FINALLY an update!

We apologize to all who have been anxiously awaiting updates from our trip. It's been an amazing 2015 so far and after several jam packed days filled with jet lag, linguistic adventures, internet barriers and distractions we have finally found a few moments to sit down and update everyone on our adventure! (edits to follow - we just want to throw something on the blog for people to see what we've been up to for the last few days!)

We'll rewind and begin at the beginning: 

sunrise? sunset? it's all the same?

Day 0: (Dec. 31, 2014 - Jan. 1, 2015)
Flying for.ever: the loooooooooooooooooongest day ever!

Thanks to Mama V and Maria for getting up early with us to drop us at the airport!
After a long layover in Chicago we began the long stretch of flight across the US and across the ocean to Tokyo.

We were pleasantly surprised to find a pleasant and interesting person occupying the third seat in our section. (Emily got to be the cream filling in a 6'2" cramped traveler sandwich).

The clouds were beautiful and made sitting over the wing an opportunity to capture some cool reflections of the sky.

half a million hours down...
another half-million to go

After a million hours of snoozing, watching the little airplane inch across the map, dodging flying carts and stewardesses in the aisles, and mercifully decent movies while watching the sun never set... we finally landed in Tokyo, where it was already evening of New Year's Day.

this is how we felt

With a little less than an hour to work with, we were able to claim bags, clear customs, recheck bags, clear security (with a blank stare - smile & nod) and find our gate with time to spare. 
YES, Japan is the land of efficiency.
On our flight to Okinawa we slept like babies (it was finally dark!) and when we got to baggage claim we were so happy to see Keely outside! 

We grabbed our first taste of Japan at the airport "conbini" and a quick stop at the "Pro Pit" for a fill-up.
Side note: A shower has never (well, let's say rarely) felt better.

Day 1: (Jan. 2)

cold but beautiful... the beach at last!

It was Christmas morning for Maya - we Skyped with the grandparents/Santa & Mrs. Claus back in the U.S.A.

We packed up and headed off to the aquarium/Ocean Park with a brief stop on a small island - unimpressive to residents but it was wonderful to see a little bit of beach.

we just can't wait to show off our skills!

Headed to the Ocean Park where we saw a dolphin show -they were so eager to show off their talents! 

So very kawai!! (cute)

Had a stroll through a "traditional Okinawan Village" where our 5 year-old travel companion informed us "It's really hard to have fun here"

And.... SEA TURTLES! V was captivated and got some great shots.

helloooooooooo!!!

We had dinner at Umi No Eki - at a traditional Okinawan style place where we tried a variety of items including sea grapes, several varieties of seaweed, V's first taste of octopus, and more... tasty sensation. We also had our first taste of goya champuru - a stir-fry preparation including goya, a bitter cucumber that is known for its contributions to Okinawans' famous tendency towards longevity.

hmmmm.... do sheep like seaweed?....
ready to taste mozuku

SO TIRED, we managed not to fall asleep in our food, but lost all consciousness in the car.

Impressions:
Have you ever felt like an infant? Totally reliant on someone else for all forms of communication?

We feel completely illiterate - non-verbal is our only method of communication and even non-verbals are tricky. Japanese people are so polite that it is hard to read what they are really thinking or feeling. Are they really that excited about helping me out? Are they really that grateful that I chose their shop to purchase a snack and a drink?

Day 2: January 3
First Stop: Ashibinaa outlet mall

Let's take a moment to talk about public restrooms.Specifically, toilets. Who knew that answering nature's call could in itself be such an experience? Let us count the ways:

1) V's favorite: HEATED toilet seats (Mama V, spoiler alert... when is your birthday?...)

2) A control panel! so many buttons! The urge to push the button with an ambulance picture next to it is almost too much for Em to resist! (Just to see what happens!)

3) A plethora of sounds to play to mask the embarassing realities of why we all go to toilets in the first place. You can choose from white noise, continual flushing, or the peaceful back-to-nature soundtrack of crickets and other forest sounds

4) Seat sanitizer - V may or may not have sanitized her leg and had a nice floral scent follow her throughout the day

5) BEWARE: There are extra features available to freshen up various parts (including blow-dry) but so far we have not been brave enough to experiment with these

6) (this is all V) - WOW - so low to the ground - it's like squatting! 
This refers to the "Western Style" toilets. There are also squatters in some locations.

7) A built-in seat for children - genius idea! so that there is a safe spot for them while mommy takes care of business.

8) High-tech toilet seats available at the mall! (Mama V, reference previous comment)

To be continued...?

Lunch: "street fair" fare -- not ichiban fair food but it was an experience, and we were thrilled to feel the sun peek through the clouds as we wrapped up our dining experience

yaki soba and tako yaki

100 yen store: great souvenir shopping opportunity! 

Gadget store - best find: Mouth toner! We failed to capture on film but here's what Google came up with:

It's like a body blade for your face that you hold between your teeth. Jovan's demonstration was priceless; almost convinced us to buy one.

Off to the castle for the end of the New Year's celebration

We got to ring a bell that is only rung once a year... various levels of ringing success were achieved.

Saw the sisha (local dragon/dog creatures that seem to be omnipresent) dance

Explored the UNESCO world heritage castle

Enjoyed tea and local sweets and befriended some Japanese tourists who were amazed and awed when V unfolded and stood up from the table.

feeling larger than life :)

Off to American Village where we had raffle tickets to claim prizes - which amounted to a bag full of household goods - 5-year-old underwhelmed response: "This doesn't seem like much of a prize"

Dinner at a diner (Japanese style) - tried the local "taco rice" and "doria" and a super cute kids' menu

Day 3: (January 3)
Up early to watch the sunrise (just the "sheep" - E, K & V) and went down to the beach below the house to enjoy a peaceful hour or so looking at shells, listening to the tide, and just being together in nature. Lovely way to start the day.

 

Packed up our gear (and some snacks) and headed to quasi-national park (NAME?)

It was beautiful!
Shallow reefs with tide pools - able to walk around and find small communities of fish and urchins
Enjoyed some water time (it was cold!) and lots of exploration - able to walk out beyond the reef to snorkel.

After returning, V got to practice driving on the left! (exciting!)

For dinner, we had a traditional hot-pot style meal (nabe) at home. Nice and relaxing.