Sunrise Kanko Hotel Okinawa

... it in my previous entry) was the original name of the Okinawan archipelago (it used to be known as the Ryukyu Kingdom which was a tributary state of Imperial China). Although commercial in almost all respects, this village was a very beautiful place to visit. We even saw numerous examples of the local poisonous snake (the "Habu") as well as a mongoose. Unfortunately there was no mongoose/snake fight today! I did get to feed a large number of carp as well as a couple of very ...

... yourself in a sub-tropical paradise surrounded by beautiful trees, beaches, and ocean. Yet, nearly 70 years on, the history of World War 2 and the horrendous events that happened in this place still weigh heavy on the minds and consciousness of the people here. When one considers the scale of what occurred during the Battle of Okinawa (around 13,000 Americans killed and over 200,000 Japanese killed), how can it not? It is mind boggling to consider the scale of ...

... next couple of days as we go on two guided tours. One will be up to the north end of the island to an aquarium and a pineapple farm. I am sure that once we get outside of Naha City that we will see the true tropical paradise aspects of this island. We will also be spending some time outside of the city on the south of the island. There is a lot of World War Two history here as this south end of the island is ...

... a walk to the playground in her extreme stroller. She and another very little girl played on the slides as we and the girl's parents raced around trying to keep them from falling. It was actually not a very toddler-friendly playground, as we had to scale a hill to get up there and navigate the stroller down a staircase to leave. Back at the house, we packed up everything, getting ready to say goodbye to Okinawa in the morning.

... other fish was definitely a favorite. There was a diver in scuba gear cleaning the inside of the glass, so that was funny. Riley did not particularly care for the exhibits, but she did like running around.

Outside, we visited the turtle pools and the manatees, which were interesting because they were spacious and had cartoon character mascots (like most Japanese advertisements!) Our next stop was the native Okinawan village ...

... kids loved it! I can't wait to go real camping sometime in the next 3 years! The kids got to do an Easter Egg Hunt (thanks to one of the spouses clubs!) We had fun and got to see some old friends. I wish we had more time to stay but we had to leave right after the hunt. I hope you enjoy the pictures. Please if you have any to share with me, please send some!

... of Okinawa for over 500 years that was almost totally destroyed during the Battle of Okinawa. The Castle was reconstructed in 1970 and is still undergoing renovations. They also saw a Japanese Dance Show at the castle and went shopping on Kokusai Street, the main retail street in Naha, capital of Okinawa. The prices here seemed quite expensive, so they decided to wait until China for further shopping.

... one. Trevor and I both have started school. He is trying to finish up his Bachleors and I am starting my Masters. We are both doing online classes. Other than that we are waiting and counting down to our up and coming visitor (GaGa & Pop Pop in November, NaNa in December, and Aunt Janet and Uncle Don in February) and taking trips to the beaches and pools! Here are a few more pictures. Missing everyone back home!

... side of the 4 lane road. I was not about to do a U turn! We have seen some interesting bugs and animals. Too bad I can get a few on camera. The rodents here are the size of cats. Well, here are a few more pics. Miss everyone!

... ja Windows vielä siihen päälle, tadaa! Pakko vaan koittaa muistella, että missäs kohtaa valikoissa oli mikäkin juttu ja ränkytellä säkällä eteenpäin :-) Niin ja tämä Kariyushi Beach Hotel on muten Vladimir Putinin "kantamestoja" ja paljon hänen lahjoittamiaan esineitä on täällä esillä joka paikassa (muutama kuva). Nyt koitankin tässä juuri parvekkeella tuijottaa, että onkohan tuolla rantakalliolla horisontissa ilman paitaa kalastava mies itse Vlatimiri? :-) Ja huomattiinpa ...