Wakayama - Saturday 17 August

An early check from the balcony sees the winds having blown out and the seas flat. Breakfast as per yesterday, but I sat with a couple from Florida who have been on more than 100 cruises (of a similar age to us).
We are passing many ships travelling north which had presumably been held at safe harbour in southern Japan to wait out the typhoon (appears to have been just 1 on shore death attributable to Typhoon Krosa). A lot of islands on our starboard side - Japan has more the 6800 islands (just under 600 are inhabited). Scheduled arrival time is 12 Noon and sun is shining on a forecast 32C (feels like 38C) day.
As we approach the port for Wakayama just before Noon, dulcet tones can be heard, and as we get closer, it is a young persons choir of 45 singers. With this their first ever cruise ship, the prefecture has gone all out with big crowds, welcomes, tourist information and assistance. We take the ship shuttle into the centre of town and start at another amazing food hall. The range of foods, presentation and service is just stunning - you feel like you want to buy at every site. I bought a light lunch of tempura - beautiful, and then we caught a local bus to Wakayama Castle which sits on a hilltop about 1.5km out. Winding, climbing path (difficult) to the foot of the castle for a good view without climbing further.  Once again, the temperature is in the high 30'sC and quite humid. While it is summer in Japan, it is apparently unseasonably and consistently extremely hot without a break. At the foot of the Castle, a Ninja Warrior was helpfully providing a cooling water spray. Then down, with a passage through a sloping, covered bridge (shoes off) across the moat, and a garden path where we watched an outdoor event (Rainbow Children's Project) featuring numerous, enthusiastic, costumed dancing/performing groups which we sat, watched and really enjoyed for quite a while.
Headed back to the Wakayama Station food hall (1.6km by foot) for a cooling drink and return shuttle. Clothes don't get dirty, they just get wringing wet from the heat/humidity. Back to the ship on the shuttle for a shower and "anytime dinner" - we had Curtis Stone's pork belly for a main (and at a table just for two, I was the only one having to listen to the "Curtis Stone" story), although our waiter came close!!
Our Showtime plans were thwarted when we saw the enthusiasm of the locals to bid us farewell, with big crowds, enthusiastic performing groups, a clear sky under a full moon, and even the prefecture's newest tug boats out for us. Lots of waving, cheering, "arigato's", "cooee's" as we bade Wakayama goodbye.
Early night, but not before I saw the Kangaroos result - a 14 goal win, after last weekend's disaster. How do you make sense of it???