I first arrived in Australia on the Thursday before the Easter Long Week. I quickly learned that Sydney largely shuts down and there's hardly anything open.
Thus I've made it a point to be somewhere. Do you detect a theme?
First Easter Long Weekend 2010: Kangaroo Island (in South Australia)
Second Easter Long Weekend 2011: Rottnest Island (in West Australia) which is known for its "quokka" (small wallaby)
Third Easter Long Weekend 2012: Solitary Island near Wooli (about a 7 hour drive North of Sydney)
My friend Andrea (who I met on another Pro Dive Weekend Trip to Fish Rock) and I joined Pro Dive on its Easter Long Weekend trip to Wooli. The aspiration was to dive Pimpernel Rock, but due to the current/wind conditions we centered our diving to Solitary Island.
I did 8 dives with my awesome dive buddy Andrea who's the best navigator ever and Wooli Dive Center!
April 6, 2012
Dive #148: Bubble Cave (max depth 20.7 m, 56 min, 28 degrees C)
Dive #149: Elbow Cave (max depth 18.9 m, 55 min) - Saw a small turtle, sink holes, estery cod. Most of all I loved the 30 m visibility!
April 7, 2012
Dive #150: Mackerel Run (max depth 18.3, 50 min, 24 degrees C)
Dive #151: Roger's Run (max depth 20.1, 43 min) Saw turtles and an eagle ray.
April 8, 2012
Dive #152: Fish Soup (max depth 16.2 m, 43 min) Very heavy surge, really deserved its name as we were tossed around in poor visibility, murky water.
Dive #153: Anemone Bay (max depth 18.6 m, 44 min) Saw three turtles, wobbygong, school of batfish and lots of anemone and a lion fish in a crevice.
I had never even heard of “long service leave” until after I transferred to Australia. Basically it’s 8 weeks paid vacation that the Australian Federal Government requires a company give to all employees after 10 years of employment. As I hit my 10 year anniversary at Cisco (Aug. 23, 2010) while on the Australian pay roll, I qualified for and received “long service leave”.
Historical note: Long service leave is unique to Australia and New Zealand and was originally to give colonized Australians time to travel back by boat to the Mother Country of the UK.
I was ecstatic! While I’ve had 2-3 week vacations over the years, 5 weeks seemed an unimaginable luxury! In fact, I haven’t had this much time off since high school as I worked all summers and after college graduation, I started working right away.
The next questions were – how much of my long service leave should I take off (Cisco requires that you take a minimum of 3 weeks and only in two batches) and where should I go?
Ultimately I decided on taking 5 weeks and heading to:
1. Thailand (Koh Samui, Koh Tao, Bangkok) from Dec. 23, 2011 -Jan. 1, 2012 2. Chile (Santiago) on Jan. 3, 2012 3. Peru (Lima, Cusco, Tumbes, Zorritos, Piura) from Jan. 3-Jan. 14, 2012 4. Japan (Okinawa) from Jan. 16-21, 2012 5. Taiwan (Taipei, Sun Moon Lake, Hsinchu, Yilan County) from Jan. 21-Jan. 28, 2012
Thailand Last year I’d finished visiting all 6 states and 2 territories of Australia so my sights were now set on exploring Asia. Thailand was on the “list” as I was keen to check out the scuba diving and my wonderful friends Venecia and Sam let me know they were vacationing there over Christmas and inviting me to come along.
Highlights: • Thai iced tea galore and ate more than my year’s quota of pad thai -The Green Bird was a favorite and cheap place to eat. Sam spotted this place because it was crowded and had rave reviews pinned up on the wall from past tourists.
• Rode an elephant! Cheesy I know, but how could I goto Thailand and not ride an elephant? It was like visiting Australia that first time and hugging a koala. • Thailand’s favored cocktail: Mai thai – Just a few months earlier I’d gone to the original bar famous for the Singapore Sling. Detecting a trend here… • Random outbursts of laughter while enjoying my Thai foot massage – It was a darkened room, Venecia and Sam were relaxed and napping in the chairs next to me. So when the masseuse used what looked like the square end of a Chinese chopstick and jabbed it hard into the pressure points in my feet and toes, I had this uncontrollable urge to burst out laughing. I laughed so hard I was crying. And I startled Venecia awake, yet amazingly Sam slept on. In fact, Sam slept through the whole Thai foot massage which is absolutely incredible to me – reminds me of the only other person I know with a similar talent - my friend Mei Chuah who in college slept through an incredibly loud and piercing fire alarm at Brigham Dormitory. • Packed in 10 scuba dives in Koh Tao • Rain, more rain and then overcast clouds – While Venecia extended her trip (originally slated to head home to Taiwan on Dec. 27) she stayed until Dec. 31 and joined me in Koh Tao. Sam had had enough of the rain and the weather reports were predicting more rain ahead. It didn’t matter so much to me as I was already going to be wet scuba diving and Venecia was telecommuting and a change of scenery were conducive to writing…plus there were glimmers of “partly sunny”.
