Haisai Okinawa- Diving, Bitter Melon, and Wedding
The Okinawa prefecture is made up of thousands of Ryukyu islands, with sandy beaches and clear blue water, Okinawa is a place where people unwind and relax. The reason I came to Okinawa was to attend Ruby and Chi’s wedding, not knowing what to expect, I was pleasantly surprised by the uniqueness of Okinawa. While its very chill, there’s also a lot of history behind this area from the Ryukyu kingdom era as well as world war II.
Diving
The first thing that excited me was diving in Okinawa, the clear blue water and 150 feet of visibility gave me the feeling that I was diving in an aquarium. The water was so warm that I didn’t need to wear a wet suit. The pictures were from Kerema Island with underwater valleys and coral reef mountains.
Beaches and Cape Maeda
There were many beaches and snorkeling areas in Okinawa, my airbnb host, Taka took me to Cape Maeda for snorkeling. On my second week here, Mishy joined me and we went to Zanpa beach near Yomitan. Getting to the beaches without a car was challenging, we managed none the less. On a good day, you could see many marine animals in the Cape Maeda snorkeling area, Michelle and I spent the whole morning watching them.
Foooooood
Okinawans are famous for their longevity, I think it has to do with their healthy diet, sunshine, and their relaxed attitude. Every meal I had while I was in Okinawa was very tasty, I tried almost all recommended local cuisines- bitter melon, purple yam, sea grapes, agu pork, soba and sea salt ice cream 🙂 Here’s a picture from a small restaurant on international street in Naha, it was so good that I went back with Mishy to enjoy their bitter melon stir fry and roast pork.
Another favorite meal of mine was from a Japanese restaurant with set lunches, look at the variety and presentation!
If you are in Okinawa, you must try their Awamori (rice wine). It is especially refreshing when you drink it on the rocks in a hot summer day.
Sightseeing
I think the best way to spend time in Okinawa is to relax by the beach and eat delicious food. But there are a few sightseeing spots that I think are must-sees.
Chumauri Aquarium (up north)- Whale sharks! Also an extremely dreamy green house near the aquarium.
International Street (Koukusai): One of the busiest streets in Naha, the street is packed with restaurants, shops, and entertainment. Mii-chan (picture below) is the shopkeeper of a towel shop, he was taking a nap when I visited.
Shuri-jo Castle: Probably the most traditional style building you’ll see in Okinawa, it’s strikingly red and situated on a hill. A Japanese grandpa flagged me down in Shurijo park, he spoke to me in Japanese for 20 mins and gave me a cold beer.
The wedding!
The most exciting part about my Okinawa trip was Ruby and Chi’s wedding, frankly speaking I had been anticipating this event for a few years since I knew Ruby and Chi for over ten years now. It was a gorgeous day at a gorgeous venue. Ruby was stunning in her wedding dress and I definitely cried a little during the ceremony 🙂 Congratulations Ruby and Chi!!
I was also very happy to have spent a couple of days in Okinawa with Vinci, Jeff, Katie and Lucus. Katie, the two year old darling, was quite the adventurer! I can’t wait till the day I can go surfing with her! I admire Vinci and Jeff for their parenting skills and stamina!
