Camping as a lifestyle Since Taipei camping was becoming a lifestyle. The rough weather conditions were pretty bad: rain, humidity, wind and cold. Sunny days were still rare. Waking up with the crows and falling asleep with the owls´s call! As campers, it made our life difficult. Being in a car was becoming a real pleasure! We enjoyed the warm and the comfortable seats!!! We made it! Food in Japanese life Any occasion is good to eat, drink and celebrate! We had often breakfast, lunch or dinner but every day tea time at 4 pm and beer time at 5:30! Combined with everything especially during sightseeings. Food is very delicious but the portions are very small :) ! In general, the quality of the products is as bad or as good as in Westerns countries. Bananas are imported from Ecuador, oranges from the US and so on…Fruits and vegs are so expensive. We cannot find good fruits and vegs like in South East Asia, we can buy food only in supermarkets (suupaa), we can forget local markets where we could bargain! We loved the Okinawan cuisine! Hospitality Japanese hospitality has nothing to compare to what we experienced so far. The first days in Naha gave us good impressions; it continued in Oppa Dake. The locals were friendly, helpful, welcoming and willing to speak with us. People, we became friends with, rolled out the red carpet. Pikachu and Kazu did so much for us and with us…Who are Pikachu and Kazu?
To do sightseeings and to go hiking Motobu Fuji It was our first day out with Pikachu and his friends Tetsu and Nozomi. Motobu Fuji (218m) is the little brother of Mt Fuji! The view on the top is remarkable but the trail is challenging. In 30 minutes we were on the top of the Fuji. After we had lunch at Yumenoya (hand made noodles) and we had a VIP tour to secret places. Cape Hedo On a rainy day we went to Yanbaru, the last large surviving tracts of subtropical rainforest with many endemic species: woodpeckers, Okinawan rails, frogs, geckos, turtles, beetles etc. We watched a movie about it. We reached the northern point of the Island: Cape Hedo. On our way back we stopped to eat an ice cream and to eat sweet potatoes cakes! Kouri Island It was on a sunny and windy day when we went to Kouri Island. The seawater was so clear. We walked two km and more! Kazu took us to the brown sugar factory where he worked three months. We also tasted the syrup. Not for everyone taste! For lunch we went to a local restaurant to eat Okinawan noodles! We had a great time with Kazu! Nago Fuji Another spontanous day out, two days before leaving. Before we all went to Nago Fuji, Kazu was at home (enjoying a day off), Pikachu on the way back home, we we were at Lawson checking internet. We met by chance Pikachu who proposed to go hiking and we could pick up Kazu. Why not? We had nothing planned. No plan is always a good plan! We were on our way to Nago Fuji. The weather conditions were not that good... another rainy day! We enjoyed it! Pineapple Park and Kouri That day, Önder and I did not want to eat Okinawan noodle! There are yummi but we needed a change. We had noodles and spagetti everyday... We were up to Japanese curry. Kazu decided to go to a "real" curry: an Indian restaurant. We felt like in India. It was the same taste but less spycies! It is customised to Japanese taste. Afterwards, as we do not fancy aquariums or zoo, we visited the pineapple park. It was a quick tour: 10 minutes tour in an automatic car, we have barely seen a pineapple! We spent more time in the shopping area, tasting products made with pineapples, than in the park itself. In the middle of all of this "circus", there is a shell museum, which was so beautiful! It was fun :=))) To finish our day, we went to Kouri island for a second time where we discovered the heart shaped stone. We liked it and had a jump session! Thanks Kazu for the day! Visit a local school One evening, during dinner Pikachu spoke about his work at the local school. He goes weekly to read a story to kids. He suggested us to come with him and to present our country to the kids. Pikachu told us that the chance for those kids to go abroad is little. Ok Let´s go to a Japanese school! Pikachu put on his Pikachu outfit and started the reading. Before the reading the kid who had his/her birthday picked up a number. This number referred to a book, Pikachu read the story for 20 minutes! After we introduced us in Japanese to the children and we asked what they know about Germany and France. We learned some Japanese and when we spoke the kids were filled with wonder! It was a