• Four hotels, five if you count visiting Venecia and Sam’s villa on the mountain-side.
o Mimosa Resort and Spa was in a remote area of Koh Samui and while I enjoyed my room, after two nights we were eager to move onto another resort closer to the buzz of restaurants and cafes.
o Kandaburi Resort and Spa – I couldn’t get into the same resort as Venecia and Sam so I booked into this one which was closer to Chaweng Beach but still a 15 minute walk. My room had the oddest layout – you entered via this huge bathroom. Check out this video and see if you find this as disconcerting as I did when I first entered my room.
o Nora Buri Resort & Spa – While I didn’t stay here Venecia and Sam did and it was a great choice! In fact, as they checked in on Dec. 25 (Sam’s birthday) they were upgraded to a private villa at the top of the hill with a majestic view and their own private infinity pool! We begged off from doing an island boat tour and instead spend the day taking advantage of the pool and views.
o Charm Churee Resort & Spa – After taking the ferry to Koh Tao, this was the hotel Venecia and I checked into. It had no TV and was the most traditional in the sense it was made of teak wood, but we had some initial issues with the “not so hot” shower. Plus it was very far from Sairee Beach which is where the café’s and nightlife were. The “taxi” into Sairee Beach was also unforgettable. Basically, we’re in the back of a pickup truck, with wooden benches level with the top edge of the sides of the pickup and the roads are narrow, go up and down hills and around corners at a fast clip and there’s nothing to hold onto!
o Back in Koh Samui, I finally check into Muang Samui Spa & Resort that’s right on Chaweng Beach which works out perfectly as this is also where I celebrate New Year’s Eve.
If I were to stay in Koh Samui again, I’d consider The Library Resort which had this great restaurant Venecia and I enjoyed dinner at (The Page).
The first day in Koh Samui, we walked 35 minutes in the rain to get to “The Farmer” restaurant and I have my first Mai Tai.
Venecia and I then head to this very exclusive Anantara Resort for their signature Thai massage. After reading the description in the spa menu about the benefits of special hot oil dripping onto the pressure points of your head for a head massage reputed to help with stress and sleep, Venecia decided to give it a go.
Fishing village in Koh Samui
Bo Phut Pier in Koh Samui
When we arrive in Koh Tao we check out our hotel with a drink at “Elvis’ Bar” (only in Thailand) and later that night another “Green Bird” like restaurant that has wonderfully tasty Thai food that’s incredibly cheap. Called Su Chilli at Sairee Beach Village.
Lots of mopeds in Koh Tao, here's how you gas up
With a recommendation from Pro Dive Coogee Dive Master Amber, I’ve signed up to do my dives with Scuba Junction (Koh Tao, Thailand).
Dive # 136: Dec. 28, 2011 “Chumphon Pinnacle” 32 minutes bottom time, 29.7 meters/97 feet, 27 Celcius, with dive buddy Imran and Dive Master Dennis. It’s a deep dive, dark and as a result didn’t see a whole lot of fish life.
Dive # 137: Dec. 28, 20122 “HTMS Sattakut” 35 minutes bottom time, 29.6 meters/97feet, 31 Celcius/87.8F, with dive buddy Imran and Dive Master Dennis again. This is a wreck dive with big guns, a captains tower that you see in the video we all enter and take a group photo. This wreck was deliberately sunk by the US a few months ago.
Dive #138: Dec. 28, 2011 “Japanese Gardens” 54 minutes, 17.1 meters/56 feet, 27Celcius/80F, with visibility of 8-10 meters. Dive Buddy Francis and Diver Master Vera. Saw harlequin sweet lips, yellow butterfly fish, chevron barracuda, scribble filefish, crown of thorn starfish, sponges, spiral coral, stag horn coral, Indian cushion sea star, soft carrot coral, grouper, pink anemone and wrasse fish.
Dive #139: Dec. 28, 2011 “Twins” 48 minutes bottom time, 18.6 meters/61ft, 5-8 meter visibility, 27Celcius. Dive Buddy Francis and Diver Master Vera. Saw blue ringed angle fish, long fin banner fish, yellow/blue/white Christmas tree worms, giant clams, nudi branches, flat elephant ear coral along the rock at the end and long face emperor fish.
Dive #140:Dec. 29, 2011 “White Rock” 49 minutes bottom time, 20 meters. Dive Buddy Shaun from Canada (wears white socks to protect his feet from the fins), Dive Master Vera.
Dive #141: Dec. 29, 2011 “Twins” 41 minutes bottom time, 17.8 meters, Dive Buddy Shaun from Canada, Dive master Vera. Saw this amazing highway of sardines/silverfish that reminds me of that scene in “Finding Nemo” where Dori runs into a highway of fish heading South. Also see a blue spotted ribbon stingray, great photos of it from under a rock.
Dive #142: Dec. 29, 2011 “Tao Tong” 48 minutes bottom time, 12 meters, Dive Master Dennis, Dive buddy Henna. Saw long fin batfish, durbin dancing shrimp, Indian pin cushion sea star, crown starfish and trigger fish.
Dive #143: Dec. 29, 2011 “Twins” 50 minutes bottom time, 18 meters, Dive buddy Vera, Dive Master Dennis. We see banner fish, grouper, marble grouper, flasher scorpion fish (like a small rock fish), blue spotted ribbon tale ray (although my camera had just run out of battery so I missed this shot!!!), pipe fish.
Dive #144: Dec. 30, 2011 “Southwest” 37 minutes bottom time, 25.6 meters. Our first day of partly sunny and calm waters! There was a TON of anemone – to the point this dive site should be called the Garden of Anemone. The best visibility I’ve had in Koh Tao with a slight current at the end where there also happened to be a barracuda. Dive master Ella.
Dinner on Dec. 28 was at a disappointing Italian restaurant called “MacLead” which was near the sea port (versus Sairee Beach). The following night (Dec. 29) we took Dive Master (from the UK/Ireland) Dennis’ recommendation and enjoyed wonderful seafood restaurant called “Barracuda”. While walking around Sairee Beach Village we ran into Shaun my dive buddy so he joined us for dinner and showed us all the great bars and entertainment along the beach. Shaun took us to “Lotus Beach Bar” (which is where he originally met his Thai girlfriend) and where we saw these amazing fire dancers!
