this post is dedicated to my sister.. (who i wish could have been with us on this trip.)

had a super fab time with my mom in japan.. we had time to just sit and relax.. and we also traveled like CRAZY!!! 6 cities in 6 days.. oh my oh my.. as my friend ai says, "enjoy your time with your mom now because this will be one of your most memorable travels of your lifetime." right on sista, it sure was! i am so happy she got to see a glimpse of my life here.. and she got to meet a lot of my friends..and see all the beautiful places that make japan the wonderful country it is.. 

07.12.07

:: her first meal in japan.. indian curry! hahaha.. before she tried it she said she wouldnt like it.. but what do ya know? she did like it! ::

:: of course at the famous asakusa temple (my neighborhood) ::

:: the girls walking through shibuya crossing - she arrived the day before my birthday so that she could spend my birthday with me.. we had a small gathering with some of my closest.. it was really nice ::

:: it says happy birthday to me & also welcome to japan to jeannie's mama ::

:: my crazy girl ghee got me some sexy sleep clothes ::

:: minh flew in and totally surprised me on my bday! he's sooo crazy! thanks minh! you're an awesome friend ::

:: my best girlfriends with mama & me - ghee, ana, rika, & ai ::

:: awesome pic of mommy at shibuya crossing being japanesey ::

07.14.07

:: that saturday snoops came to tokyo and got to meet my mom! since he loves bittermelon.. mom made him my favorite bittermelon soup and he fell in love ::

:: ghee & her family came over.. this is her baby zean.. he was cheesin for the camera ::

:: lil man & big man ::

07.15.07

:: on sunday i took my mom to church and she got to meet all my wonderful friends there - afterwards a few of us went to get coffee/cake together ::

07.16.07

:: on monday snoops was leaving to go back home so we met him up one last time.. we went to this cafe in loft (that rika & i love) and mom fed him ice cream ::

:: our last pic together.. right before we hugged to say goodbye.. so sad.. im going to miss my bf ::

:: on monday yasuyo invited us over for a homemade tempera dinner.. she went all out to serve us.. she's so wonderful.. afterwards had a surprised bday for her... and she was totally surprised because her birthday wasn't until the week after - she was so touched that she cried.. awww.. i love her ::

:: even though yasuyo's mom and my mom didn't speak the same language.. somehow they communicated and bonded.. her mom presented my mom with all these awesome 'welcome to japan' gifts that she made by hand! ::

HAKONE

my awesome boss gave me a gift certificate so that i could take my mom to hakone to relax in the onsen.. she said that from all the things she heard from me about my mom.. she really really deserved a nice trip.. it was really generous of her because when i went to the website to check out the hotel..  i went to look at the rooms and accidently found out that the cheapest room there was $500 per person! i almost fainted. they sure did treat us like royalty though..

07.17.07

:: how cute is she? ::

:: the wonderful meal they 'presented' to us.. we really felt like queens here.. too bad we realized my mom wasn't that into japanese food ::

:: mom's first onsen experience! we had a private onsen to start her off in and then we went to the public one.. mommy & me naked together.. it wasn't as weird as i thought it would be ::

:: our room ::

:: the socks they gave us to wear - neato, huh? (though it looks like my feet are deformed) ::

:: parts of the hotel that we went to check out ::

:: in the morning they came to our room to serve us breakfast ::

:: i told mom to take a pic of me with my 'american' style breakfast & this is what happens ::

:: this really nice girl named midori was our personal hostess.. she was with us from beginning to end.. super nice ::

:: i took her all around hakone and in the end.. took her to check out the black sulfur eggs that make you live 7 years longer with each egg you eat ::

OSAKA

07.19.07

my awesome friend, shannon, was back in hawaii for the summer so she let my mom and i stay at her place in osaka.. we made it our hub and went to a different city everyday while we were there.. we got to see most of kansai!