great moment, as in any other countries we went to a local school. On the week end, one schoolboy went to the campsite to give us some food! We met him with his mother on the way back to the campsite. In the car, we chatted a bit, it was a mix of Japanese and English. To the question: How are you, the kids answered: " I am happy". When he left, he asked us when we were coming back. We could not promise anything ... He was so sad... To introduce to their friends We met a lot of people, everyone is Pikachu´s friend :)))) - Mayumi owner of Ondo ´s caffe in Nakijin - who prepares delicious açaí smoothies! and reopened her cafe just for us! - another Mayumi who opened recently Cafe Wan in Kunigami Son - who makes yummi Tayiaki! - Nonsan and Mr Koutaro Inoue fom Naha - who came twice to visit Oppo Dake and Co! - at the Yanbaru center: Ms Hiromi Kamigaichi and Ms Naoko Chibana - who showed us a film in English about the Okinawan fauna and flora and gave me present: a grasshoper made of dried grass ! - Mr Chinen and his son Mr Shin Chinen (son) - who came to meet us to have English conversation and prepared a BBQ! - Mr Tetsu To, a cook who learned cooking in France three years one and one in Marsannay la Cote (Burgundy) - The teachers at Nakijin school To organise a Welcome party, BBQs and watch the stars ... Two days after our arrival, Pikachu invited us for a Welcome BBQ! Friends were coming over. It was the first party amongst so many after! To let us taste the local food (champuru), to learn traditional dances (Katchashi) and to do Okinawan smiles and much more! On a Sanshin day, every year on March 4th, Pikachu took us spontanously to a local restaurant where we can listen to live band. We had local food and dancing classes! The techniques of Katchashi is like opening and closing a window. (movement from right to left) and for advance it is like painting (movement going up and down). Men will have their faust closed whereas women will have them open. Shisa are placed on rooftops or entrances to keep devils, dragons away. They are a combination of lion and a dog! They are most of the time in pairs: one will have the mouth opened, the other closed. We saw them everywhere but we did not really took pictures of them! We thought they were also in mainland. What comes from Okinawa, stays in Okinawa. 11th March we paid tribute to the victims of Fukushima. One minute silence. At 14:47, 5 years ago, the earth trembled. Pikachu went to Fukushima, helped there during three days as first aid. 14th March: is valentine day! Celebrated for men only whereas 14th Feb is for women! No chocolates but buiscuits will be given as presents! This was only the tip of the iceberg… here are more…
The last but not the least It was our last evening at Oppa Dake, it was nice but sad ... We cooked together Italian spagetti combined with a Japanese style! Pikachu and Kazu gave us some nice presents! We had a good laugh :))) The very next morning we were embarking on the ferry to Kagoshima. Before leaving, Pikachu woke up at 5:30 and prepared a very nice breakfast (eggs, rice, soup and spagetti)! At 8:00am we left Oppa Dake! Sometimes we were on our own ... and played the hosts! We explored the region on our own too! Therefore we could show places to Takka. He came with his friend Aruna to say goodbye! We took them around to places we went with Pikachu and Kazu. Takka: Do you remenber? One of the friend we met in Naha and drove us to the campsite (over 90 km, one way!) The secret places Nature on the island (Just a part of it)
Sunset with cables Instead of getting annoyed with the cables and towers, I just integrated them in the pictures. Some more stories....about people we just met for few minutes! At the convenience store, one guy just asked us where we are from, gave us two bottles of green tea and left! Another day, we were walking back from the beach (7km, one way), one girld we just greeted at the beach few minutes ago, stopped and asked us whether we had a car. She was on her way back home. As we did not, she gave us a lift to the campsite! We met her at the restaurant where she works the same evening, it was on Sanshin day. On the road, some graduates drove us two km to the convenience store, they were happy to take us! Another stories Diverse and Fun How to conclude three weeks in Okinawa?Staying in Naha and Oppa Dake was really the first time where we felt to have a break from our journey!
THANK YOU EVERYONE TO HAVE MADE OUR STAY A UNFORGETABLE MEMORY!
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