Megumi and I had a wonderful lunch at Ocean Pizza, near Cape Zampa. The buffet was delicious and we had a beautiful view of the Sea. I am really loving the fresh fruit salad full of mango, pineapple, papaya, and coconut squares. (The coconut squares are semi-translucent, but slightly harder than jello...I've never seen coconut flesh like it, but it's very popular on Okinawa. I really like it.) Yummy!
Ocean Pizza is also very near Murasaki Mura, a large facility where the NHK TV drama, "The Wind of Ryukyu," was filmed. They had constructed a traditional Ryukyu Kingdom town to shoot the drama and the locals have now turned it into a historical center to teach people about the Ryukyu Kingdom. Brandon and I will be going back to Murasaki Mura when it gets cooler outside and we'll be sure to take lots of photos. I also look forward to trying my hand at some traditional Okinawan crafts next time!
As part of the TV set, NHK also built a lookout on the Sea. After lunch, Megumi and I walked down to the lookout (sounds a lot easier than it was, as we were both wearing heels) and spent some time picking up seashells on the beach. I do love looking for special seashells and sea glass! So much fun! We also wandered around Murasaki Mura a bit, but it was too hot and humid to stay very long. Next time. :)
All in all, a very fun afternoon! Check out some of the photos from the afternoon in our gallery.
---Arielle