:: OSAKA-JO (osaka castle) ::

:: we got to meet up my buddy, matthew ::

:: i love this pic of my mom.. here she's checking out the GLICA man! ::

:: osaka is known for takoyaki.. i had some at this cool place ::

:: then i took my mom to this old style 'amusement' area and we ended up finding this chinese restaurant to eat at.. we ordered the soup buns and i thought the directions on how to eat it was HILARIOUS so i just had to share ::

KYOTO

07.20.07

:: Golden Temple (KINKAKUJI) - one of the most beautiful in Japan ::

:: mom stopped these two girls b/c she thought they looked pretty in their yukatas ::

:: at KIYOMIZU-DERA  I've been here 3 times and I can never get enough ::

:: got to meet up my new friend (that i met in taketomi) MASA since he lives in kyoto ::

NARA

07.21.07 

:: one of the best popsicles i've had.. ever ::

:: mom asked if she was going to get to see the deers in nara.. so in order to make sure they would come our way.. i went and bought food so that she could feed them.. well they ended up chasing after me.. so i got scared and being the good daughter that i am.. i threw them over to my mom.. then the deers started chasing after her.. they even bit her shirt! and lucky for us i was able to catch it all on camera! i told her i wanted her to always remember her deer encounter.. i think i did a good job  ::

:: at TODAIJI temple ::

:: supposedly the biggest buddha in the world ::

:: a herd ::

:: mom's first pannini ::

HIMEJI CASTLE

known to be the most beautiful castle in japan.. out of all the places i took my mom.. this was the only place that i had never been to.. it certainly was worth going to and i'm so glad we did! now i can say i've seen the most beautiful castle in japan.

07.22.07

:: we climbed it all the way to the top and got this view ::

:: so cute.. mom trying to go down the stairs.. she was sooo tired and it was so hot she thought she couldn't make it.. but of course she did ::

:: then we went to see the Japanese Gardens... we've been to one in DC before with my sister, but i told my mom this is a REAL one since we're in Japan ::

:: right before we left.. mom wanted to grab a quick bite to eat at mcdonalds.. we were sitting there and i was telling her this funny mcdonalds story about andrew when he was in japan.. after i tell it.. i look up and see this guy laughing.. it ends up that he's vietnamese and understood everything that i said.. we ended up talking to him and then a bunch of his friends came so they wanted us to join them to chitchat.. it was really cute.. they were such sweet guys.. it was really an act of God b/c we were originally supposed to try out kfc and we followed the map, but the kfc didn't exist! it was on the map, but when we asked information they said that it closed down.. forever.. that's why we ended up at mcdonalds..God had another plan for us ::

TOKYO

dinner at ikuyo's house - mom made pho!

07.24.07

:: me, ana, & ghee with celine (my boss' daughter) and baby zean ::

:: ikuyo (my boss) and mom on the rooftop overlooking roppongi hills ::

:: we had a surprise going away party for ana (she left japan) and for my mom - look at ana's shocked look ::

:: the dinner party ::

YOKOHOMA

mom's last day

07.25.07

:: her first time and she beat me! ::

:: riding on the ferris wheel.. i wanted her to be able to say that she rode on one of the 'biggest ferris wheels in the world' ::

:: i HAD to take her to eat a burger at kua'aina - as if you didn't know.. this is my absolute favorite burger shop ::

:: then i took her to my favorite onsen in the city.. she even made a friend.. naked! haha - i left her alone for 5 minutes.. i look over and she's chatting away with a japanese lady..it was really cute watching them communicate.. though it was ackward meeting that lady while we were both naked ::

:: after taking her to all these amazing cities.. she told me at the end that yokohama was her favorite because it was the most beautiful (those dang lights tricked her! ) jk i love yokohama..i'm glad her trip ended the way it did.. i know she'll forever have wonderful memories of japan and she can understand why it's so hard for me to leave ::

ok time to take a nap for an hour.. I'm going camping!!! my FIRST REAL camping .. can you believe that?

My BF & I reunited again.. it felt so good! I'm going to miss him, but I know our friendship will last forever & I'm so thankful to have met him in Japan.. he's definitely one of my closest friends.

