Joanne's Big Adventure in Okinawa Day 6, A Maine Photographer

It's been over two months since day 6 of my adventures in Japan, and I am excited to finally be sharing it with you...and I am going to do this with few words and lots of photos.

Day 6 started out cool and drizzly.  The days plans included a trip to "sea glass" beach, not it's real name but definitely it's "known by" name.  My friend Jill had often times told me about sea glass beach, she had talked of how beautiful it was, and how on one end there were these little crabs she called blueberry crabs, that looked pretty much like someone dropped a bucket of blueberries on the beach...hell yes...if you know anything about me at all, you will know that my second form of therapy is picking wild blueberries for hours on end...in fact, my family will not blueberry pick with me...they do not understand why it takes me all day to pick...anyways, visiting sea glass beach was a definite highlight in my mind, and highly anticipated...so when the morning weather was slightly damp, questions were raised on whether or not to abandon the sea glass beach plan.  I vote yes!! We are going to walk the beach, collect sea glass, maybe check out the blueberries...sunshine not required!  I find walking alone on the beach searching for sea glass to be extremely therapeutic (yes, this is my primary form of therapy, I am fortunate to be able to do it whenever I please)...it doesn't take rocket science for me to know that walking on a beach nicknamed "sea glass" beach might possibly provide me with a lifetime of therapy...in fact...I am absolutely banking these memories into a "happy place" vault...for future times when I need to settle for a quiet morning by the fire and I can reflect on the memories of walking on "sea glass" beach in Okinawa.  So yes, I hadn't even been yet, but in my mind I just knew I needed to experience it...rain or shine!!

And experience it, we did.
Breathtaking.  Beautiful...and yes...Blue :)

 ...I don't think I mentioned we had this beautiful paradise all to ourselves.

(the photo info from the gps on my smartphone names this beach location as Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan) Amazing technology we have

After our trip to the beach we went back to American village for some souvenir shopping and stopped at my new favorite coffee shop, Zhyvago Coffee Works Okinawa.

We took another walk along the sea wall...

and had a fabulous dinner at the Four Seasons steak house.

Joanne's Big Adventure in Japan day 4. A Maine Photographer

Day 4 started off with a visit to Camp Foster Marine base for a Vendor fair.  What a great morning.  Matt and I had a chance to pick up some unique Okinawa souvenirs, and eat some local cuisine from the food trucks, but the best part of all was the animal rescue group on site with cats and dogs available for adoption.  Having been away from our animals for over 72 hours at this point, both Matt and I were in need of a serious 4 legged love fest... 😍 😻🐶🐶🐶 !!!

After the vendor fair we headed to Kokusai Street in Naha to visit, to view and experience, and to shop.  Jill had been promising us "cake" for days, and since both Matt and I have sworn off, at least for the foreseeable future all empty calorie treats, we were temporarily waiving our rigid diet requirements to engage in the local cake cuisine!!

But first, some pictures of our scenery from the car.  I was trying to capture the mood and feel of the island.  Some familiar sights with a twist.  Hey, did you know that KFC is a pretty huge tradition on Christmas day for the Japanese...I had no idea.  

Blue Seal in Japan is where you go for ice cream...not Blue Seal Feeds as we are accustom to in Maine.

Now, the remaining photos are from Kokusai street in Naha, the feel right here, in this one spot is very modern...even the cars look like the size we are used to in the states...but this is very unique to this spot.

Vending machines are HUGE presence on the island.  Even a hot coffee can be purchased, in a can, from a vending machine.

a quick trip into the drug store...I left confused and empty handed...really not sure what part of the body these products are for...

Happy cat, or Maneki-neko another Japanese traditional belief

Habu Sake.  Yup disgusting.

Perfect example of why I didn't mind being chauffeured in Okinawa...the narrow streets...and with that a greater understanding of the large number of tiny cars on the road.

Let them eat cake :)  Baumkucheon, German layered cake.

Photographing a brown owl...on my bucket list...check...  :)

Our daily Shisa photo

Our evening dinner spot.  Arin Krin Garlic House in Urasoe-shi, garlic in Every dish!!