While I associated Thailand with pad thai, Thai massages and elephants … I had never heard of “lady boys”. But Sam insisted that most tours from Asia coming to Thailand always included a “lady boy” show. In fact he pointed these “lady boys” out to us – they’re young Asian men dressed in drag and they’re holding signs inviting tourist to watch them perform musical shows with flash costumes – rather like you see in the Australian movie Priscilla Queen of the Desert.
We didn’t manage to see one of these “lady boy” shows before Sam departed Thailand (although it was our intention) so we went to a show in Koh Tao. As you’ll see in these videos the lady boys are dressed in drag and sing popular songs and dance. While some you can absolutely tell are men from their jawline and adam’s apple in their throats, some look and sound remarkably like really attractive women!
On Dec. 30, Venecia and I head back to Koh Samui and have a lovely dinner at The Page where we launch a lucky ballon.
On. Dec 31, Venecia heads back home to Taiwan so I decide to take a city highlights tour of Koh Samui. We start at the “Big Buddha”. As I’m older than the “Big Buddha” which is built in 1972, it doesn’t have much historic importance to me but it’s interesting for the customs and beliefs of some of the aspects – for example, around the back of the Buddha are a series of bells of all different sizes, sounds and state (some are broken) and if you ring each of these your wish will come true. Then there are all the stone gods for each day of the week and what the day of the week you were born means (a new twist to the horoscope). I know I was born on a Friday and my brother on a Monday as my Mother’s fond of saying “I don’t work on weekends”.
Then we head to “Grandpapa and Grandmama Rocks”. Now remember I’d asked for a tour of the highlights, I’ll admit I didn’t do much research on what I wanted to see in my 3 hour 1,500 Thai Baht Tour (AUD$46) so trusted the judgement of the private tour guide I hired. So take a look at the photo of “Grandpapa Rock” and tell me what shape it resembles. And if you think, “no, it can’t be” - yes it is.
And it had just rained so it was dangerous to climb down the rock to see “Grandmama Rock” but if you can imagine this inlet at the junction of two rocks, with the waves crashing in and erupting with a spout of water, I’m sure you can visualize this in your head.
I have to admit that while I didn’t say this to the guide, I was thinking, this must be a great joke on tourists. There’s a historic “story” that goes along with these rocks – something along the lines of these grandparents were matchmaking their son to another family’s daughter but they died before the match was made. And these rocks were intended to commemorate to the future in-laws that they were trustworthy, honest and kept their word and only death prevented them from completing the match.
There was a market here so I purchased a coconut drink for 40TBT (AUD$1.23) and sandals as mine had broken at the “Big Buddha” for 250TBT (AUD$7).
So after seeing the not very historic “Big Buddha” statue and the kinky rock formations, next on the itinerary was the “Mummified Monk.” Now my friends and family know that typically I research the activities of my trip and plan the itinerary in fairly exhaustive detail, this Koh Samui City Highlights Tour was me “going with the flow and being spontaneous”. So the guide says “we’re going to see a mummified monk” I’m thinking we’re going to see a religious figure wrapped in white bandages like a mummy or a coffin with a religious figure inside.
I didn’t expect to see a monk seated in an orange robe with dark sunglasses that had been mysteriously mummified while meditating for several days and was now preserved behind a glass case.
The tour guide informed me that this Monk has two very special capabilities. 1). He could predict his death and 2). He could stay very still without moving or eating for 15 days of meditating. Upon predicting his death, he wrote a letter to his disciple stating that he’d be very still/mummified and to please keep him seated and in a glass case so followers could pray with him. Then with no surgical procedure or chemicals (evidently this has been proven by 2 National Geographic scientists but in a quick Google search I couldn’t find anything) he was mysteriously mummified. The theory is that the monk drank lots of salt water and it dried his body out from the inside.
Without intending any disrespect, I felt like this could have been on “Ripley’s Believe it or Not” it was so bizarre. I’m sharing this with you, but while there I was totally respectful as I watched many local Thai bring flowers, bowls of fruit, rubbing gold plated paper on the frame of the monk’s black and white photo and burning incents while praying in front of the mummified monk, keeping these thoughts to myself until I wrote this blog. I have to admit that this is one of those instances when I wished to be travelling with friend/family as after we drove onto the next sight I would have whispered, “that was both eerie and creepy”.
The last stop of the tour was the ride on the elephant (400TBT for 15 minutes) which was very bristle-y. Elephants to have very rough, dry skin with hair that’s as abrasive as unshaven stubble. Yet of all I’d seen that day, it was the most in line with what I expected from my Thailand experience.
On New Year’s Eve, I joined the celebrations of the Muang Samui Spa and Resort on Chaweng Beach with cultural dancing, fire dancing, Thai boxing (this was a farce, more comedic than WWF with the boxers running off the stage and into the crowd, since when does the boxer run away then jump back in and throw a punch) and music. As midnight neared, we light lucky paper lanterns (I lit two!) and there were massive fireworks right above our heads on the beach and all along the coast.
New Year’s Eve Lucky Balloon #1
New Year’s Eve, lucky lucky Balloon
Midnight New Year’s Eve 2012 Celebrations in Koh Samui, Thailand
More fireworks celebrations.
On Jan. 1, 2012, I departed Koh Samui and flew into Bangkok where I had several hours before my flight back to Sydney. So I took the time to check out Bangkok but catching the train into the city (I took the local instead of the rapid train), switching to the local train (which was clean and well organized, much like the Japanese trains system) and then hopping on a boat that travelled up the river to see some of the sights.