FUKUOKA

june 30th - july 1st

:: my Nihonjin (Japanese) family ::

:: we went to this Chinese restaurant in Kumamoto - I thought this dragon looked cool ::

:: walking with his family (including grandma) to the train station ::

:: that night his family took us to this really cute restaurant.. they owners knew them and we cracking all sorts of jokes... it was cute - his grandma is og.. 80 & drinking! ::

:: this dish is what the restaurant is famous for.. it was yums ::

:: the family ::

:: best name ever ::

:: on the streets of fukuoka ::

:: b/c snoops was proud of this picture.. yes he took it - we spent a few hours that night walking around OHORI PARK (Ohori Koen is a pleasant city park in central Fukuoka with a large pond in its center. The walking trail leading around the pond spans approximately two kilometers) ::

:: he knows i'm weird AND he still loves me.. or does he? ::

:: just because it was cute ::

:: there was a Yamakasa festival going on and they had all these crazy huge portable shrines on display around the city.. snoops took me all around looking for them ::

:: these guys will probably be carrying the mikoshi (portable shrine) when the festival day arrives ::

:: purikura with my bf ::

:: what a cute store name! ::

:: standing right in between starbucks & seattle's best ::

:: eating the REAL famous fukuoka ramen ::

:: his dadda, his grandma, his mama, him, & me ::

KAGOSHIMA

July 2nd - 6th

:: fluffy blueberry cheesecake! ::

:: we found a Bape store ::

:: I'm not that into cars.. but fell in love with this one ::

:: I wanted to share with them something Vietnamese so I taught them how to make springrolls! the funniest thing happened.. snoops was all proud of the springroll that he rolled and he was showing off.. his dad said "let me see it" and then he took it and ate it - haha.. best ever! ::

:: that night I made him have a photoshoot - it was so fun being his stylist/photographer ::

:: i forced him to let me put makeup on his eyes.. =/ ::

MIYAZAKI

July 7th - 8th

:: 'washboard' rocks ::

UDO SHRINE - is where the spirit of the father of Emperor Jinmu, the first emperor of Japan, is enshrined. Legends say it was built in the era of the 10th emperor. The sanctuary is a bright vermilion-lacquered building standing in a cave overlooking the sea. It provides spiritual support to those people who wish for a good marriage, a safe baby delivery and for the health for their children. It is also known as the birthplace of Kenpo, the art of Japanese fencing.

:: the shrine was in a cave! ::

:: this shrine was definitely the most beautiful one i've seen in japan (and i've seen a lot!) we trekked there in the rain, but it was all worth it! ::

:: unique flower ::

:: we looked on the city map and saw this foot onsen so of course i wanted to go.. ends up it was the tiniest foot onsen ever..and it was right in the middle of a small neighborhood..the people that were there are people that go there everyday so they knew right away we weren't from there..it was funny b/c they kept asking us how we found out about the place.. they didnt know it was on the city map! ::

:: what a great name for a store - yikes! ::

:: dadda told us this place was famous in miyazaki (the city is famous for chicken) so we had to try it ::

:: we got a good view of the fishtank ::

:: this doenst look good, but it tasted pretty good.. blackened chicken ::

:: that night we roamed all around town on foot.. we were trying to find a cafe that we saw in a magazine, but we got lost and ended up here ::

:: so we made the most of it ::

:: and it was all worth it b/c we FOUND IT! this was soo cool! i've never had anything like it.. chocolate shaved ice! ::

:: then back at the hotel we changed into our yukatas ::

OCEAN DOME

"Imagine a beach where the sky is always blue, it's never too hot or cold, the water isn't filled with salt and pollution, and the surf is always perfect - welcome to Ocean Dome, the world's only indoor beach.

Ocean Dome has its own flame-spitting volcano, crushed white marble "sand", and it also boasts the world's largest retractable roof, providing a permanently blue sky. Temperature, wind and humidity are closely controlled to provide an ultra-safe "sea-side" experience. Every hour, the volcano erupts and the hi-tech wave machines start up, starting a few minutes of sanitized surfing.
Entrance costs US$50, which seems especially expensive given that there is a free, natural beach only 300 metres away."  source

:: awhile back my cousin jeannie forwarded me this email that had pictures of the ocean dome - i was so amazed and was shocked to find out that it was in japan! i promised myself at that moment that someday i would go there.. so of course.. i DID! i was soooo excited and think i overhyped it in my head.. so it wasn't as grand as i expected.. but nonetheless..it is the world's only indoor beach.. so it was worth going ::

fyi - snoops just informed me that the ocean dome will be closing this october.. how sad! thank goodness i was able to make it out there!

