Day Six Okinawa/ Ie Island

DAY SIX OKINAWA: Tuesday September 10, 2013

At seven am Okinawa time the car was loaded and headed for the Ie ferry out of Motobu bay.  The drive was about an hour and a half (even though the majority of the trip is on the expressway which is the road with the highest speed allowed on Okinawa, 80 km which is 50 mph).  With a quick stop at Lawson (equivalent of a 7-11 mart- no gas pumps) to grab a few snacks, the ferry tickets were purchased and the ferry loaded.  The ferry features several levels including a car port area, interior seating with TV, or an upper deck outdoor viewing area.  From the viewing deck there was a nice breeze and view of several out lying islands in the East China Sea.

The ferry ride took about 30 minutes and we arrived at our destination port of Ie Island.  Once we has disembarked, an employee of the YYY Club resort was waiting with a sign to pick us up and take us the the rest of the way (about 5 minutes).  That is when we arrived in paradise.

The trip to YYY Club Ie Resort was intended to be a restful and relaxing break for myself and two traveling companions (a girls trip of high school friends).  We arrived to a beautiful ocean view, simple hotel and an extremely friendly and helpful staff.  Since it was mid-week and after the start of school there were a limited amount of people staying at the resort.  Many times it seemed that there were more staff then guests.  

After checking in at 10 am (the staff was seriously awesome) we headed to out suite and I will admit it took me a minute to pick my jaw up off of the floor.  Truth be told, I have never been to a resort of any kind so all my expectations were based on American upper end hotels were it seems everything is "extra".  Boy howdy was I wrong.

The main room provided a large screen TV (three channels in English), couch, fold out bed, and a full body massage chair!  Each of us took turns throughout the stay to enjoy the awesomeness of this chair.  Then you had the in suite washer/dryer combo (laundry soap provided) that we of course had to use just because.   Above the washer was a basket that provided lotion, toothbrushes, razors, toothpaste, cotton body wraps, and a variety of other items.  The Shower was a combo room where you could bath or shower.  Large bottles of Shampoo, conditioner, and body wash were provided (Flower Wind Aroma).   Then in the smaller vanity room were additional products: facial cleansers, lotions, colognes, q-tips, cotton swabs, etc.. That was not all- There were also slippers and pajamas provided for each guest.  Mind... blown.

After adjusting to the new digs we changed and headed for the beach.  The official swimming area was a bit of a hike from the hotel, but it is safer to swim inside the netted area.  Although it is the tale end of jellyfish season, none of us were wanting to press our luck.  The resort offered parasols (umbrellas) and floating mats which we carried, but worth it.  I managed to find a nice assortment of sea glass, shells, and coral on the beach to bring home.

After swimming in the Ocean for a while, frying in the hot sun on the white sandy beaches, a quick lunch at the hotel, a nap, and then we were off for a glass bottom boat tour.  Unfortunately the sky was overcast so the water was a bit murky.  The tour was just the three of us so the boat guys were really cool and took pictures for us.  Our boat and captain for the trip is pictured next.

A poster for the types of fish we were most likely to see.  I think I saw most of the top two rows and few from the lower two.

The next two pictures are from the underwater glass boat so they are not real clear; however, you can make out the jack concrete pylons. (Similar ones were pictured above sea level on Day 5 at sunset beach) The other picture you can just make out a coral reef and see a few fishes swimming around it.

After the tour we headed back to the hotel and I took a break as I was starting to get a bit of a head cold while my traveling companions hit the pool to work on their synchronized swimming routine (I mean hay what else are you going to do with a pool all to yourself and a lifeguard on duty?)  Then we all got a bit dressier and headed down to our fancy multi-course dinner.  There were three options: Japanese, Western or BBQ.  I selected Japanese while my less adventurous traveling companions selected the Western (One hoping that would mean avoiding fish- but alas that did not pan out quite as planned).  First is the Western Dinner.

Seven Course Western Menu

Table Settings- can you figure out which utensil goes with each course? (Even our knowledge of Pretty Woman did not help with this). 

Course 1: Salsa Infused Fish Cocktail- Tuna, Squid, Octopus with Cilantro, lime, and Mango Salsa

Fresh baked bread rolls and baguette

 Course 2: Pan fried Chicken on bed of Greens 

Course 3: French Onion Soup

Course 4: White Wine Orange Sauce with clams and white fish

Course 5: Garden Greens Salad with tomato, corn and sesame dressing

Course 6: Grilled Sirloin with corn, zucchini and carrot 

Course 7: Dessert Selection On the right is a Roll Cake (Nutmeg based) with coffee; on the Left triple layer chocolate cheesecake with hot tea

Some of the other dessert options were: apple tart, New York Style Cheesecake, Beni-umo cheesecake, White Chocolate and Beni-umo Cheesecake, and Chocolate cake. All of them looked fabulous and sad that I could not try them all.

Multi-Course Japanese Menu

I was extremely excited about this meal and could hardly contain my enthusiasm.  I tried every item although there were a few that I did not eat much of.  