You can’t miss the remnants of the Thailand Floods that hit Bangkok in Oct. 2011. There was dirty water with so much debris and many dilapidated houses along the river that were beyond repair. It was very humid and sunny and I finally disembarked at the stop for the Royal Palace. On my way there I saw the amulets and antiques being sold by local vendors. They looked like random trinkets and charms one might wear on a necklace.
Upon reaching the Royal Palace, I was told my leggings were too tight fitting to go into the palace so I rented a used brown elephant print wrap around skirt. Because it was New Year’s Day the palace was closed but I could see the Emerald Buddha for free (typically foreigners had to pay). The Emerald Buddha palace was very bejeweled with glittering tiles covering all the walls, towers and roof that sparkled in the sunlight. I walked the area and finally found a small group of women that seemed prepared to jump the line to see the Emerald Buddha.
It was clear that much like how the Japanese travel to temples on New Year’s Day, so do the Thai. The Emerald Buddha Temple was very, very crowded with many Thai coming to pay their respects with flowers and fruit offerings. The line was suffocating, we were pressed like sardines, sweaty people and bare semblance of order (some pushing as we neared the entrance) and there were a few moments went I felt like abandoning the line. Finally I wound my way through and got a quick glimpse of the Emerald Buddha (no photos allowed) through the many rows of people kneeling and praying.
Later on Jan. 1, I departed Bangkok and arrived in Sydney early in the morning of Jan. 2 to have a birthday breakfast with my friend Kate at one of my favorite places for brekkie – The Book Kitchen. Later that afternoon was spent last minute shopping for a hiking trek to Machu Picchu.
Wed. Jan. 3 was the longest day – literally! My flight departed Sydney at 9:25 a.m. and after a 3 hour flight I arrived in Auckland, New Zealand where I had about a 2 hour layover. Then after an 11 hour flight, I arrived in Santiago, Chile where I arrived (still on Jan 3) at 11:40 a.m.
Since there was an 8 hour lay over in Chile I decided to do yet another “City Highlight” tour.
After the tour, I boarded the flight from Santiago, Chile at 8:50 p.m. (yes, still on Jan. 3) it was still bright as day outside – as if it was still noon-time – and after a 4 hour flight I finally arrived in Lima, Peru at 10:40 p.m. on the same day I left – January 3. This is because even though on a map Peru is directly above Chile, there is a two hour time difference as Peru does not observe day light savings time and they’re in different time zones.
More later, but incredibly the very next day (yes that would be Jan. 4), I’m on yet another plane from Lima to Cusco, Peru where I arrive at a pleasant 3,900 meters (12,000 feet) above sea level and experience a pressure filled headache from altitude sickness and I’m sure lack of sleep.
Highlights of Santiago, Chile: • Santiago is in the foothills of the Andes Mountains • The weather was very hot, almost sweltering • It was sad that so many of the buildings were covered by graffiti • My one meal in Chile was in a Peruvian-Japanese restaurant, but it was called Mongolian beef • All Americans must pay US$140 for a visa to enter Chile and it’s good for the life of the passport – lucky me that my passport’s got 10 more years • There are 85% Catholics in Chile, very few indigenous natives. Evidently this is because during the Spanish Invasion, Chile did not fight the Spanish and most of the natives fled. • The dollar goes very far! 1,303 Pesos = US$3.00 for a bottle of nice red wine
Much like the “City Highlights Tour” in Koh Samui, I have a private tour of the “City Highlights of Santiago” and after driving through the historic part of town with all the dilapidated buildings, we randomly head to an old historic house and race track that when I asked really did not seem to have any significance at all.
Where the rich lived in the olden times were historic homes that are not allowed to be torn down or renovated except by universities or government agencies. Which meant that there were many buildings sitting in disrepair. And many, many were covered in graffiti which was very sad and showed disrespect for both homes, office buildings and other buildings.
We next headed to the city centre where there was the expected hustle and bustle of people heading to lunch, where I visited the San Francisco Church of Santiago and Parliament House.
After lunch we’re off to a national park where I climb to the top for a panoramic city view. I can see a vast city, right at the footsteps of the Andes Mountains which had snow capped mountains. There are not many tall sky scraper buildings, but it’s quite a modern city.
This is followed by a visit to a shop where they sell blue lapis stone jewelry which is evidently only found in Chile. And that’s where the guide tells me about the “Spicy Indian” which is along the lines of “Grandpapa Rock” back in Thailand if you catch my drift.
The last stop is to see how the other side (rich) live in Santiago. They have huge mansions on the mountainside with gates and majestic views of the city and the Andes mountain range.
My aim is to live a life with no regrets. Yet after college graduation, when Ana last invited me to join them on their trip to Peru – I declined – and I’ve always regretted that missed opportunity. So I let them know that next time they visited Peru – I’d love to join them.
Then next thing I know, I hear they’re going to Peru in January – I’m so very excited. Ana’s been my best friend since 5th grade so to goto Peru with Ana was such a privilege and honor as I’d get the “local” perspective. This was important to me as I’d just had two mediocre “Highlight City Tour” experiences. And I should mention that I didn’t speak more than a few words of Spanish.
Wed. Jan. 4
The morning after I arrive, we have breakfast at a café around the corner – where I have the largest fruit juice shake you can possibly imagine – I’m heading back to the Lima airport to catch a flight to Cusco. This is my first experience with “Peruvian time” – the airplane gate changes not once, but three times! And what will become a pattern for us this trip - when we travel Peruvian Airlines – the flight is delayed.
