Left to Right (Bill, Joe, and Vicky)
The moment Obama was announced to have won the election.
I left for Okinawa on a thursday and I was going to spend 6 days in Okinawa.
It's a little blurry, but its a picture of the city scape from my Grandmother's apartment. A view that is very nostalgic to me.
The night I arrived in japan, many of my extended family gathered at my grandmother's.
There's a very famous street in Naha City, Okinawa called "Kokusai Douri" and next to that street is an out-door mall called "Heiwa Douri." I used to go there quite a bit with my grandmother when I was younger. The above are fruits found in Okinawa that could be bought in Heiwa Douri. (dragon fruit, start fruit, pomegranates, pineapples, are some of the fruits.) The following are some more items found in the mall.
Sea Snake
Pig's Head
I left the mall and decided to go check out one of Okinawa's more famous sites, Shuri Castle. Here's some pictures of my hike to find the castle. Don't get me wrong, it's well marked, but I went by the monorail which runs throughout the city of Naha. Once I exited at the Shuri Castle Exit, I had to figure out the way to the Castle and this is what I encountered...
Aparently this is part of Shuri castle, and is a small park at the top of a hill near the Castle grounds. From the monorail station I just began walking towards the general direction of Shuri Castle.
A great view of the landscape from the Park I mentioned in the above picture... and then I turned to my left and saw this sign...
The sign in Japanese reads "Habu ni Chui," which as you could imagine means "snake caution." Okinawa is well known for a very poisonous snake and I grew up always being warned of the snake, so I was surprised to see the picture.
Once I entered the Castle Grounds, they were show casing Okinawa's traditional dances.
The Okinawan Dance mentioned above.
Finally Shuri Castle.
Just to add, this was a friday and Mayu was going to be flying in later that night so I had plenty of time to kill... I happened to be wearing Jeans and a T-shirt and I was BURNING UP!!! It felt like summer in NOVEMBER... a little strange... and some say there is no Global Warming... yeah right.
The next day Mayu and I went to "Kokusai Douri" and then had plans to go to the Okinawan caves called "Gyokusendou."
A cat that was hanging out at shop on "Kokusai Douri." Mayu was attacked... I failed to mention that a couple minutes before she decided to pet the cat a little brat was teasing the cat and was swatted at. Well, as we can imagine Mayu was bitten, but the cat didn't even hiss, it just attacked.
From Left to right (Minako, Mayu, and Ruriko) Mayu with my cousin and my aunt at the place to visit the caves... i think the place is called "Ryukyu Mura."
Note, the date in the picture has changed but this is the same day as the Kittty Cat attack... my camera is set on Central Time Zone not Japan's...
Mayu and I took a picture with the huge snake... Mayu somehow ended up with the dangerous end and was freaking out. In Okinawan culture a white snake is supposed to bring lots of good luck.
I have a bunch of pictures of the cave, but their all just stalagtites and stalagmites, but this is the prettiest picture. The sign in the picture reads, Blue Spring.
Mayu and I in traditional Okinawan clothing at "Ryukyu Village."
The next day we had plans to visit Okinawa's famous aquarium, Churaumi. The Following are pictures from that trip.
My second Cousin Nana and her daughter Miyu.
The view at the top of the hill on our way towards Churaumi Aquarium. The day was a little cloudy, and ended up raining but we still had a wonderful time.
My cousins on our way down to the aquarium.
The massive Fish Tank in the Aquarium which holds three Whale Sharks. The glass is a Meter Thick...
Mayu doing her best to look like a sea turtle.
I had no idea what these Manatees were doing, but the top one I believe is going number 2... we can imagine what the bottom one is doing... As I was taking this picture two teenage girls ran up screaming "Kawaii!!," which means cute... I don't see what's cute in this scene... haha
We checked out the Dolphin show and it was really fun... until it began to rain at which point the audience all dashed for shelter.
After the Dolphin show we went back into the Aquarium to check some stuff out. In the shark research area Mayu is standing in the replica of a Megalodon Shark Mouth... Don't worry it's an extinct shark so swim with ease.
This happened to be Mayu's Favorite fish... and yes the fish is truly ugly... Mayu is doing her best impression of the unfortunate looking fish.
Me being stupid at the entrance to the Aquarium.
The next day Mayu and I once again returned to "Kokusai Douri" to purchase gifts from our friends.
Mayu's new favorite pet. One of the stores in "Heiwa Douri" kept an Owl as a pet. At first we didn't realize it was real until we looked a little more carefully... Mayu kept saying how cute it was until she read the sign that said that Owl's eat frozen mice...
My aunt's and grandmother seeing us off at Naha airport... I'll be back in Okinawa, I promise.
It was really great to be back in Okinawa and spend time with my family. It was only a short time, but it was still great. I do plan on going back. After I graduate from UWF, I hope to study abroad for a year in Okinawa through a scholarship offered by the Okinawan Prefectural Government.
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