First Tray- Starting from Bottom center and working clockwise: Squid Roll, Octopus, Seared Duck, Tuna and Squid with Wasabi , dish of soy (Octopus and plain squid was a bit tough and chewy- all else delicious) 

Tray 2: Pork spare ribs (so tender the eat just fell apart- succulent)

Tray 3= Leave wrapped barbecue white fish (tangy)

Tray 4: Miso Soup  (which is like fish broth), Rice, Pickles, Pickled eggplant (gross), and fried white fish in soy sauce

Tray 5- Green Tea and Okinawa Sweet Potato Mousse (this is not a sweet dessert more on the tangy side) Great cap to a really fabulous meal.

After dinner was finally concluded (90 minutes later) we headed back to the room to sit on the deck and chit chat until sleep overtook us.  Great day with great friends even with an oncoming cold.   More to come!

Day five in Okinawa

DAY FIVE IN OKINAWA- MONDAY September 9, 2013

The first order of buisness today was a late brunch at Climax Coffee, which is a local chain.  The menu options had quite a bit of range and the staff were very friendly.  These two pictures show the range of options to start your morning off... Pancakes (which are thicker and a bit chewier) and loaded with toppings or the Seafood Cream Omelette (which is an egg over ketchup fried rice, white cream sauce, with shrimp, squid, scallop, broccoli and mushroom).  I chose the second and paired it with a Green Tea Iced Latte.  I thought the entire meal was fabulous.  

Today was primarily a shopping day.  Looking for souvenirs and random food/candy to bring home with us.  The first stop was Don Quijote Mega Mart; which I am told is the equivalent or most comparable store to Wal-Mart.  It was packed full of some interesting items.  I picked up some folded fans, pressure point cooling pads, whistling candy, and some gum (I think).  Then we headed to Daiso which is the "really good" 100 Yen store and it is comparable to the $1.00 Stores of America.  Here I picked up some random signs and treats to bring home. 

Next stop was Kokusai Street the main tourist shopping area off of Route 58 in downtown Naha.  The Route 58 thing is a big deal and similar to our Route 66 nostalgia.  Along this street are many open store fronts that sell a wide variety of souvenirs.  For the most part every other store had about the same selection and was the same price.  However there were a few gems that we stumbled across. 

Here are some of the fun, exciting, and plain odd.   First just to prove the mannequin thing is consistent the Beach wear and t-shirt store had a nice display to capture.  Then came across a whole wall of Manchhichi dolls and collectibles.  For someone in my generation the commercial jingle was infectious when I was a kid; "Manchhichi, Manchhichi, oh so soft and cuddly"... Yes I sang this is the store and made a fool of myself.  This is also when I realized that in the stores an employee if available would follow you around to help you with your purchases.  Until I figured that out, was a bit creepy feeling.  The last picture are jars of Habu snakes (which is venomous) and it is Awa mori which is the Okinawan equivalent of saki.  Fun shopping day!  

This picture of a street corner one block off of the main shopping street.  The buildings you see are restaurants and specialty stores that did not open until after 2pm.

One of the interesting things I have seen as we drive around the island is that on almost every domestic living building there are balconies and on almost all of those are drying racks for clothes.  Much of that is because the apartments are small and the weather is usually warm so dryers are a luxury or foolish purchase.  

Speaking of weather, I have not said much about that.  Here it has been upper 80's to low 90's most days but the humidity is killer.  If there is a brief rain shower, after it feels like you are in the heart of  the rain forest.  That has lead to a lot of sweaty outdoor adventures, but when in Okinawa.... Local women and several men are often covered head to toe.  Light skin is prized by the locals so even when driving they wear driving gloves, visors or scarfs, long socks, pants, or skirts.  In the stores you can even find whitening skin cream. 

The next fun photo is a demonstration of the total opposite of the toilet I pictured on day two's blog.  This shows all the fun gadgets on many toilets.  Heated seats, sounds to cover other sounds, water sprays to wash you, even a powerful deodorizer.   This one I had to take a picture of because the sign was great.  The English translations often are a bit off.  This does entertain me, but also explains a lot of the stereotypes in media, literature, as well as the struggles that students who come over experience.    

Vending machines are a big deal here and they are everywhere.  It is not uncommon to see them every two blocks or so, but you often pass them randomly in the middle of farm area or undeveloped sections of the island.   I have taken to selecting random drinks that I am guessing at what they might be, some have been a little odd but have grown on me.

Last we headed down to Sunset Beach to catch.... the sunset of course!

The picture on the left is the entrance to the beach with the sea level and tsunami warning.  The second picture is the man laid concrete barrier which look like jacks.  These type of concrete pylons are fairly common along the shore lines for various docks and ocean breaks.  Then you have my size perspective of the sunset followed by the standard beach sunset picture.  It was a bit cloudy so not as vibrant as it might have been, but still gorgeous!

Well, that is all there is for today.  Tomorrow we are heading to an island resort to rest and relax so I may not get an update for a few days.  Well it is 9 PM Monday night and I am winding down the night and it is 7 AM in Kansas and your Monday is just beginning!  hope it is a good one!