Finally we arrived in Cusco (about a 1 hour flight) and collected our baggage and headed out of the airport. We were surprise to see our tour guide representative waiting for us outside with “Linda Masako” on the sign she was holding up. I say “surprised” because I had absolutely nothing to do with making any of the arrangements of our trip to Cusco/Machu Picchu. Ana booked everything, I was just along for the ride - yet the sign at the airport (and every other time we met a tour greeter) says “Linda Masako” – go figure.
While it became a running joke – this is my official big call out and THANK YOU to Ana for making all of the arrangements for our trip.
I wasn’t long in Cusco before I had this immense pressure filled headache. It didn’t hurt like a “splitting headache”, it felt more like a tremendously stuffy head on the verge of becoming a pounding headache. Cusco, I’m told, is even higher in altitude than Machu Picchu so I’d been told to expect altitude sickness and that’s why we were here a day early to acclimate to the higher altitude. Relief came in the form of cocoa leaves, drops and tea. I had cocoa tea every opportunity I could get and I tried chewing the leaves directly but found it too bitter. Note: I don’t know how, but using some chemical process I’m told that cocoa leaves become cocaine. That’s why when we exited the area we were checked for cocoa leaves as you’re only allowed to bring a small stack of it out of the area at any one time.
Once we checked into the El Porte Hostel we headed into the plaza in search of a backpack, rain poncho and a few other things for the day trekking.
As you’ll see from these photos, what’s most remarkable is the incredibly blue skies of Cusco. I’ve never seen such startling blue skies! We walked up and down many steep hills and stairs as we explored the town and went into various shops. It was very, very tiring – I couldn’t tell if it was the altitude or jet lag or both but I was getting winded very easily, my heart was racing and I was getting very sleepy. There's an embarrassing photo of me taking a nap on a wall high up on a hill as I was waiting for them to take several panoramic city shots and FlipVideos.
We had dinner at a restaurant that serves the special corn and then we meandered back to the hostel to meet the private guide who was going to hike with us to Machu Picchu – Jose.
Thurs. Jan. 5
I woke up with a pressure-filled headache again, but after an Advil I felt immediately better. On the van ride toward Ollanbambo, we rode on these winding roads higher and higher. As it was rainy and overcast we got on our mountain bikes a bit lower (elevation 3900 meters down to 1700 meters). Jose, our fantastic travel guide, set us up with helmets and gloves and down we went. I was the slowest of the group and Jose was wonderful about staying behind with me. The van also followed us the whole way so that was comforting.
While this mountain bike ride was the closest I’ll ever come to a “Tour de France” and what I’ll always think of as my “Tour de Peru”, I’ll always remember how I didn't bring my sunglasses because chances were bleak that the sun would come out. So of course I left them in the van.
Why is this important? Well, the mountain bikes we rode didn’t have a splash guard on the front tire so the rain literally flew right into my eyes!!! If I wasn’t rapidly blinking and wiping my eyes and trying to duck, swerve and avoid this single stream of rain water from going into my eyes (I had no sunglasses to protect my eyes and I was worried my contact lenses were going to fall out) so I could see where I was biking as I sped down the hill – it would have been comedic.
The road was slick with water and there were several times when we had to bike through water run off at a diagonal with our rain ponchos flying behind us. There was also a bit of off-roading at the end where they were still building the road. This got our pants and shoes totally wet so that at the end of our two-hour ride we were covered with mud and needed to be hosed down.
After our bike ride, we had lunch in Santa Maria where I had a soup starter, fried fish, french fries and rice. Having french fries AND rice or even rice AND yucca (Peruvian potatoes) with a meal would become a pattern in Peru. So many starches to fill you up! The guys were often the beneficiary of my second starch ☺
After lunch we headed on a perilous taxi ride from Santa Maria to Santa Theresa. This ride was even scarier than a drive about this time last year (Note: In January 2011, Shell and I were driving to the Jenolan Caves in the fog and I remember driving very nervously along winding roads very high up in the mountains).
It was scarier because it wasn’t a paved road, it was a dirt road high in the mountains, no guard rails, very bumpy and only one car wide. There were also no road mirrors, only the honking of horns to denote another car was coming from the opposite direction.
Once we arrived in Santa Theresa, we checked into our hostel. It was nice and had a garden courtyard. We quickly changed into our swimsuits and headed to the natural hot springs with beautiful vista views of the mountains. The water was warm/hot and I had to sit along the rocks a few times as I was getting a bit overheated.
Dinner was at the same place that we would have brekkie the next day. It was pitch black dark as we walked to dinner as we were in such a small village so I got to use my new head lamp which Ana and Scott had given me for Christmas for the first time.
Friday, Jan. 6
After breakfast we started hiking through the Sacred Valley, Urubamba Valley, towards Machu Picchu. It started off – literally – like an Indiana Jones movie. We had to cross this roped bridge that had a few missing planks so you had to place your feet deliberately to avoid falling into the raging river.
While two obnoxious jerks were bouncing on the bridge and shaking it, I let them pass and used the opportunity to take a few photos.
Ana thought it was me making all the racket and turned around and glared (expecting it to be me) and ended up giving the evil eye to the other hikers ;)
We walked along the base of the valley in what could have been a rock quarry. Along the way we saw this man randomly digging a hole in this rock quarry, no wheelbarrow or truck to indicate he was doing something other than digging his own grave. Later we learned that he was digging for dirt to fill up sandbags as there was flooding expected.
Finally we came to the point where we had to cross another part of the river to make it across to the other side of the valley. And would you believe that it was even more meager than the rope bridge we crossed. We were basically going across in a flat wooden orange crate held by a few metal rings onto a rope!
