{35mm} okinawa

Okinawa, Japan. 
March 2015

Nothing beats that glorious feeling of having absolutely nothing to do. Four short days in Okinawa and I fell in love with its quirks and silent charm… Sea breeze, great food and calm vibes makes this place a paradise in its own way. Something about Japan makes the most ordinary things enviably photogenic.

Hotel room views.

My parents and I reached the hotel at night and had no idea that the balcony was facing the beach. Thanks to the lack of street lights, the place was pitch black. We were pleasantly surprised (and a little bit in awe) when we woke up in the morning to discover this amazing view! The air was crisp and pristine. 

The hotel was situated in an industrial area and was rather inconvenient, but I guess the sea view was a consolation. We could only travel out of the area by taxi. The taxi fare was relatively cheap compared to the more developed/populated areas of Japan. The hotel was ~7 min drive from a huge complex of factory outlets, some shops and restaurants. 

Okinawa city monorail.

It is the only public rail system in Okinawa and was only built recently - in 2003!

A one-day pass on the monorail costs just 700 yen. It's heaps cheaper than taking a taxi.

Naha City.

Heiwa-dori.

Lady selling sata andagi (deep fried Okinawan donut balls).

Too much yellow for my eyes.

How else to embrace Okinawa? By manufacturing Pikachu plushies dressed in floral shirts.

Piping hot takoyaki done right!

This made my dad very happy.

Can't remember the name of the fish market but it was SO spanking clean.

We're surrounded by water.

Shuri Castle.

A historical site full of Chinese and Japanese influences. Very interesting.

Sadly, we only made it to the hotel's beach on the morning of our last day.

The Southern Beach Hotel & Resort where I stayed was immaculately clean and the bed/pillows were very comfortable. It was definitely one of the reasons why I woke up feeling refreshed and well-rested in a very long time. Although not all of their staff could speak English well, they were very helpful when we asked for directions. 

In fact, everyone we approached on the streets were willing to help and patient in explaining stuff to us - even if it meant explaining it to us in Japanese - hand signs, numbers and figures quickly scrawled on scrap of paper helped bridge the communication barrier. That, and also some basic understanding of Japanese helped too (thank you Japanese lessons!).

I have loads more photos I took using my phone! I need to relive my memories! Oh, the food!

After our Okinawa adventures, we flew to Taipei and spent 3 days there. But that's another story for another time! :)

See you soon, Okinawa.