Komatsu-so Kumamoto

... into that here. I will say though that, although the bases no doubt serve an important purpose for U.S. interests in the Far East, they are a contemporary expression of the military tragedies of the past that have befallen this beautiful island. If you want to get a more graphic and political view of the impact of these bases, read "Sorrows of Empire" by Chalmers Johnson.

Our first stop was at a re-creation of a traditional Ryukyu village. Ryukyu (if I didn't ...

... 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!

... 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.

We will definitely see a lot more of rural Okinawa over ...

... a stunningly hot day and the indoor area was air conditioned. After Shuri Castle, we went to Kokusai street in Naha City. This is a palm-lined street with tons of small souvenir shops, with a surfer atmosphere. I picked up quite a few gifts here! My favorite purchase was a red coral necklace for myself. The store's owner was so happy to see me for some reason that she gave me free shisa keychain. Riley was getting restless, so ...

... we saw how Okinawans lived in the past (obviously). The Okinawans lived in squat wooden houses on shelly lawns. What's interesting about this island is that it was not always a part of Japan- that only happened in the last century. It had its own special Ryukuan culture, as evidenced by many things around the island that are different from Japan's other islands. One of Okinawa's most special features is the shisa dog. Shisa dogs are ...

... 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.

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 ...

... pictures during the performance, because of a lot of troubles in the past, but they allowed us to take some picture in the end of the show. After the show, we had lunch in the restaurant next to the stage, where I had green caviar for the first time, although it is an Okinawan specialty. It was not especially good, but the bowl with green cavier and some seafood was very good.

Then we headed for Shikinaen Garden which was our last ...

... Very tiring but fun day. It also took us about and 1 and a half hours to get there as we had to go by bus, train and then car.. so quite busy but it was all worth it especiallly since it proved to be a good way to see kumamoto and further parts of kyushu. i think im going to kagoshima/izumi this weekend to see the cranes.. sounds quite intersting.

... ar HALF the size. So it actually turns out being MUCh more expensive because I need to buy twice as much...Im still a growing boy lol Everyone askign about the weather - Its friggin 33C today, but feels more like high 30's with the humidity. It really knocks you on your ass, and from what ive been told...its gonna get MUCH worse. Thats all for now folks...Cheerio -Nando

... room and we sit on cushions. We order beers and the basashi dish (raw horse meat) for appetizers. The basashi is sliced in thin rectangles like sashimi and looks like very fatty beef, but a bit more shiny than beef. Along with the meat (from the belly of the horse) are some white chunks which we are told is from the horse's neck. This is pure white fat and very chewy. The belly meat is very tender and similar to eating sashimi (raw fish). When dipped in the ...