Okinawa!!

I can't even think of a better place for us to have spent spring break! We were lured there by the promise of warm weather (Nagoya's been hoovering around 50 degrees and raining the past two weeks), but it turned out there was a lot more to do than sit around on the beach!

We flew in on Tuesday, but we didn't do much other than check into our hotel, which was on the ocean and we even got a couple of good glimpses of US military aircrafts. The next morning we were up bright and early to rent a car so we could drive around the northern part of the island. It was a bit of a nauseating ride because Aaren seemed to have some sort of a steering/braking problem, but since he was the only one of us who had a Japanese license (not to mention he has actually drives on the left side of the road on a regular basis), we bravely endured it. :P

First stop was the Nago Pineapple Park! We saw this in the guidebook and couldn't resist...what's not to love about all-you-can-eat pineapple?? Activities included a ride in a pineapple cart while an audio told you about the pineapples grown, eating huge $13 pineapple parfaits which had some of the best sorbet I have tasted in my life, and tasting pineapple wine. Not my favorite, but definitely interesting. After the pineapple park we stopped to hike to a waterfall. Everything was so green and beautiful! Then we hit up the most northern spot on the island, located on a particularly pretty little patch of coastline. A short detour also brought us down a very steep path to a lake with a waterfall! Even better, there was a ropeswing which we took full advantage of. The water was freezing but it was a lot of fun!

The next day our two groups split, because the others wanted to relax and hang around Naha and the beach, while some of us wanted to head south and check out some of the historical parts of the island. First stop was the Himeyuri Museum.
It is dedicated to the female students who tended to the wounded during the Battle of Okinawa. The museum was really informative, but the story was incredibly tragic. Nearly as many civilians died in the battle as soldiers, and no one was excused from helping in the war effort. After the museum we caught the bus up the road to see the Peace Park, which is notable because it pays respect to all who died in the battle, soldier, civilian, or even American. Names are carved on large tablets organized by prefecture, and in a separate part of the park each prefecture has its own memorial area. Last up was Shuri Castle, which had a really expensive entrance fee but was pretty cool. The castle reflects the strong Chinese influence in Okinawa, which did not become an official part of Japan until 1879.

The last full day of our trip was spent on the gorgeous Tokashiki Island! It wasn't our first choice of island, but the ferry times were convenient and not too expensive. When we got there we met our incredibly nice cab driver, who had exactly 7 seats in her taxi and drove us to the beach cheaper than the bus, complete with stops along the way where she took group pictures for us. She also recommended us a great place for lunch (bets on some relative of hers working there), where we had Okinawa soba. Okinawa is famous for its pork, and the restaurant did not disappoint!

Nathaniel and I went on a run first thing, following one of the few roads on the small island up a mountain. Best workout I've had in a while, and also a great view! On the way back to the beach we stopped for ice cream (sugar cane = maple flavor = delicious). Next up was some exploration of the beach, because there were these awesome (aka climb-able looking) rock formations at the end. Turns out they were very climbable, and we spent a half-hour scrambling all over them. The views were great, I could have sat up there taking in the feel of the wind and sound of the ocean forever! The later part of the afternoon was spent snorkeling! We rented some cheap fins and a mask from a hotel and hopped right in! The small patches of coral right off the beach were mostly dead, but there were a surprising number of colorful fish to look at! Whole schools of tiny blue fish, a huuuuge white one, and some really curious striped ones which swam up straight to my face! It was really cool but kind of scary! Makes me appreciate that glass panel in aquariums a bit more, haha.

This beach also had the best shells of any beach I've ever been too! I'm sure the fact that since it was March the only people besides us on the beach were approximately 10 other gaijin, but the shells we found were amazing!

so if any of you ever happen to travel to Okinawa, I would definitely suggest Tokashiki Island! Preferably not in the summer with the hoards of Japanese tourists, but it is a beautiful island with great beaches!

List of ice creams I tried: (I gave up ice cream for lent - the only exceptions being flavors largely unique to Japan)
Sesame
Beni-imo
Pineapple
Sugar Cane