Day 4: (January 4) Best Monday Ever!  Paradise.

There's nothing like being dropped off in the middle of a dirt road, in the middle of nowhere and told to walk, "I think that way" (with a smile and a enthusiastic hand gesture), toward a beach someone heard someone say might be in that direction..

Mud road to where...?

Yep, we cheerfully got out of the car with all our gear for the day and walked down the road with a spring in our step and a wave "good-bye" over our shoulders.

Oh my....are you serious?????

Our road opened up to this!

So we had our own private beach for the day... we saw no other human beings for hours. Perfection!

We walked out across the tide pools and watched the little hermit crab cities come to life as the crabs took their places on the tiny cliffs of exposed rock as the tide left the shore.

looks like mud, but it's coral beds

                                                                        

We explored some of the incredible rock formations - walking carefully to avoid falling on the sharp edges surrounding us.

During a quick snack break, we were surprised to hear a group of human voices approaching our quiet sanctuary. It was a Japanese family with a knowledgeable local guide, showing them the coastline. Time to sneak some strategic selfies!

Once the tide went out all the way we were able to walk to an island nearby where we found more beaches and rock formations... and a lonely crane came looking for its lunch. Absolutely beautiful views in every direction!

 

Eventually we suited up to do some quick snorkeling... Alas, underwater camera malfunctioned. But we did get some shots of the incredibly blue fish that seem to be a staple of the Okinawan ecosystem.

 

The tide started coming back in rather quickly, and when we returned to our beach, we found a 'tree pineapple' perched atop a rock. It was heavy - and possibly past its prime - so we left it behind.

It was an absolutely incredible day! But we tore ourselves away and headed back to reality...