010: hmm. . .

I think by the end of this trip, I will have mastered my "eeehhhhhhh?", "sugoi!", "kawaii!", and "nihongo wo sukoshi wakarimasu."

:|a

009: iriomote day trip!

I'm about to sleep, so please: just enjoy the pictures for now :) I'll add explanations and stories later on. I promise they're good! For example, I almost got stuck on the island all night. . .  to be continued.

The water was actually that color.

008: to ishigaki!

After spending the entire day at Iriomote, I am way too tired to ramble (luckily for you all, no?) So have some pictures with short captions!

Leaving Guesthouse Kerama for the airport!

At Kabira, I took a bike from my guesthouse and went around for about 2 hours. It was pretty much incredible.

007: agu, shurijo, and beach!

On Saturday, I woke up very early as usual and realized something: I still hadn’t tried a proper meal at Makishi Market! This seemed a great loss to me, so I rushed out to have some breakfast. Noting how much money I had left for food, I decided to treat myself to a local specialty: agu, or black pig. Agu were originally imported from Hawaii, since the war left Okinawa a barren, charred wasteland of its former self. To this day, there are not many animals endogenous to Okinawa. That said, they have a thriving agriculture business in sugar cane, tropical fruits, sweet potatoes, etc.

Agu, or "black pig" -- Okinawan specialty! Part of a ¥1300 set. . . 

The woman who ran the restaurant I stopped at looked a bit surprised when I ordered agu so early in the morning, but the order arrived quickly (and sizzling-hot!). The meat is extremely tender, juicy, and delicious. After a few minutes, she also brought me little Japanese snacks (wasabi peas, mixed crackers) that she wanted me to eat that second. It took a little while of me smiling nervously and gesturing at my stomach to convey how full I already was, but I assured her that I would try later and gave her thanks repeatedly. She then grabbed her English-speaking assistant to translate: “She thinks you’re very beautiful, and that your Japanese isn’t too bad.” J

006: Japan 1, N. Korea 0!

Whoops! I'm a day behind. . . let's try to catch up, shall we?

On Friday morning, I made the wise decision to go sample pastries at Kokusaidori and Makishi Market. I also passed through the artsy street, Heiwadori, and admired some of the goods on display. 

However, the real treat was visiting OIST: Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology. A Caltech alumnus had visited his alma mater in the spring and told me to make some room to go visit this up and coming university, soon to be accredited to receive about 20 graduate students. They currently have strong projects in robotics, neuroscience, and genetics, but they welcome any and all scientists: their mantra is interdisciplinary, collaborative research. In fact, there are no divisions at all! All the labs are interconnected and conducive to cross-field conversations and exchanging of ideas. It doesn't hurt that the campus is gorgeous.

005: kuroshio sea!

4 bus rides (with connections) to Ocean Expo Park: ¥6000 and 6 hours.
Ticket to Churaumi Aquarium: ¥1800.
Churaumi Aquarium Experience: Priceless.

Yup, that's a whale shark! And only one of three in Kuroshio Sea.

004: "ashita kaeru." (part 2)

When I last left off, I was ready to go exploring in Naha City. . . 

Kokusaidori, literally "International Road," is a roughly 2km road that serves as the main street of Naha. Souvenir shops, restaurants, cafés, bars, department stores, boutiques, ice cream stands. . . this place has it all! I spent hours here. But here, I'll let some of the pictures do the talking:

Entrance: "Kokusaidori"

003: "ashita kaeru." (part 1)

My second day went much more smoothly! After tossing and turning all night, I woke up at the tender hour of 6am and got ready to head out. The hostel manager looked bemused when I left so early, but reminded me to say "itte kimasu" before I stepped out so he could reply with a hearty "itterasshai!" I may still be the awkward duckling in the hostel, but they're doing their best to welcome me.

While I wasn't quite sure what to do, my stomach answered for me: after missing dinner the night before, I was starving. So, I headed back towards Miebashi Station and then straight ahead to find some breakfast. This amounted to about an hour of leisurely exploring.

Crossing the bridge across from Guesthouse Kerama

002: "sukoshi wakarimasu."

It took an 11:40 flight to Tokyo, a 2-hour layover in Narita International Airport, a 2:40 flight to Naha, a 15-minute ride on the Yui Monorail, and a 15-minute walk to my hostel after dark. . . but I’m here!

I arrived at LAX at about 10am, far too early for my 12:55pm flight. Security had ushered me through as fast as possible, even neglecting to make a comment on the quart-size bag of liquids I accidentally forgot to take out. Whew! Not that I need too much for a 2-week stay, but I definitely stocked up on the sunblock. I don’t want to leave as a gaijin and return as a lobster.

On my flights, I met a number of interesting characters: a London businessman who had resided in Tokyo for four months, an undergraduate majoring in Business and Chinese who was visiting friends in Shippuya, and an American student of jijutsu who came to learn the secrets of a style unique to Okinawa. I exchanged smiles and nods with the Japanese travelers, too anxious to try speaking Japanese myself. Besides, I could get around even if I didn’t speak very well . . . right?

001: the prequel.

みなさんおはよ〜！

 I'm set to travel from LA at noon on Monday morning. Despite my anxieties about traveling alone -- a recurring nightmare has been arriving the first night and finding that my hostel forgot about me -- I couldn't be more excited! I've been researching this trip for months, and it's fantastic to see it finally taking shape. Just a few more technical things to resolve, and I'll be fully packed and ready for the journey.

Next time I write, it will be from Naha, Okinawa!

<3
Elisa