Like I said in the last post, our good friends Jenny and Matt Boling came to visit us in Okinawa. They were our first of hopefully many visitors here in Japan.
We spent our first week touring Okinawa and letting them get used to the time and culture change. We ate at several of our favorite restaurants such as Sushi Zen and Uroko and made some of our own sushi too! One day was spent touring the north part of the island to include the aquarium and Pineapple Park. Another day we went south to see the Shuri Castle, Kokasai St. and the Japanese Naval Underground. Yet another day we went to the squadron and out on the flightline to see the jets. At night we visited the Officer's Club and a local karaoke joint.
The Pineapple Park in Nago
We got to learn all about pineapples!
The large tank at the aquarium.
Shuri Castle on a hot, sunny day.
The tunnel down to the Japanese Underground
It's a series of tunnels used by the Japanese during the Battle of Okinawa
This was the officer's quarters in the tunnels.
Make your own sushi night!!
Karaoke - Japanese style
For the second week of their visit we went to mainland Japan to tour Kyoto and Tokyo. The first 3 days we walked every inch of Kyoto seeing the more traditional buildings that come to mind when you think of Japan. We visited a traditional Japanese home, walked through a cemetery (though creepy sounding it was very educational), and ogled at temples and shrines. At night we walked the labyrinth of allies to find quaint restaurants with beautiful views and even more interesting dishes. We even went to a show to see some of the traditional performing arts!
The courtyard of the traditional Japanese house.
Notice the walls are paper and all the doors slide open to open the house on a beautiful day!
I was enjoying the vista of this famous shrine set in the hills and woods over Kyoto.
We had lunch at this tiny soba stand near the temple.
Us Americans sure stood out!
These women are performing a typical geisha dance that is common in Gion, the historical geisha district of Kyoto.
One day we took a trip to a nearby town called Nara, famous for it's huge Buddha and enchanted deer. After touring the temple and admiring Japan's largest Buddha statue, we wondered the grounds feeding the enchanted deer. If you ask me, they weren't so much enchanted as they were entitled!! One even bit me because I wasn't feeding him fast enough!!
From there, we took a bullet train to Tokyo for a few days in the big city. Tokyo is a sight to see but to me, it is just like any other big city. It's crowded, loud, has lots of lights, shopping, and attractions. But in all the hustle and bustle, it's lost the little details that make it truly Japanese! It was worth the trip though.
This is one of the busiest crosswalks in the world! It is fun to sit in the Starbucks (where we are) and watch the madness ensue every 60 seconds.
These school children are cleaning their hands before entering a shrine near Harijuku.
This arcade leads to a temple (under construction in the distance.) I just thought the rainbow of umbrellas was beautiful against the gray sky.
I am so glad that Jenny and Matt came to visit. I knew before their trip that they were good friends of mine. But after this visit, I realize that they are something more than that. It is not often that you can spend 2 straight weeks traveling, eating, and sometimes even sleeping in the same rooms with each other and still be sad to see them go. I am not trying to be mean, but there are honestly few people in this world that can do that, and Jenny and Matt are those people for me.
Thank you for coming all this way to see my life in Japan and attempt to understand our military lifestyle. Thank you for being adventurous with food, activities, and traveling. Thank you for putting up with me when I was cranky and hungry. Thank you for being honest with me and telling me to get it together. Thanks for being such amazing friends and spending 2 unforgettable weeks with me! I love you guys!!!
