Getting ready to move to Okinawa was nothing short of a head-first dive into a nightmare including, but not limited to: Murphy's Law, arguments, tears, blood-shed, sacrificial ceremonies, other-worldly creatures, running up stairs when an ax murder-er is chasing you, broken hearts, and Harry Potter. Thanks for bringing it up.
Moving on.
The five flights it took to get here were relatively uneventful. I have a bit of a fear of flying, so I had some help in falling asleep during the biggest flights (some 15 hours to get from Seattle, Washington to Yakota, Japan).
The boys in their crates waiting at RDU
Ripley was a nervous guy, but the thunder shirt my Mom bought for the boys really helped. Spindale, on the other hand, was a trooper. He's better at traveling than I am. I was really impressed by how well he handled everything. On the airport shuttle from our hotel to Seattle airport he climbed right up into the seat and looked out the window expectantly. He's a very professional animal.
On the shuttle at 2:00 AM
Saying bye to the dogs at the airport was a little sad for me, especially since as we were walking away Little Dog was barking and yelping the entire time. Oh, my heart.
Anyway, we made it to Japan! One of Josh's best-friends is already stationed here. He met us at the airport, had already checked us into the hotel, made sure we had a pet friendly room, then took us to eat sushi. I don't think we can thank him and his wife enough for all the ways they've helped us get settled in here.
We landed on Friday night, so Josh had a couple of days off before he had to start in processing. We set-up our cell phones, ate more incredible food, and slept the first weekend. That Sunday Josh stayed at the hotel with the dogs while Brett and Jessie took me on an adventure day!
We first stopped at Maeda Flats. To get here you drive along tiny roads by sugarcane farms. Since Okinawa is relatively small, every inch of land is used for something. It's all very compact and efficient. So, when I say you're driving by sugarcane fields, what I mean is you're basically driving IN a sugarcane field and the farmers are so close you could reach out and high-five (which would make my life if that ever happened).
Sugarcane Farm- Brett (Josh's good friend) saw a mongoose as I was taking this photo!
We parked on the side of the road, which is basically in the road, and had a short walk to get to the flats. I have never seen anything like it. The water is so clear. Words and photos do not justice. There are tons of huge rocks to climb over and on top of so we made our way back to an little alcove where we could collect sea glass, climb the rocks, and obsess over the crystal clear water.
The weather has pretty consistently been overcast and rainy since we got here, which makes for some beautiful photos, if you ask me. I've been told that won't last too much longer and we'll be spending all of our free time in the water very soon.
After this, we stopped at Zakimi Castle ruins, where we had spectacular 360 degree views of the island and found my first Japanese, and Brett and Jessie's first ever, Geocache!
You can actually walk on top of the castle walls and there aren't any railing keeping you from falling to your death.
A little bit about Zakimi Castle:
The walls and foundation you see in these photos have been restored. It was originally built in the 1400's by General Gosamaru. This castle (or gusuku) oversaw north-central Okinawa. The arched gate (pictured below) was Okinawa's first stone arched gate. Zakimi Castle was a Japanese artillery battery before and during World War II and a radar station for the United States after the war, which resulted in damage to the castle walls. It was later restored and declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO.
Jessie, Brett and I then decided to see if there were any geocaches in the area. There were two and we found them both! The first one was up a tree and Brett climbed up to grab it, which I was grateful for since I still felt a bit jet lagged and likely would have been the epic story of my demise.
The wild, indigenous Brett, Spotted climbing through the jungle
We then picked up Josh ate ramen, went to American Village, ate purple potato ice cream (SO. GOOD), and were photographed by a very un-sneaky local national.
Every meal I eat is delicious beyond my expectations.
The local purple sweet potato is so sweet it's used for deserts!
The "jacks" are used to protect the coast line from typhoons.
The following week consisted of pretty boring in-processing appointments and car shopping. We settled on a 2002 Honda Fit, lovingly dubbed the Baby Car. We can't communicate with it yet, as it speaks to us in Japanese and I have only just begun taking Japanese language lessons.
The base is one of the most beautiful both Josh and I have ever been to. The jungle here is so dense and green that wherever there isn't a building or an intentional clearing, the tropical plants take over. The trees are incredible.
This past weekend we drove up to the north side of the island. From Kadena down to the southern point (about 50 kilometers) live about 1,000,000 people. From Kadena to the northern point (about 100 kilometers) live 30,000 people. It's full of little villages, gorgeous farmland, and mountains. We were driving on the expressway north and on one side was a mountain, covered in uninhabited jungle and on the other side was the ocean. A big issue in deciding where to live has been my love for both the mountains and the ocean.
