Thanks so much for visiting us during our journey, David, Mary and Sophie Elizabeth!
May 2 --
We had such a wonderful first full day in Okinawa. Also the first view of the island during daylight hours. The Okinawans are extremely hospitable and very courteous. Several hotel staff members have welcomed me back home and treated me as one of their own. (Yes, Mary is still an outsider!) And, apparently, our money is no good here! We have tried unsuccessfully to give tips to various people.
We hired a cab driver (who unfortunately only knew a few words in English) for the afternoon for an itinerary that included the Ojana Church of Christ (where my parents attended church), the Naval Hospital on Camp Lester which used to be the Army Medical Center in what was then called Camp Kue, and a drive past a major shopping district which was built on razed army barrick land.
We first found the former site of the church at Hwy 34 and Hwy 58 (formerly Hwy 1) -- they have more highways now, Mom! Obviously, the small structure is no longer standing but I took a picture of the location. However, that wasn’t good enough for our cab driver. We found our way to another church where a very sweet old lady who spoke exceptional English said she thought it was moved to the police station site years ago. So, we go to the police station. With a picture of the church and old map in hand, our driver goes inside to talk to the police. They had never heard of the church. Later, during our tour, we snaked our way into an old neighborhood where the driver got out and consulted several people, again with picture and map in hand.
To no avail however. The tiny building was obviously a victim of progress, probably years ago.
Additionally, he tried twice, unsuccessfully, of course, to get us onto the Camp Lester military base. the second time, we went through a gate which leads to the hospital, so I was able to snap several photos of the place I entered the world just a couple of decades ago! (Yeah, right! MMV)
We took pictures of the beach and Kadena Air Force Base. Our driver even drove us to a 4-story structure across from the base which had telescopes (for a fee) from which we could watch the planes taking off and landing.
Finally, we ended the day at the American Village (restaurants and shops). For all of his time and care, we tried to give our driver a very nice tip. However, he gave money BACK to us and only agreed to take what amounted to a $6 tip! He was a wonderful man and I will certainly never forget his efforts on my behalf. The day meant a great deal to me.
We have a historical tour prepared for tomorrow, so until next time . . .
David
Today, Sophie is 10 months old! We purchased a souvenir for her from Okinawa -- a cute little Hello Kitty lunchbox which says Okinawa!
And, to elaborate on the inability of our cab driver to speak English, we were able to communicate fairly well with gestures (plus the fact that the concierge translated to him where we wanted to go). He did know one English curse word very well though, as we heard him say it during an angry cell phone conversation!
Speaking of me as an outsider, with my blond hair, I caused a couple of passing drivers to do a double-take. Guess they’re not used to seeing blue-eyed blonds here.
Today was living history day. Again, we chartered a taxi -- this time to take us to 4 early 12th to 15th century castle ruins. All locations are World Heritage sites. The largest and most well-preserved is the Nakagusuku Castle. Its outer walls stand against the sea, allowing guests wonderful panoramic views of both the Pacific Ocean and the East China Sea.
The second site, the Katsuren Castle, owned by a "rebel" named Amawari, the 10th local ruler of the castle, in the 15th century. He tried to take down the king by attacking his residence, the Shuri Castle. He was defeated and his queen, Fumiagari, dubbed the "flower of the castle", was forced into a lonely life of isolation.
The third castle, the Shuri-jo or Shuri Castle, as previously stated, was the king’s personal residence. What Amawari couldn’t do during his coup of the king, WWII did. Namely, destroyed it. The castle has been devastated and rebuilt 4 times during its turbulent history.
Our driver also surprised us by first stopping at the personal home of the teacher to the king and his court, who was called to Okinawa when the king decided to build the Nakagusuku Castle. The home, while "homey" by U.S. standards, is a beautiful home with woven bamboo floors throughout. Just magnificent.
We also were treated to a visit to a glass-blowing plant, run by the most famous of all glass-blowers on the island. We watched them make an incredible multi-colored bowl from recycled glass. Next, we headed up the hill to a ceramic plant. We tried to purchase 2 sheesah dragons, an Okinawan custom. However, they wouldn’t ship to the U.S. and the pieces were too big for us to carry ourselves.
We also visited a pottery shop and were able to view a sheesah-making workshop. Our driver told us that the people on vacation during Golden Week (so named because of our visit - ha, ha) were making their own version of the sheesah to take home and affix to a front gate, front door, or roof. There are 2 sheesah dragons, one male and one female. The male has an open mouth and roars to keep the evil spirits away and the female has a closed mouth (even Mary commented that wasn’t right!). Anyway, the female keeps her mouth shut in order to keep the good spirits in.
All in all, it was quite a day. All of the castles were situated high above their surroundings, obviously as a defense against invading enemies. However, the situation provided us with a strenuous workout, walking up and down the plethora of old and crumbling and steep stairways.
That’s all the time we have for Okinawa time. Until next time, have a good time!