Jose and Scott went across first so that when it was our turn they were already on the other side and could pull us is as momentum would only take us halfway across the river.
Once on the other side, we saw many fruits, coffee/red bean and coca leaves (bright colored leaves). Hiking wasn’t so difficult as thankfully the sky was overcast and fortunately not raining or hot. In fact it was rather cool and comfortable. Along the way we ate “God’s Snack” which is like Peruvian popcorn.
Lunch was, no surprise, soup, more lomolindo beef and ice cream for dessert.
Note: We had lomo saltado (beef with minimal veges) so many times and it was always served along with some combination of two of the following: rice, yucca and French fries. I just don’t get why there’s a need for two starches! Way too much yucca!
After lunch we headed off walking along these railroad tracks that Jose informed us were abandoned but train did surprise us (evidently only a portion of the tracks were abandoned). The train we were hiking is the original Inca trail and relatively flat.
After about 5+ hours of hiking we finally saw the terraces that indicated Machu Picchu was not far ahead. It was amazing to turn the corner and see Machu Picchu high in the distance!
As we neared the town of Aqua Caliente, Ana and I stopped to eat a fruit called Granada (“pop” with the palm of your hand to open it).
As it was still misty from raining, we arrived to see a beautiful rainbow across the valley.
The town of Aqua Caliente itself is a lot more modernized than when Ana and Scott were last there. We saw where all of the shirpa’s are awaiting their next assignments when we neared our hostel – they are very hefty strong and short.
After checking into our hostel, I walked around for about 2 hours, checking out the town market (purchased a stuffed alpaca toy for Bachan), saw some 5 star hotels at 600 soles a night and very up scale restaurants.
Sat. Jan. 7, 2012
We woke up very early to catch a 5:30 a.m. bus to Machu Picchu. When we reached Machu Picchu it was 6:30 a.m. we were among the very first tourists. The plan was to watch the sunrise but it was so rainy and overcast and covered with clouds at times we barely saw Machu Picchu.
I’m amazed at how high we are – level with the clouds – and how widespread the “town home” of the 9th Inca King is. The “village” where people live is also very, very vast. It’s amazing to think how they built it without cement, with so many rocks so high up!
From Machu Picchu, looking at the hiking path we took the day prior:
How the Inca cut the rocks they used to build Machu Picchu
Mystic Machu Picchu in the clouds:
The Inca garden at Machu Picchu
More Machu Picchu
Holy Plaza at Machu Picchu
Archaeologists map the Model of Machu Picchu
As Jose’s telling us the history, Machu Picchu disappears in the clouds. It gives Machu Picchu a very mystic quality. I’m most impressed with the puma that at the summer solstice lights the eye of the puma.
Inca Pyramid
Homes in Machu Picchu
Astronomers at Machu Picchu
By far my favorite (and Jose’s as well) is the condor! By taking advantage of the condo-wing like shapes in the rocks that are colored black, the Inca created a condor shaped rock on the ground with white around its collar.
One of the cool tricks that the Inca built in were these amazing echos – you’ll see this one of Ana.
Ana was most impressed with the Inca water system. Ironically, the modern water system at the Machu Picchu Visitor Centre was broken so after exploring the area for several hours I appreciated the Inca water system.
Manchu Picchu Ruins Part 1
Manchu Picchu Ruins Part 2
Part 3
We finally met up with Jose for a final lunch and a drink (pisco sour with fruit) after which I was so totally toasted and took a nap so I didn’t appreciate the tourist train ride back to Ollantamba much.
There again at the train station among all the tuk tuk (cab) drivers and our driver was the little man holding the “Miss Linda Masako” sign indicating he was our ride back to Cusco and the El Portal Hostel.
Along the drive back we saw a few other Inca sites and family of pig/cattle/sheep herders as we were stopped for construction workers to let us through on the main road. I’ll always remember this grandmother who was overseeing her kids, herding all these animals, while knitting and hiking through the mountains. The ultimate multi-tasker!
Dinner is at a fantastic German restaurant in Cusco.
Sun. Jan. 8, 2012
We wake up early and head to the airport. Again Peruvian Airlines is delayed. We quickly repack (this time I bring my suitcase and backpack) and head to a regional restaurant and I love the Chica Morada purple drink! And the peaches and ice cream for dessert were yummy! And the ceviche was amazingly fresh and tasty!
Then we head to the bus depot where we embarked on our 20 hour (yes, you read correctly 20 hours) bus ride to Tumbes which is the Northern-most province of Peru. We departed at 4 p.m. and arrived at noon on Jan. 9.
We paid extra so we were on the top level of the bus and had seats that reclined 180 degrees and movies (mainly in Spanish, but I finally found one with English subtitles) and 1 toilet for everyone on the bus (both top and bottom levels). Bizarrely they bus company only provisioned 2 rolls of toilet paper for the bus and 1 packed of sink towels for the duration of the trip.
Oh, and the meals were awful! Worse than plane food, totally unedible!
Mon. Jan. 9, 2012
It’s total chaos upon arrival at the Tumbes bus depot!!
Finally it’s decided that we’ll go with Piru in the smallest car possible (think Mini Cooper) with all of our luggage, the 4 of us, Piru and the driver. Piru takes us to a hostel he knows (sister, of an Aunt or something like that) and I help check it out for cleanliness and determine it’s fine. We check I and shortly hop back into the “mini cooper” like car with Piru riding in the back to goto the Mangroves.