:: me doing water aerobics.. snoops was too embarassed to try so i did it by myself ::

:: the guy on the pink float cracks me up.. he was just laying there ::

:: i MADE snoops drive to find the 'beach' that was supposedly 300 meters away.. we found some water, but it didn't really look like a beach.. the only pic i could get was this - what we drove through to find the ocean ::

:: before heading back to kagoshima.. we stopped by this cafe called 'b flat' (another recommendation we found in the magazine) and tried the shaved ice..it was one of the best we've ever had! ::

:: the cutest polar bear shaved ice ever! ::

:: after the cafe.. we stopped by the shopping mall and got a lil carried away.. when we got home .. we had soooo much crap.. this is what the both of us accumulated during a 1 night/2 day trip! omg.. we're crazy ::

:: the night we got back from miyazaki was my last night in kagoshima so his family made me my favorite japanese meal - SUKIYAKI! his aunt & uncle came over to join us ::

:: his aunt & mama.. they are sisters ::

:: July 9th - just like the last time i visited.. they all went to the airport to see me off.. i had tonkatsu lunch like last time too.. and they waved me off.. so sad.. i miss them sooo much! someday we'll be reunited again ::

wishing my sister was here with us.

in 5 days - tokyo. hakone. osaka. kyoto. nara.

& tomorrow off to himeji

We're tired beyond words, but it's been all worth it because I'm with the woman who gave me life!

i'm moving back home.

 to the great state of TEXAS.

august 17th  (3 years to the day I arrived in Japan)

let's see how long i last

i may have no luck with love..ever

but i have the best luck with friendships..

thank you, friends.. i can never express into words how grateful i am to be surrounded by the most loving and giving people in this world..

i'm moved to tears.

tanjobi desu. (my birthday)

one year older... one year wiser?

mommy comes to see me in 5.5 hours.

can't wait to be reunited!

gotta show her what japan is all about.

the last of my fabulous trip to...

sunday, 06.24.07

:: marg arrived in naha to spend just a day & 1/2.. but it was well worth it, right marg? she was expecting for me to "show her around," but where does a girl take you when she's had other people show her around for the past 2 weeks? well on an endless bridge (and it was seriously endless) in 90+ degree weather of course ::

:: then we made it to kokusai dori and got to see these kids dancing ::

:: we read about this popular restaurant in a book and decided to give it a try (yes okinawans like their spam!) ::

:: we passed by the cutest robot ever! she was trying to give out tissues.. but she started crying because they got stuck ::

:: we got the guy working there to fix her up.. i don't know who looks happier.. the robot or marg ::

:: there were some hip hop street performers.. they were g-h-e-t-t-o, but since we're from the southsideeee we liked them ::

:: no idea how marg knew.. but she translated for me.. "no WEED, no life. "

:: anthony came to pick us up on kokusai dori after he spent the day volunteering at special olympics.. on our way back to his place.. we saw these girls dressed up in these pretty yukatas advertising for their shop.. i know the girl on the far right's yukata doesn't look as 'glam' as the others.. but geez.. talk about outKast ::

:: that night i promised yasuyo we would meet her up to go to an okinawan concert (rika's favorite singer was going to perform that night, too) so anthony dropped us off at the ginuwan convention center - we walked into the convention center and felt like we were in hawaii (though i have no idea how it feels like to be in hawaii) we thought it was kind of strange.. but since we didn't know what to expect.. we assumed we were in the right place.. i get a phone call from yasuyo a few minutes later asking me if i could see two huge green slides.. ummm.. no.. whoops.. we ended up at a hawaiian/okinawan convention on accident. =/ ::

:: yasuyo's cutie patootie lil sis.. she was soooooooo incredibly sweet.. i adore her! ::

:: i was forbidden to take pics.. but i snuck this one anyway.. the music was absolutely breathtaking.. i loved every minute of being outside amongst the thousands of people on a perfect night - and i also realized why all these women are in love with this singer named MIYAZAWA - what i would do to find a guy that can sing to me like that! ::

:: my fakest cheese ever ::

