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Published: March 11th 2007
Japan won me over… in Okinawa! Earlier in the year I had contemplated visiting this out of the way tourist destination. I had heard about the sun, the beaches and the famed American military base that was so well-known for making its home on Okinawan soil. I have come to the conclusion that Americans sure know how to pick some prime real estate when choosing base locations.
We traveled to Naha City first, described by a former ALT as “very much like Hawaii”. Indeed, the main street, “Kokusai-dori” was lined with Maui steak houses, restaurants filled with Japanese cowboys (they would make Alberta's cowboys blush), countless gift shops, and even a “gaijin” bar owned by two Canadians. Half Tokyo Disneyland, half Niagra Falls, Naha felt a little bit much, but in some strange way a nice change. As American military men swarmed the streets sporting brush cuts, Levis and a southern drawl, I couldn’t help but feel a little closer to home.
Day one turned out to be a bit of a low-point. Followed by a day of trip planning (which takes twice as long in my poor Japanese), somehow my brand new, $300 Nikon camera had the
A whale of a time.
(Couldn't resist). This was taken just off of Zamami island.screen damaged despite being protected in case and bag. Tears and four letter words started streaming. Fortunately one of my Japanese friends talked the guy at Yamada-denki (electronics) into send it back to Nikkon in case there is any chance they will fix it for free. Cross your fingers for me… the cost to fix the darn thing is ridiculous.
I digress. So, while Naha’s main street had moments of overkill, the streets just off the beaten path proved fun and interesting. There are many young people in Okinawa which resulted in great little shops and boutiques to check out with hip and fashionable items. We didn’t buy anything, but for a rainy and miserable day it wasn’t bad. The plus side is that despite the rain, it was quite warm. Our hostel had sinks located on an outside balcony and I was quite comfortable to wash my face and brush my teeth in tank top and pajama pants. It is first time I have really felt warm, tropical breeze. What a great feeling.
The next day we went to Zamami island, one hour south of Naha. The island was absolutely beautiful - a tropical paradise infused with
Biking around Zamami Island
Lots of hills... up and down we went, spending most of our time pushing the bikes. a Japanese and Ryuku style. We started the day doing some whale watching. Fortunately the whales were out that day and the highlight was seeing a mother whale and her cub. The cub was energetic and playful, splashing and jumping out the water as it swam beside its mum. We then rented bicycles and cycled all around the island. The fellow who rented out the bicycles failed to tell us that half of the time we would be pushing our bikes up steep inclines. Nonetheless, a great experiences as we saw fabulous coastlines and scenery. James and I even hit the beach for a couple of hours. The water was too cold for a dip, but I did wear my bikini top for the first time this year. The day started out cloudy, but ended up warm and sunny. Because I have been spending most of my time in a high school office, my pasty white skin turned bright red by the end of the day. James, while not quite burned as badly, ended up rosy as well. The folks at our hospital seemed seriously concerned and as a result, a trip to the pharmacy for medicated aloe vera cream
Yoron-to
Yoron island... just a little more sun and the blue waters would have lit up. was made.
The following day we hopped on a ferry and made our way to Yoron island. Yoron’s population just doubled when a large group of runners did the Yoron marathon the day before. As we got off the ferry hundreds of runners were boarding, and as we walked around the ferry “terminal” we found nothing. A fellow from the main town of Chebana offered to drive us to our Minushuku (guest house). The Minshuku was owned by a very warm and welcoming family, providing tea, snacks, hot bowls of soup, and even Awamori (Okinawa’s local sake specialty). We spend the next two days frequenting the local haunts in Yoron. The weather was windy and cool, so we ended up spending relatively little time outdoors. The island was beautiful though, and we could see how wonderful it would have been to say there in better conditions. We met two other travelers while hanging out in Yoron, which really added to the experience. One traveler was a Japanese-New Zealander temporarily living in Tokyo and the other traveler was a young student from the States. Spending time with fellow travelers, collecting stories and impressions was a great way to spend the
time.
