October, 2011. Why not visit Okinawa?
Why not indeed?
Okinawa is one of those places I knew I had to go to in Japan. From the moment I knew I was going to be heading East, I was determined to make it to those beautiful islands. So far away from the rest of Japan, isolated and with it's own unique culture and lifestyle, it's a place that had appealed to me a very long time. It's internationally famous for it's countless islands and beautiful beaches, and is the subject of many a postcard - idyllic, peaceful and with beautiful stretches of pure, clean sand. This was somewhere I simply had to go to.
It did not disappoint.
I'm in Okinawa!
Team Okinawa! From left to right;
Calvin, James, Charlene, Taylor, Brad and me.
The opportunity presented itself with a long-weekend being offered by a public holiday. So, one sunny morning on October 8th, I headed on down via Shinkansen to Fukuoka airport to meet up some of the JETs from the South-West coast of Japan for a small vacation. A small flight later, and we arrived at Naha airport, Okinawa.
Of course, once we arrived in Naha, there was still the matter of taking the boat to the island on which we would be staying; Tokashiki.
I'm on a boat!
Believe it or not, the boat rides to and from the island were
one of the absolute highlights of this fantastic trip!
Sadly, things didn't quite go as smoothly as planned for me during my initial arrival in Tokashiki. I had neglected to withdraw enough money before heading out on the holiday, and had spent all the cash I did have on me at the airport and on the ferry ride over to Tokashiki. I hadn't realised that the public holiday meant that the only ATM on the island was locked down until Tuesday...
Mild panic set in as I begged the members of my party for a loan of some funds. Salvation arrived in the form of Brad Ramos, who came Tokashiki later than everyone else on the Sunday morning. It turned out our hotel accepted VISA cards. Brad had cash, I had a VISA card. The solution? Pay for Brad's hotel room (and my own) via the VISA card, and have him in turn pay me the cash value for it.
Simples.
The stunning Aharen Beach (picture found via Google!).
This image is not necessarily reflective of the weather we always had!
Life was very peaceful indeed during our stay there. It was a startling change of pace from the hectic and busy lifestyles many people in Japan seem to lead.
Of course, we headed straight for one destination only a stone's throw from the hotel...
Aharen Beach.
Aharen Beach fun!
Most of our time was spent exactly like this.
We enjoyed all of the luxuries beach holidays bring; swimming in the sea, relaxing on the beach, eating ice cream and sipping on cold Coke. Simply, bliss (or at least, it was as soon I had cash again!).
So, asides from lounging around on the beach, how do you make the most of three days on Tokashiki?
Answer: You go snorkelling in the East China Sea.
Oh yes indeedy. James, Calvin and I in our wetsuits.
Side note; they had real trouble finding flippers big enough for my feet!
Snorkelling is one of those epically cool things that I've always wanted to do but never got around to actually doing. Finally having a chance to do so was a revelation. We put on our wetsuits, and were driven out to the boat sitting on the back of a truck...
Defying all of the UK's health and safety standards.
Sailing out to different patches of the water, including directly above a coral reef, we had the opportunity to snorkel with our instructors and see huge schools of tropical fish swimming around - plus eels!
One of the instructors dived deep down and caught a sea cucumber at one point. Needless to say, we didn't eat it.
Wow.
If only I had a Poke-ball.
Other adventures included our kayaking trip on the Monday. Though we had initially planned to use the jet-skis, they were sadly unavailable due to the weather looking a bit dodgy. So we grabbed our lifejackets and kayakked out over to the island just off of the coast. The island was covered in tiny little crabs, which of course we set about making a little runway for. Not long after we arrived, though, a rather large storm hit. We found shelter in an alcove in the rocks, and shielded our exposed flesh from the torrential rain. It soon became apparent there was no way we could kayak back to the main island.
The end result; we were rescued from the island by our hotelkeepers via jet ski towing a banana boat (with the kayaks tied on the rear).
Now THAT was a memory.
A lovely flower I snapped on Taylor's 60D during our walks around the town.
Unfortunately, there was one rather problematic incident that occurred; due to the public holiday on the Monday evening, we were refused entry to all the local restaurants as they were either maxed out in capacity or not open whatsoever. The result was a trip to the local store, and some tinned / processed foods for dinner...
Not a highlight.
Other highlights of our trip included eating sobe noodles at the rather delicious Octopus Garden (recommended!), a toilet area with a warning sign regarding a snake infestation (for realsies), and our running into a group of marines from US Marine Corps on leave! A lovely group of guys, James and I headed down to the beach one night for some chillaxation. It was exactly what we needed to stay entertained when all the other venues on the island were closed.
Of course, as our trip came to an end on the Tuesday and we had to begin our journey back home, we managed to spend a lazy morning in Naha before our flights.
The streets of Naha, Okinawa.
Naha is a rather large, busy city - almost a complete contrast to the remote, calm beaches of Tokashiki. A busy and bustling metropolis, it still carries much of that specifically Okinawan feel that can't be found in the rest of Japan. One walk down it's many streets to buy omiyage gave us the opportunity to look at many local ornamental crafts; some of which were simply breathtaking.
These quirky pair dragons are everywhere in Okinawa!
Kawaii!
After a quick lunch at Charlie's Tacos (apparently a very famous Taco restaurant!), we finished off our trip with a quick visit to the famous Shuri Castle...
...and when I meant quick, I mean quick. We literally went to the gates, walked up as far as the entrance where you had to pay, and then retreated pay towards the airport. Regretfully, there was no time to look in any further (guess I'll just have to go back!). The brief views we saw of the castle, though, were absolutely spectacular and whet my appetite for more.
I'd love to have seen more of this beautiful place.
Definitely a target for a return journey.
One mad dash for the airport later (we only just made our flights!) and we were sitting on the plane back to Fukuoka. As the rest of the guys passed our next to me, I watched out of the window as the islands of Okinawa faded away behind us and we headed towards the main body of Japan. It was a strange thing to consider; this beautiful and idyllic place is so unique from the rest of Japan. It's hugely prominent in Japanese history, yet so far away from the rest of the country, too.
Back at Fukuoka airport, we paused briefly for a well-earned coffee break before we had to set off on our seperate ways. The folks I went with were a great bunch indeed; it's a shame they live so far away, as it makes catching up with them virtually impossible without a great deal of foreplanning.
Post-Okinawa Starbucks at Fukuoka airport.
Regardless, I hope to see them all at some point in the future - I had a great deal of fun with these guys. Here's hoping it doesn't take too long!
I experienced a great deal of pleasure in those short days in Okinawa, though I dearly wish I'd had just a little more time - not just to relax on the beaches, but to have seen a little bit more of the unique culture and history that makes Okinawa so different to the rest of Japan. Of course, going to Okinawa is a fairly pricey endeavour and can take a fair bit of time to get there (especially from Takamatsu!).
As much as I'm certain I want to do a repeat journey, it may take some time yet!
Okinawa: recommended.
