沖繩縣石垣島Club Med 之旅 ~ Club Med Kabira, Okinawa

 

 

 

星期一早上最討人厭，剛過去的星期一就特別令人悶悶不樂，因為是我剛放假回來的第一個工作天。 

 

 

上星期跟友人到了日本沖繩縣石垣島的川平灣度假。沖繩縣是由本洲西南面的流球群島組成。今次我們參加的是「全包宴」的Club Med假期，所付費用已包括機票、機場往度假村的接送、住宿、全日無限量供應飲品和小食、和所有水陸運動項目。

 

Monday mornings are always dreadful.  The last Monday was particularly so because it was my first working day back from holiday.

 

I joined my friends to Ishigaki Island of subtropical Okinawa, Japan.  Okinawa Prefecture is made up of the Ryuku Islands which lie south west to Japan’s biggest island Honshu.  This time we joined Club Med Kabira holiday.  It was an all-inclusive package, which included flights, airport transit, accommodation, three meals a day, unlimited supply of drinks and snacks and all land/sea sporting activities.  

 

▼ 飛機先從香港飛台北（機程一小時多），在台北與從台灣及韓國來的Club Med參加者匯合，乘包機直飛石垣島（機程50分鐘）。當飛機準備降落石垣島，像注滿了藍綠顏料水彩碟的珊瑚礁海岸盡收眼前。

 

▼ We flew from Hong Kong to Taipei, Taiwan (flight just over an hour), where we were then joined by some other Club Med-goers from Taiwan locally and Korea for a chartered flight (about 50 minutes) to Ishigaki Island.  As our flight was preparing to land, we saw the beautiful coral reef shore of the island.

 

▼ 石垣島人口只有四萬六千人，機場規模較小。入境「大」堂只比一個班房大一點，因為地方有限，入境旅客需分階段從跑道接駁巴士下車進入。當我們在巴士上保著期待心情等著過關之際，卻不知道原來壞消息正等待著我們：我們的行李已被錯送送到名古屋。至於因此帶來的不便和及後的追討，故事太長太悶，在這裡不提也罷。

 

▼ Ishigaki has a population of just over 46,000.  It follows that its airport is relatively small – it is just bigger than a classroom.  Visitors have to be admitted in batches into the immigration hall.  As we were waiting on the coach with much enthusiasm, we didn’t realize that some bad news was waiting for us: our luggage had been wrongly sent to Nagoya, a city in the main island of Japan.  The inconvenience caused by the lost luggage and the claim for compensation were a another story which is too boring to be told here.

 

▼ 抵達川平灣Club Med，Club Med的G.O. （Gentle Organisers）在劇院內歡迎我們，及介紹度假村的設施。

 

▼ Having arrived at Club Med Kabira, we were welcomed by the G.O.s (Gentle Organisers) at the theatre.

 

▼ 房間寬敞舒適，令人滿意。

 

▼ The room was quite spacious and comfy.

 

▼ 房間戶戶面向川平灣，走過草地便是度假村的私人海灘。

 

▼ All rooms have nice views of the Kabira Bay.  Across the grounds is the private beach of the Club.

 

▼ 早午晚餐都採自助形式。以下第一副圖片碟上食物包括了傳統沖繩平民菜 ─ 苦瓜炒雞蛋午餐肉，煮法和材料都有點中國料理的影子。碟邊右上角的一片豆腐豆味濃酗，質感粗曠，沾點石垣鹽來吃最好味。

 

▼ These are some plates of helpings from the buffet meals from the Club’s restaurant.  The first photo shows a collection of tasting portions of dishes, in the middle of which is the traditional Okinawa peasant dish – stir fried bitter gourd with egg and Spam.  Its ingredients and way of cooking are highly reminiscent of Chinese cooking.  In the top right corner of the plate is a slice of surprisingly good Tofu – very soy-tasting and raw texture.  Best eaten with a pinch of Ishigaki salt.