After two days in Yoron we headed back to Naha. The next day we rented a car (for only $30!) and drove around the island of Okinawa. The mandatory speech from the car rental lady went something like this… “If you damage the car it is 20,000 ($200) and if you crash or ruin the car it is 50,000 ($500).” We just about lost it. Maybe Nikkon can learn a thing or two from car rental companies in Okinawa.
Anyways, this trip was perhaps a highlight of the week. A car meant a certain sense of freedom, and we savoured every moment, making our way up to the northern part of Okinawa, stopping at beaches and points of interest along the way. There is a world-famous aquarium located in northern Okinawa, so we ended up spending our afternoon observing marine life up close and personal.
With the help of the GPS in our rental car we found our hostel, which was owned by a Japanese hippie in the middle of nowhere. Between email, cell phones, and GPS guesswork has been taken out of the travel equation. The hostel was right on the beach, and our room
It's a whale shark!
...And there were two of them in that tank. Don't forget the other countless marine life in there too. had an incredible view of the ocean. That evening we hung out with Japanese University students who were traveling during their spring break. It was revealed by the students that Okinawa is, in many respects considered foreign even to the folks on mainland Japan. This was an interesting observation and became apparent as soon as we stepped foot on Okinawan soil. There is something about Okinawa that is much more relaxed and much more low-key than mainland Japan. “Salarymen” sightings were perhaps less frequent and the atmosphere was entirely more relaxed. In many ways, it was just what I needed as compared to mainland Japan, Okinawa actually felt less foreign to me.
The second day we drove all along the northern tip and eastern coast of the island. It seemed this area is rarely visited by tourists and as a result I felt like we were definitely getting often the beaten track. The day was once again rainy and cold, but in some ways a perfect day for a drive. We ended up driving through tropical forest - an experience we felt so lucky to have.
On our way down the coast line we ended up visiting an
Is he real?
Indeed, he is. amazing little café in the middle of what I would describe as a rain forest. No one was there. It was quiet and serene as the rain fell on the makeshift roof. The coffee was grown nearby which made the visit extra special. After our coffee and picture taking we drove back to the main road and happened upon “Hiro Coffee”. At “Hiro Coffee” we were able to buy bags of locally grown coffee which we ended up taking home with us. (Hiro also happens to be the name of my school and the town I work in. A nice coincidence).
As we approached Naha we discovered what it means to drive in rush hour. A journey to the car rental company that should have only taken 20 minutes ended up taking almost an hour. The traffic was incredibly congested, inching forward very infrequently. It didn’t help that we both desperately needed the washroom so impatience grew as we continued to be trapped in slow moving traffic.
Our final day in Okinawa consisted of shopping and visiting a fantastic martial arts centre. The centre was a facility for a number of different martial arts. Think a slightly scaled
down Edmonton Kinsmen Centre exclusively for the practice and training of various Japanese Martial Arts. It was an amazing facility for martial arts enthusiasts. Our final hours of this fabulous island involved trudging through airport hallways with backpacks and omiage (gifts) in hand, wishing we could stay just a little longer. You may not think of tropical paradise when you think Japan, but it is well worth it to consider visiting this very unique part of Japan.
The best thing about Okinawa is that you can visit tropical paradise without the haggling and annoyance of local vendors, “hair weavers” and “fortune tellers” trying to make a buck. As James said (a tropical travel junkie), “I was spoiled here… I’m going to have to start watching my bags once I go traveling again.” Of course, bad things can happen anywhere but the level of security you feel in Okinawa - much like the rest of Japan- is relatively high. The only trade off is that you will still pay for that experience… think tropical paradise with Japan prices.
Don’t let the caveat scare you away though. Okinawa was fabulous, and if you are willing to spend a little time exploring
A room with a view.
From our window at our hostel in northern Okinawa. off the beaten track, highly recommended. Once you leave the Naha area you are delighted to find that every beautiful resort HAS NOT been turned into some mega resort or tourist zone which makes for a wonderful and unique tourist experience.
LOVED Okinawa, and hope to go their again someday. The photos don't do it justice.
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