they are adults. And maybe you’ve wondered where yours got lost.
Not to worry. You’ll be sure to find that ‘child’ when you’re soaring high above the lush jungle trees at one of Okinawa’s newest attractions, Forest Adventure in Onna Village.
Opened two years ago, Yvonne Sato commented, “It was a long time coming.” “And really,” she added, “it’s what Okinawa is all about.”
No doubt her reference was to the magnificent natural beauty of the relatively untouched places still left here.
Sato is one of five professional staff at the compound who will teach you the important basics that will keep you from any whiff of danger as you wheel on the cables suspended everywhere above the forested compound.
She came to the island from Scotland four years ago to do some scuba diving then fell in love with an Okinawan pilot, married, and now considers the place her home.
As she illustrates the correct method of fitting the French made harness and how to properly hook the carabiners and pulleys to assure that one does not tumble into the foliage far below, it is easy to see that she thoroughly enjoys her work.
Demonstrating on one 300-foot suspension it becomes even more apparent when she dangles upside down, the living embodiment of playful ecstasy, zipping across the valley, landing expertly upright on the cushioning wood chips at the end.
The course is laid out over the mountain with steel cables anchored to sturdy steel towers, the longest run being well over a hundred thrilling yards across. Along the way you will step gingerly over a “Tibetan bridge”, wrapped almost in a cocoon made of corded netting while safely attached to a safety cable overhead.
Reading about the place before arriving, childhood images of playing Tarzan in the woods came to mind, and it was a delight to learn that the end of the course features the ‘Tarzan Swing’.
This bit of excitement entails a jump from a tower probably thirty or forty feet above the ground, flying a hundred feet or so into a cargo net and sticking there like a fly to flypaper. It can be reminiscent of a Japanese game show where people in Velcro suits fling themselves into Velcro covered walls. But, of course, one does not actually get stuck to the net and after picking one’s way across it to the catwalk dignity soon returns, although giggles can involuntarily escape after thinking of what you just did.
The rest of the entertainment is provided by an obstacle course meant to provoke fun rather than strenuous exercise as, for example, a wobbly trip over ‘Granpa’s Crossing’ and the balancing act called for in the ‘log swing’.
Lest you feel that you must be a well-buffed military person to enjoy the experience, be assured that this reporter is an old geezer with a sorry lack of physical buffness and it was no problem at all navigating the runs.
Probably it was the ‘child within’ who was really up there, but it was the old guy who had all the fun.
Getting to the Forest Adventure will take keeping your eyes peeled, as the signs are not in English and the reception office does not stand out. Mark exactly ten kilometers from the stoplight at the main gate at Torii Station, keeping on Highway 6 towards Cape Maeda, and, about a short block after the Minshuku Camino guest house, look to your right for the office abutting a small grocery market. That will be where you will register, sign a waiver, and pay your fee. A shuttle will take you up to the mountain.
The website, www.foret-aventure.jp, is in Japanese but you can see photos of the place. The phone is (098)963-0088. Cost of admission is 3,500 yen for adults and 2,500 yen for those under 18. Family specials are available, but only yen are accepted, no credit cards or dollars.
There are some caveats: the weight limit is 286 pounds, and the minimum height is 56 inches. Groups of ten or more must supply a mobile phone number, and book and confirm at least by 4:00 pm the day before to guarantee time blocs.
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