Along the way through, we head to Piru’s Aunt’s house to drop off our laundry. We’d tried to drop if off at a proper laundry mat but they wouldn’t get it done in time. So Piru volunteered his Auntie. I must admit to being a bit shocked at the state of their home – it had cement walls, sheets were used as curtains to divide the rooms, there was a corrugated tin roof and it was very barren outside with dirt, no sidewalks or lawn. Inside was the most basic of furniture and what stood out the most for me – a satellite TV with Angelina Jolie and Denzel Washington’s “The Bone Collector” movie playing in the background. They had the most humble of homes yet they had cable TV! Yet they offered us warm hospitality with a glass of juice as the Auntie counted each piece of our smelly dirty laundry from hiking Machu Picchu at 3 soles an item. Let’s just say I never had my socks or my underwear ironed before!
When we reached the Mangroves, we had lunch of blue clams that are reputably an aphrodisiac and mixed ceviche (I’m just loving the ceviche in Peru). Then we go for a boat tour through the mangroves to Bird Island. There is no land and thus none of the natural predators of birds, so thousands of birds live in the mangroves on bird island and it definitely has the accompanying bird stench.
Then we head to the crocodile farm. As we wait in town for our Mini cooper car ride back to the hotel (it’s a long wait as his car had a flat tire) we treat ourselves to a lucuma ono frido ice cream.
When we return to the hotel, I walk around Tumos which has “the bissou” kissing couple statue so we take a photo of that and check out the Tumbes market which is very crowded and packed with items more suited for a flea market that a food market.
For dinner we head out to Edouardo’s Brouha (Edward’s Witchdoctor) for one of the best meals I had in Peru! It was this lovely cream sauce with shrimp, fish and calamari. On our walk back, we walk through the night markets of Tumbes, it’s amazing how late on a Monday night it’s so bright with lights and there are tons of vendors out selling DVDs, socks and other random things.
Tues. Jan. 10
Breakfast is near the Tumbes Central Square. As Tumbes didn’t really impress us, we decided to head South for better beaches. The same driver took us first to one hostel that Piru recommended but it was (surpringly) booked so we went back to a very nice resort we’d passed along the way called “Mango” in Zorritos which is a popular beach destination. I love the resort as it was the most upscale since I’d arrived in Peru, it had a great pool and even better cozy beach with hammocks, beds, chairs and umbrellas as well as an onsite restaurant. We checked in and hung out by the beach and enjoyed our Blue Moon welcome drinks.
Lunch was at another Brouha where we sat on the second level looking over the beach with a beautiful view. I ordered Albon digas de Cangrejo which are like crab hush puppies which were very tasty and quick to eat.
We walked back to the hotel along the beach and as we were so full from lunch we decided that instead of dinner we’d enjoy a nice dessert. The original plan was to goto Ivan’s hut for dessert but it was closed so we took the tuk tuk to the centre of town. There we had lucuma ice cream. Strangely for such a deserted town there were 5 cops walking around. We must have looked dangerous or suspicious.
We took the tuk tuk back to the hotel and had more substantial desserts and a Chilean bottle of red wine – we would have preferred Chilean.
Wed. Jan. 11, 2012
We had breakfast at the hotel and then relaxed on the beach. For dessert we checked out Ivan’s place for homemade Peruvian dessert. I had this wonderful dessert called “Torta Helada” that was a firm jelly with pineapple on top, some cream filling and then a cake. I had this concentrated espresso with hot water and milk to dilute. I poured half and added hot water for three small cups of coffee … it was very strong!
That coffee (or the milk), I speculate, was my downfall. That night I was so wired and wide awake that I was watched the movie “Watchmen” with intermittent commercials and trips to the bathroom.
Thurs. Jan. 12
After a leisurely morning at the beache after our final breakfast at the hotel, we relax at the beach until check out at 10:30 a.m.
This shuttle van picks us up at 11 a.m. and takes us on a 4 hour drive from Zorritos South to Piura. I’m in the row right behind the driver trying to sleep as much of the way as possible and just praying I didn’t need to use the bathroom. The driver was a real fan of the 1980s music – so imagine trying to sleep, watching desolate towns speed by and listening to Purple Rain.
Finally we arrived in Piura and got a nice referral to a very well air conditioned restaurant where I had a steamed fish fillet which really hit the spot.We tried a dessert which was sauce and cheese then we walked around Piura – checked out a sweet shop – then got a cab to the Piura Airport. This cab, seriously looked like it was going to fall apart – you could feel every bump on the road to the airport.
Continuing a trend, again we took Peruvian Airlines and again it was delayed. Our flight was meant to depart Piura at 7 p.m. but didn’t depart until 8 p.m. and arrive in Lima an hour later.
Friday, Jan. 13
For breakfast we had epanada which is like a meat pie from a local store. Then we took a commuter “bus” for 1.5 sole (about US$.050) for about 50 blocks to the city centre. As there are many, many of these buses driving the locals to work and they’re each trying to make as much money as possible:
• They barely stop to let you on board (there’s a lady at the side door who’s yelling out the stops like as fast as an auctioneer and takes your money so the driver can drive on, sometimes the doors just closing and he’s already pulled away)
• The drive speeds through red lights
• The bus doesn’t pull to the side of the road to let off passengers, they’ll let entire families with kids off in the middle of the street so the family has to wind through traffic to make it to the curb themselves)
• And periodically they’ll get an “update” from monitors along the road who’ll tell them how many buses are ahead of them so the driver knows how to pace himself (and the lady tips the monitor).
When we arrived in the centre of the city, we went to Qantas so I could ask if it was possible to change to leave on the same flight as Ana and Scott back to LA only to learn my only option was to go standby.