:: after the concert, anthony picked us back up and we had dinner with him at this fancy schmancy izakaya restaurant called "Dining Nan's" it reminded me of my big sis, nancy ::

monday, 06.25.07

SHURI-JO

"Shurijo Castle is a symbol of the unique history and culture of Okinawa. The castle's history is also the history of the Kingdom of the Ryukyus itself.  Atop a small hill, Shurijo Castle is surrounded by curved walls which contain various structures. There are many open areas, as well as sacred grounds. This is not specific to Shurijo Castle, but a common feature of all old Okinawan castles called "gusuku". While other gusukus were lost in battle, Shurijo Castle alone preserved the old features of the gusuku and incorporated new developments. Shurijo Castle consists of two areas: the expanse within the walls and the space between the inner and outer walls. The inner area was complete in the early 15th century and the outer area, in the mid-16th Century. The entire castle faces west, with the Seiden and other structures aligned along history of exchanges with China and Japan influenced many aspects of Shurijo Castle structure. Such influences are exemplified by the Seiden, Nanden, and the Hokuden. Shurijo Castle was both the royal residence for the king and his family and the administrative center of the Shurijo Royal Government. It also served as a religious center to administer the rituals performed by the cultural and artistic activities, with many musicians, dancers, artisans and craftsmen active in the castle area.
In the spring of 1879, the king was exiled from Shurijo Castle, and Okinawa Prefecture was established. Shurijo Castle then became the military headquarters of the Japanese troops and served as school buildings. Although extensively renovated during the 1930's, the castle was razed in 1945 by US military raids. Following the war, the grounds served as the campus for the University of the Ryukyus. When the university was relocated, the Castle was restored to its present condition. The present Shurijo Castle is modeled after the 18th Century facility.
The castle was registered as a World Heritage Site in December 2000."

taken from here

:: texas in okinawa! ::

:: afterwards anthony took us to one of his favorite places to eat located on the top floor of DFS.. you know this place was awesome.. come on now.. the FOOD COLOSSEUM! marg & i ended up crushing on the japanese boy that worked at the burger place we ordered from and spoke good english.. his personality made him so cute! ::

:: mochi cream.. to die for! ::

tuesday, 06.26.07

relaxed all day while anthony worked.. had curry for dinner at coco's.. then chilled at starbucks..

:: that night we met up yasuyo to chat about life and such.. she's SO inspiring.. i love talking to her ::

wednesday, 06.27.07

I heard about this island located about 1hour by ferry from naha and just knew I had to go! I couldn't believe my eyes.. the island is absolutely gorgeous!

:: anthony taking it for the team by digging a hole to put our umbrella ::

:: my black feet w/an 'awesome' flip flop tan line ::

:: myspace ::

:: you see those guys on the lil 'boat' ? they were sooooooo close to shore.. but they kept trying to row into the ocean.. they were working hard, too.. but the waves kept pushing them back to shore.. i couldn't help but laugh.. and laugh... and laugh some more ::

:: the water really was that blue ::

:: on the way back to naha.. we saw the endless bridge that marg & i climbed ::

:: i love lighthouses ::

:: anthony stopped by for a treat - blue seal ice cream (supposedly it's only in okinawa) ::

:: after going back to his place to freshen up.. we headed out to KRISHNA's Indian Restaurant ::

thursday, 06.28.07

SEFA-UTAKI

(UNESCO World Heritage)

"Sefa-utaki is a sacred hill and forest where the guardian deities and nirai gods, who bring happiness, are believed to live. It has been a custom for the local people to visit utaki and pray for their fortune. Sefa-utaki was the most sacred and prestigious forest in the Ryukyu Kingdom." take from here

:: located in Chinen Village ::

:: this lil dude was in the middle of the forest! (he is supposed to be by the ocean) ::

:: Going through a triangle-shaped opening (created naturally), you will find the most sacred altar known as Sangui. ::

:: From here, you can see Kudaka, the island where the mythical legendary god, Amamikiyo, descended. ::

:: i'm strong! ::

OKINAWA PEACE MEMORIAL PARK

"Towards the end of World War II, Okinawa Island became site of one of the war's bloodiest battles, when the US forces invaded and occupied the island. An estimated 200,000 people, including more than 100,000 civilians and 12,500 Americans were killed in the battle, which lasted from April to June 1945.

