When we got up, we were passing by Kobe. Almost at our destination of Osaka!
We lifted some of the sails on our approach to the Osaka Expo!
The Osaka Expo! Our expedition had an event there the next day, but unfortunately I had to leave early. That is the life of a tenuously employed person.
The approach to the dock in Osaka Harbour. Our journey was coming to an end.
We arrived with a welcoming party and a banner to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Kikai Institute!
Watanabe-san with the statute made by the kids on Kikaijima. We made it to our destination!
We disembarked, and of course played one last dance!
And with that, it was the end of our journey. We spent some time reporting on our trip to some of the sponsors who joined us on board. I gave the last of my presentations, in Japanese no less! We said our goodbyes to those who had to go, but later we did go out to a chanko-nabe restaurant (a hot pot made for sumo wrestlers).
The Ark of Coral Reefs cruise was an amazing experience, and I am thankful to Watanabe-san and Yamazaki-san for inviting me to come along. I said this to everyone, that the great thing about this cruise is that it allowed me to be myself. I absolutely fed off the energy of being around such a positive group of people who were focused on so many interesting things. I also got to learn so much, especially about how the artists on board communicated about climate change. I also got to share my passions with people who were eager to learn!
It was an experience of a lifetime, that I will never forget. I hope that we can do it again sometime! I look forward to my next trip to Kikaijima.
Raised Beaches 
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