We had a wonderful 5 days with Brandon's aunt and uncle coming to visit us! We did some sightseeing around the island and ate as much beni-imo ice cream as physically possible. :) Our day at Torii Beach yielded a number of beautiful seashells and sea glass. It also required three trips down to the sea wall to release hermit crabs who evidently shared an interest in some of the shells we had collected. And here, I thought, I'd been so careful when finding shells - these little suckers were evidently too sneaky for me. Ah well, lucky them, they got an all-expense-paid trip from Torii to Sunabe.
Saturday we toured the Former Japanese Navy Underground Headquarters and the Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum. From atop the Naval Underground, we saw lots of construction happening in the surrounding area. I love the fact that Japan (and Okinawa) cover their buildings while they construct or renovate. A book I once read likened it to wrapping a package and then when it's unwrapped, it's a big surprise for everyone. That image has stuck in my mind.
Saturday was a beautiful day to wander around the Memorial Park and enjoy a cone (or two) of beni-imo ice cream. Delicious!
Sunday, we headed up north to the Beni-Imo place and wandered through the taste-testing and shopping section of the Pineapple Park. As part of making a purchase during the New Year's season, we got to play a lotto, and "won" a bar of "pineapple chocolate soap." Your guess is as good as mine - we haven't opened it yet. :) This is the fourth lotto we've played this year. We "won" stickers at the Aquarium, a small pack of tissues at Makeman, a postcard and bag of Goya Tea at Okinawa World, and now a small bar of pineapple chocolate soap at the Pineapple Park. Haven't won any of the bigger prizes yet, but I am thoroughly enjoying all the little ones!
Check out our gallery for more photos of the days' adventures!
---Arielle