Numerous sites and memorials related to the "Battle of Okinawa" are concentrated mainly in the south of the island, where the worst fighting took place:

The spacious Peace Memorial Park is located near the southern tip of the island. Its main attraction is the Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum, which gives a sobering overview of the road to the battle, the battle itself and the reconstruction of Okinawa." taken from here.

"Due to fears concerning their fate during and after the invasion, the Okinawan people hid in caves and in family tombs. Several mass deaths occurred, such as in the "Cave of the Virgins", where many Okinawan school girls committed suicide by jumping off cliffs for fear of rape. Similarly, whole families committed suicide or were killed by near relatives in order to avoid suffering what they believed would be a worse fate at the hands of American forces" taken from here.

this looks beautiful from afar.. but during world war II this cliff is where a lot of schoolgirls committed suicide..

:: school trips galore ::

:: on the way back to yasuyo's sister's place.. we were stuck in traffic.. we looked over and saw this guy practicing every time the light stopped... how cute is that!? ::

:: the Yamaguchi sisters ::

:: i wanted to eat here one last time so anthony took me back.. supposedly this place is tiger wood's favorite sushi restaurant.. he's been here many times (his picture is on the wall) - anthony even got me a YOSHIHACHI t-shirt! ::

:: gosh sushi is just not going to be the same back in the US! ::

friday, 06.29.07

the day my okinawa trip ends..

:: where's anthony? (at our last meal together - korean bbq) ::

:: his place is the shizzle.. i'm super jealous that his living room is the size of my whole apartment (ok im exaggerating..but not really) ::

:: cute animals on the apartment building across the street ::

:: super cool hat (don't be jealous) that anthony got at the super fun store near base..  it has a built in fan that is solar powered - coolness to the max ::

i learned so much about okinawa during my 3 week vacation there.. it's truly a beautiful island and i hope that those who are lucky enough to live or visit will be able to get as much out of how wonderful it is as i did..

hope to see you again, le beautiful!

NAHA (OKINAWA), JAPAN

Naha  那覇市 is the capital city of Okinawa Prefecture in Japan. The modern city was founded on May 20, 1921. However, it had been one of the most important and populous sites in the Ryukyu Islands as the capital of the Ryukyu Kingdom from the early 15th century until its abolishment in 1879 (from other view, 1872).

Naha is a coastal city located on the southern part of Okinawa Island, the largest of the Ryukyu Islands. Its coast is on the East China Sea. (taken from wikipedia)

sunday, 06.17.07

:: after we got our car.. we went to ASHIBINA OUTLET MALL and i had my first 'meal' upon arriving in naha.. hahaha - tacos & fries =/ ::

:: the funniest name ever.. and it just so happens to be a KIDS clothing store ::

:: ERRY & CHIHARU - these 2 girls were singing some okinawan songs.. they were SO good.. i ended up standing in the rain to watch them ::

monday, 06.18.07

:: lunch at MAKABE CHINAA in Itoman - one of rika's favorite okinawan restaurants.. it was a cute lil hidden place ::

ITOMAN HAREE (DRAGONBOAT RACE)

This festival which is held every year is one of Okinawa's traditional event. According to local history this festival is for fisherman to pray for a safe voyage, a good catch, and to thank the sea gods for its blessings.

:: the final 3 teams competing for the championship title - as it was ending.. it started POURING down rain.. i dont think i've ever experienced rain as much as i did that day.. and the sad part is.. i was stuck in it ::

:: afterwards the rain died down and we went on a hunt to get awamori (okinawa's special alcohol) supposedly this place is the ONLY place you can get certain types so rika was determined to get some.. we stopped to ask a man for directions.. while we were talking to him..this guy on the motorbike rode by and said he knew where it was and would take us.. the whole way there we were cracking up b/c he look back at us, smile, and point to where we needed to turn.. he was so cute! ::

:: an alcholics paradise ::

:: then they let us dress up in this beautiful okinawan kimonos ::

KOKUSAI DORI

:: goya (bittermelon) is really popular here.. they even have a goya bench! ::

:: so cute! ::

