Ikari Plateau: I Found the Sea Beyond the Grassland I came up into the mountains, and the sea was still there

I walked the trail at Ikari Plateau late one morning in June. A white fence ran along the grassland, and the path was narrow, with the brown earth showing underfoot. The sleeves of the cardigan tied around my waist swayed with every step. I’d driven up through the mountains, and I hadn’t expected to find such an open stretch of grassland up here. My shoulders loosened, and my steps grew lighter.

Beyond the fence, the grass seemed to merge into the mountains in the distance. I was following it with my eyes, trying to see where the pasture ended, when a thin streak of blue appeared between the mountains. It was lower than the sky and didn’t seem to belong to the trees. I slowed my steps and looked again. There was the sea.

I told my friend, “You can see the sea over there.” She looked the same way and said, “Oh, you’re right!” After leaving the coast and heading into the mountains, I’d thought the sea would disappear from view for a while. But here it was again, beyond the wide grassland. I pointed to the patch of blue we’d spotted, and we stood there looking at it together.

As we started walking again, the fence posts slipped by one after another. The grass stirred in the breeze, while the distant mountains stayed still. At a walking pace, I could look at what was nearby, then gaze out toward the distant scenery. My friend and I talked about the road that would take us back to the coast. Knowing we’d be heading toward the sea we’d just spotted made even the drive back down feel like something to look forward to.

Watching where the white fence curved ahead, I decided to walk a little longer. The wide grassland alone was enough to make me want to come, and I was so glad to spot that little stretch of sea, too. The mountains and the sea didn’t have to be separate detours; here, they came together in one view. I wanted to make another walk on the plateau part of a future trip through Tango.