In Nago we had lunch at a tiny little restaurant that was most assuredly also the couple's house. They spoke little English and our combined Japanese isn't extensive, so we ordered by pointing and guessing. It was, of course, incredibly delicious and inexpensive. Outside, this little calico cat was sleeping. There are tons of stray cats here, unfortunately. This one was really sweet.
We stopped at an overlook after getting lost in a farm. Josh and I can't wait for the weather to be a little warmer (read: hotter) so we can go camping on some of these little islands. There was a little store here so we picked up some sugarcane candies. They're so sweet I can't eat a whole one to myself.
We kept heading north and pulled over because we saw a beach with surfers. I was driving and got distracted by it, so for safety's sake, it was necessary to stop.
We bought apples for 300 yen at a market across the street and they are the most fragrant apples in the world, probably. We kept going and found a little tourist shop which, as foreigners, we obviously stopped at. We started heading back south because we all decided a Stephen Cold-beer was in order.
(Found this image here: http://colbertnation.mtvnimages.com/images/shows/colbert_report/videos/season4/cr_04087_02_v6.jpg?)
We went to some bars that night. We found a hilarious irish bar/boxing gym combo. There are little windows between the two so you can watch people box and train while you box and train your liver. If you become a member you even get 1/2 of drinks. We're considering it as a very viable option.
Moving on...
Josh and I had some free time so we decided to take a trip down to Naha (Okinawa's prefectural seat- basically the capital) to visit Shuri Castle. The Shureimon gate, which leads to the castle, was spectacular on its own.
The front gate to the castle itself is known as Kankaimon as well as Amae-ujo. Amae and Kankai mean "to greet with joy" in ancient Okinawan and Chinese. It was originally constructed in the 1500's, it burned down during the battle of Okinawa in 1945 and was restored in 1974.
The pair of Shisa lions (pronounced Shi-shi) on either side of the gate ward off evil spirits and keep in good spirits. These lions, or dogs, are seen all over Okinawa, including on base. They're a huge part of Okinawan history and culture. Josh and I want a set for our house (I remember what a house is.. I think... It's been so long).
After walking through the cast walls, you come to the castle itself. It is actually a reconstruction as the castle was destroyed in the battle of Okinawa. The replica is actually built 70 cm above the original foundation to preserve what is left of it.
Before entering the castle, you are required to take your shoes off. You're then lead into a room with photos and artifacts that have some historical meaning, but I have no idea what since it was all written in Japanese and no photos were allowed.
We then moved to the Shoin, Sasunoma and the gardens. This is area of the castle where the king would conduct much of his day to day affairs and host important guests from China. The floors were covered in the traditional tatami mats and many of the walls were paper. We had jasmine tea and traditional sweets in one of these rooms. Contrary to my own beliefs, the most popular tea in Okinawa is jasmine tea. Most people expect it to be green tea (Japanese influence) or oolong tea (Chinese influence).
I actually smacked my head on some of the support beams because the ceilings in these rooms are pretty low.
The next area of the castle was where the throne sat. On this first floor is where men would spend most of their time, and traditional ceremonies (including the New Year and tea ceremonies) would be held. It was getting a little crowded at this point so it was hard to take a lot of photos or read all of the information placards.
The second floor was where women would spend their time. Included here is a pedestal for the king. Here is where they say he would hold official councils and other important kingly type stuff... I know that's really specific but I only got a general idea because of how many people there were in here.
However, this room had a window in the floor where you could see the remains of the original foundation. And more paper walls, which I am obsessed with.
We then walked back outside and around the castle grounds, which include lush foliage, a koi pond, beautiful views of Naha, dive bombing ducks, the remains of a temple, and a Japanese army headquarters shelter.
Naha and the East China Sea off in the distance.
Proof we're actually on these adventures.
The 32nd Japanese Army was founded in 1944 to protect the southwest islands during World War II. This shelter had 5 connecting tunnels to go further into the ground which have since been blocked off. Over 1,000 people lived here in the headquarters.
Koi pond and Josh
This is the remains of the Enkakuji Temple. It was the head temple in the kingdom of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism. This temple served as the family temple of the kings of the second Sho dynasty. It was built in the late 1400's.
Greenery on the castle grounds.
As you can see, we've been pretty busy over the past week and a half! It's been such a great adventure already and we haven't even truly begun. There is so much to do and so much to see it's amazing. This island is covered in magic. The local nationals are so kind. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but so far it has definitely been beyond anything I could have imagined. I won't keep rambling any longer, but I wanted to show some of our friends and family what we've been up to since we landed here. I won't give play-by-play's of everything we do moving forward as I find them to be tedious to both read and write sometimes, but I will definitely keep you updated on some of our more exciting adventures! My objective is to tempt many of you into hopping on some air planes and coming out to experience this with us.
Until next time.. whenever that may be.
Arielle