 

▼ Club Med的餐廳並不太適合追求寧靜的人，原因是餐廳刻意安排大量大餐桌，方便來自世界各地的客人和G.O. 同坐和互相交流。作為一個家庭度假目的地，Club Med的餐廳自然充滿小孩，小孩用膳那會靜下來，喧嘩叫囂此起彼落，以下相片的兩個乖乖小人兒是那裡的稀有品種。

 

▼ Club Med restaurant is no place for people who are after peace and quiet.  Most of the tables in the restaurant are of large size – deliberately designed for eating together with guests from other parts of the world as well as the G.O.s.  As a family resort destination, Club Med is never short of kids.  In a place with kids, it is never short of screams and shouts and whinges.  The well-behaved little kids in the following photos are the rare speicies there. 

 

 

▼ 說回度假村的G.O. ，日間他們是運動教練，浮潛、滑浪風帆、獨木舟、空中飛人、瑜加樣樣皆能 (這些運動我通通參加了)；晚上就換上戲服，在劇場為客人送上不同主題的演出。表演雖然不是專業水平，但經過一天各有各精彩的戶外活動，吃過晚飯，來自世界各地的客人，一家大小，聚首一堂觀看合家歡表演，劇場不期然充滿了融洽的氣氛。

 

▼ During the day, the G.O.s are coaches or instructors of snorkeling, windsurfing, kayaking, flying trapez, yoga, etc (I played all of these).  At night, they put on costumes to stage various themed shows to the guests.  The performance production was not of professional standard.  But when the guests came together after a whole day of sporting activities for some light family entertainment after dinner, a happy engaging and inclusive atmosphere was in the air.

 

▼ 晚飯後客人試玩簡單的馬戲雜技，順便燃燒由自助晚餐吸取的過多卡路理。

 

▼ Guests trying out some simple circus stunts to burn the excessive calories gained from the buffet dinner. 

 

▼ 住客跳竹舞，娛人娛己。

 

▼ Guests engaged in bamboo dancing, an entertainment for themselves and the onlookers.

 

▼ 一天早上，我們離開度假村，坐公車到石垣市中心看看真正的沖繩。公車班次稀疏，超過兩小時才一班，車程大概一小時。

 

▼ One morning we took the bus for Ishigaki town centre to catch a glimpse of the real Okinawa life.  The bus is infrequent, it stops by the Club every two hours.  The bus journey takes one hour.

 

▼ 當天陽光充沛，途人昂首闊步。

 

▼ People striding and cycling, soaking up the sunlight at the same time.

 

 

▼ 售賣遊客手信的商店。

 

▼ A shop selling tourist-oriented snacks.

 

▼ 沖繩氣候適宜種植菠蘿，港幣14元(1英磅) 一個。

 

▼ Okinawa climate is suitable for pineapple growing.  HK$14 (￡1)@.

 

▼ 回到度假村的泳池，池邊酒吧免費供應各類飲品。

 

▼ Back in the Club swimming pool.  The bar nearby provides an unlimited flow of drinks.

 

▼ 在度假村的數天，這個可愛小豬嘜經常在泳池出沒。

 

▼ This cute little piglet was spotted frequently at the pool during our stay.

 

▼ 網球課後的「餘波」。至於學員，鑑於太笨拙，已被刻意留在鏡頭以外。

 

▼ The aftermath of a tennis lesson.  The clumsy trainee was deliberately kept out of shot to avoid embarrassment.

 

▼ 在度假村海灘的快啪照片。

 

▼ Some snapshots at the Club’s beach.

 

▼ 說喜歡拍照，來自毛里求斯的越野單車教練。

 

▼ Our mountain biking was from the Mauritius.  He said he loves photo-taking.

 

▼ 踏越野單車途中，在一個沙灘小休。

 

▼ In the course of our biking, we made a brief stop for a recess at a small beach.

 

▼ 經過四天以戶外運動為主的假期，我們的皮膚都黑得像上了古銅油一樣。我們坐車往機場去，車外G.O. 向我們揮手道別。亦是時候返回現實，繼續努力工作，賺錢支付下一次假期的開支。

 

▼ After fours days of activities mostly out and about in the open, we have put on some rather nice sun tan.  As we left the Club for the airport, the G.O.s waved goodbye to us.  It was time to go back to reality, to continue to make money for the next holiday.