:: hello kitty shisa ::

:: we passed by this cool looking restaurant (it's nestled up in a giganchamo tree) called AJIA SHOKUDOU so we HAD to eat there - the coconut curry was outstanding! ::

tuesday, 06.19.07

:: we started off at Chatan (American Village) and decided on this thai restaurant (JAI THAI) for lunch since it had a ferris wheel on top of it! ::

:: superb pad thai (and im picky about my pad thai) & that drink there.. it's supposed to be thai ice tea.. that one.. not so good ::

:: then we went to RYUUKYUU MURA & got to take a pic with this Okinawan band ::

:: the BIGGEST SHISA IN THE WORLD @ Zanpa ::

KAICHUU DOURO (the Road of the Ocean)

:: God of the Sea ::

:: driving along this was surreal ::

wednesday, 06.20.07

:: FUKUGI NAMIKI (tree area) - rika ended up taking this peaceful stroll by herself because within 5 minutes i got bit by mosquitos 25 times!! i couldn't handle it so i left.. ::

:: BISE BEACH - I ended up here instead... I liked this much better since the mosquitos weren't here ::

:: kiddos enjoying the bise ::

:: we couldn't figure out what this was... or how to get there.. but i liked it.. it looks so medieval ::

:: we had lunch at this really cool place hidden in the mountains called KAZE NO OKA in Motobi.. it overlooked a small city ::

:: we sat outside and ate our scrumptious lunch while enjoying a beautiful view ::

:: zenzai is famous in okinawa.. basically it's shaved ice with sweet red beans.. supposedly this place ARAGAKI ZANZAI  is known to have the best zenzai ever.. so we drove almost 2 hours just to see if the reviews were correct.. it was pretty darn good.. so good that although i was really full.. i had to get take out in which i had to devour within 10 minutes before the ice melted ::

:: we came back to meet up anthony.. *what is wrong with this picture?* ..  he took us to DFS (Duty Free Shop) we ended up trying to beat the system by letting him use my plane ticket to buy cologne.. well the system ended up beating us when after we paid.. they gave me a ticket to pick up the cologne AFTER i check in and go through the security check point.. now i have his cologne and i have to mail it to him.. haha ::

:: after DFS we went to meet up rika's friend (Masa) from when she went to school in NY.. we had yakiniku together and anthony was a bit tipsy ::

thursday, 06.21.07

HIJI FALLS

"Hiji falls are pretty large waterfalls that feed into the Hiji river on Okinawa. The falls are tucked deep within the super humid jungle like environment around the island. The trail to the falls is well maintained, however, there are nearly 10,000 steps I assure! We were constantly climbing 10 flights of stars straight up, super steep, just to climb back down on the other side." taken from here

:: in the beginning... ::

:: the prettiest dragonfly i ever did see ::

:: i put my camera on timer and prayed it wouldn't fall into the river ::

:: coolest looking lizard ::

:: oh so heavy ::

:: olly didn't want to fal into the river! ::

:: we had to climb through this to get to the waterfall ::

:: beautiful hiji falls & ugly me ::

:: the ONLY picture i have of anthony smiling. a real natural smile (he HATES pictures) ::

:: these stairs make me all kinds of happy ::

:: this dude scared me at first.. ::

:: after a tiring hike.. we went to get zenzai ::

:: and saw shisa on top of a house ::

:: rika & i with our cute rental car ::

:: japan has the darnest things! ::

:: our last picture together with marilyn before rika heads back to tokyo ::

:: we go to this famous sushi restaurant called YOSHIHACHI for some good ole american style sushi ::

:: sashimi ::

:: california roll ::

:: anthony & me with his cousin chris & his wife, amy ::

saturday, 06.23.07

:: we went to MAEDA BEACH to snorkel with anthony's cousin, Chris & his wife, Amy.. i didnt get to take any pics b/c i left my camera in the car =/ ::

:: later that night we dressed up in hopes of going out.. but we ended up just going to eat at a garlic restaurant and then coming back home ::

:: the biggest garlic ever ::

:: anthony & his cousin chris working hard to get the garlic out ::

:: cute married couple - amy & chris ::

:: the only foreigner in the whole building.. guess where anthony lives? ::