Saturday, May 30, 2009

Livin' In A Fish Bowl


You know we never sit still for long. After two days at home, we packed back up and went on a Kerama Island Adventure to Tokashiki Island, the largest of the Kerama chain. It was a 70 minute ferry ride from Naha to this remote island. We went with a huge group of people (there were 39 of us total) and were invited thanks to our neighbors and friends, the Day family. Our housing was the Okinawa Friendship Center, a government funded "school" and our mission was to learn more about the topography of the island and the marine life surrounding it. For a total of $121, our family of 5 stayed in this place for two nights/three days - meals included!! Can't beat that deal, but it did come with some interesting commitments. First of all, we slept on tatami mats - not the most lush and comfortable things, thus the reason for the mandatory morning flag raising ceremony and exercises - to work out all of the kinks from the night's sleep!!! The meals consisted of a lot of rice and fish, but everyone was pretty good about shoveling it in. Luckily, we all brought lots of snacks for the beach. The Kerama Islands are known for the beautiful waters for diving and snorkeling - all of which we did. I included lots of underwater pictures - not to bore you or make you jealous, but to hopefully enjoy the sights we are being able to experience here in Japan. If it weren't on the other side of the world, I could live here the rest of my life. This was one of the most culturally expansive excursions we have taken to date, and one worth remembering. Love to all.

Monday, May 25, 2009

Memoral Day at Okuma


We spent Memorial Day weekend up at Okuma! High winds brought the surf up, so the kids had fun in the rare waves. We also got a good snorkel and dive trip in. With my new camera, I tested out some underwater photos. I have some work to do, but it was fun trying to get some different pictures.