IP HOTEL Fukuoka

... learn in person!). Each plant only produces one pineapple and it takes around 2 years for the fruit to ripen. No wonder it's difficult to compete with low-cost producers! I also did not realize that there were so many applications for pineapple -- from cakes, to wine, to vinegar. For those of you that have been to Hawaii, this is probably not a revelation. For me though, it was interesting. <br><br>Today is our last day in Okinawa and it is with mixed emotions that we leave ...

... have supper there and were greeted by two Russian women who had moved here from Vladivostok to start this restaurant. Okinawa is definitely a very strange place to open a Russian restaurant. Given the difference in weather between Vladivostok and Okinawa, I can see though why these women learned Japanese and made the switch. We had the full course Russian meal consisting of -- what else -- borscht and pyrogies! It was just like being back in Saskatchewan! <br><br>

... this though, I probably would not have noticed this at all -- the signs that this prefecture is a bit behind others are subtle. A shabby building here, some litter in a river there -- things that one tends not to see to such a degree in other parts of the country. Nonetheless, this is quite a nice place and definitely a sub-tropical paradise.<br><br>We will definitely see a lot more of rural Okinawa over ...

... did all of our shopping in fast forward. On our way home, we stopped at the military exchange, the small American-style mall on base. My mom and I went inside to buy silk robes, like the one Julia gave me for Christmas. We also got books for our respective plane rides, and then went to dinner at Macaroni Grill nearby. It was absolutely delicious, and Riley was very funny. While Julia packed at home, my mom and I took Riley ...

... handled this very gracefully and eventually ended up running back and forth through it in her diaper screaming. If only we'd just skipped all the museum stuff and brought her right to the fountain!<br><br>FOr dinner we tried Obbligato, a Mexican restaurant as imagined by the Japanese. It was pretty good; I got chimichangas for the first time and they reminded me of eggrolls. We also had a pitcher of margaritas, so a good time was had. <br>

... of my still-tender toe, but I just pointed to it and tried to explain, and so the lady doing my feet avoided it except to paint it. It was extremely relaxing- the little girl across from us completely conked out. I chose jasmine oil to help me recover from my fatigue, and opted for some nail art to try to blend in more in Asia.<br><br>Unfortunately when we left the nail salon, it was pouring, so we slipped along the road in our massage oil-covered flip flops. Then when we ...

... like by train. We had a little time for some sight-seeing so we went to the Hakata Machiya Furusato-Kan; a small folk museum. A great place which gives you the history of traditional Hakata culture. Kids would love it. Across the road is the Kushida-jinja temple. Beautiful grounds with lots of big bells attached to ropes which the locals pulled, bowed, clapped and bowed again. The rear entrance of the temple lead us to Canal City. It's a curved six building ...

... aquí nadie habla inglés. Y cuando digo nadie, es nadie: ni la gente de la recepción de los hoteles de 5 estrellas en los que hemos buscado sitio, ni la gente de la oficina de Japan Airlines en el aeropuerto de Fukuoka, con lo cual, mucho menos la gente de a pie. Por cierto, gracias a ese momento "lost in translation" en el aeropuerto casi me quedo sin billete de vuelta a España, pero eso para otro día... escalofríos pasaron por mi espina vertebral al recordar una ...

... Sake is great. And it's very expensive there. So great. Everything paid for, 15 minutes of work needed to be done at the Korean Embassy. And I got to spend 2 days there. Such great amazing memories. Some of the cool things that I saw, and I was amused by (and I mean I was amused by, others were not.... I get amused easily. hehe) In one of the malls, there was an escalator that curved. Have you ever seen that? I only rode it once, but I could've stayed there all day. It was fun. And ...

... standards (except for the hole in the ground toilet system). BUS Station Today, I was checking out the bus and the train to Nagasaki. By bus it costs Yen 8000 for a round trip, by Shinkansen train it costs Yen 10,000, but with the train it takes only 2.05 hours and by bus it takes 3.5 hours. As I was looking for the bus station at Fukuoka Tenjin Station, I was surprised that the signs constantly had me go up the elevator ...