That afternoon was our shopping day as we visited several local Inca markets. Silver jewelry, Alpaca gloves and scarves, paintings and wood instruments were popular items.
In the afternoon I visited some of Ana's family and then we duck out for a very late lunch at a restaurant that is Japanese-Peruvian. Berfore we head back I quickly goto a local grocery store to purchase some pisco sour omiyage.
Then we worry we’ll be late for a Peruvian Cultural Dance and Dinner Show with a 10 p.m. start time. We arrive at 10:40 p.m. and everyone is dancing. It turns out that there’s a cultural performance, then guests dance to the local band then there’s more cultural dancing… this went on until 2 a.m.
By the end of the evening we all got out on the dance floor to dance.
Dancing Part 1
Dancing Part 2
We returned and spent an hour packing!
Sat. Jan. 14
Quickly we grabbed a sweet roll for brekkie and then arrived at the airport at 9 a.m. so I’m 1st on the stand-by list. At 11:30 a.m. I return to find that I can get out on the same flight as Ana and Scott – yeah!
I’m in row 12 which is the first row in economy so have a bit of room to stretch out. It’s an 8 hour flight to LAX.
Mom, Papa and Uncle Eugene were in LA’s Japantown earlier that day so they had a wonderful spread of Japanese sake, susi and sashimi for us back in the hotel room so we could all just eat, drink, relax and enjoy everyone’s company after a long day of travelling.
Sun. Jan. 15
We enjoy a buffet breakfast at the Embassy Suites North with Uncle Eugene. It’s wonderful to see Uncle Eugene as he’s gotten his weight down considerably to 170 lbs and his numbers are lower in terms of the insulin he needs to take to the point that his doctor may soon move him to a children’s dosage (vs. adult dosage) which is fantastic news!
In June 2012, Uncle Eugene will be fully vested which means that probably in 2013 he’ll retire and I hope he’ll come visit me in Australia!
Mom, Papa and I take American Airlines from LAX to Narita Airport in Tokyo (reminder NOT to take American Airlines again as the movies start at specific times, only 6 choices, and you cannot pause/rewind the movie which makes you feel held hostage in your seat). I’d finished reading the book Moneyball while on the beach in Zorritos, Persu so watch the movie which paled in comparison to the book.
Monday, Jan. 16, 2012 We transfer at Tokyo/Narita Airport and as we flew over the international dateline when we finally arrive in Okinawa its 10:45 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 16. We pick up our luggage at 11:15 p.m. and as my Father loves to take public transportation we make a mad dash to catch the last monorail train which departs at 11:30 p.m.
Papa’s running far ahead, I’m pushing the luggage cart and before we reach the platform there’s a stalled escalator which we mistaken for having already been shut down and alongside it an incredibly long staircase.
Upon seeing this, I say “Mom, you’d better get started” and Mom starts climbing the stairs in earnest. Little did we know that the escalator was automatic and turned on when you stepped on it (those clever Japanese) and we quickly manage to get all our luggage to the top. Mom’s made a valiant climb of the stairs and we’re all exhausted when we finally reach the train which has been held for us!
When we arrive Kencho-mae station we take a taxi to Hotel Nikko in Naha, the capital of Okinawa. It’s midnight by the time we reach our rooms, so we’re exhausted!
Tues. Jan. 17 We decided to come to the Southern-most island of Japan – Okinawa – because my Chicago-land area parents crave warm weather during Winter. Also, while my Father was born and raised in Japan, he’s never been to any of the other islands. I on the other hand have been to Kyushu and someday hope to go skiing and the Winter Festival in Hokkaido.
We enjoy a wa-shoku breakfast at the hotel and with the 50,000 yen that Papa received from Uncle Fujio which he’d sent for some future date when I’d marry at the same time he sent a similar amount for Tomu and Ellen’s wedding gift we managed for to see a number of sights and meals for the first few days.
First we took a cab from the hotel to Kencho-mae monorail train station and headed to the Shuri Joo Monorail (last stop). We walked along and at a Family Mart purchased musubi and continued to walk to a bridge leading to a small house called the Bezaitendo Shrine and Enganchi Pond where Papa played his shakuhachi and attracted 5 geese (really!) who enjoyed his playing.
At this point, I can’t help remembering when my brother Tomu was practicing his clarinet in elementary school and it sounded like a herd of geese. Nostalgia ☺
We walk on to the Sonohyan-utaki which is where people pray for a safe return before beginning a long journey, the mon/gate to Shuri Joo and then to the omiyage store after enjoying our musubi.
Shurijo Castle served a the proud centre of the Ryukyu Kingdom (before it was known as Okinawa and a province of Japan, it was know as the Ryukyu Islands). The castle has influences from both Japan and China. It was originally constructed in the 14th century and was the place of rule for 500 years until Kinh Sho Tai who then abdicated to the Meiji Government of Japan. As the gate to China, Southeast Asia and Japan the influences are seen from all three in the castle from the red lacquer to the ceramics and dragon paintings.
The Shurijo Temple (a famous TV drama series in Japanese/Chinese is filmed here called The Tempest) tour begins in the courtyard and we learn that the Okinawan’s admired the Chinese so took the dragon for it’s talisman but modified it so it only had 4 toes (China’s Emperor also admired dragons and in paintings you’ll see it has 5 toes).
Eerily Shurijo Temple reminded me of Machu Picchu as it too had been built entirely from stones/rocks (yet it was not on top of a mountain), the walls were higher and there certainly weren’t terraces but there was some interesting water drainage systems, writing on the stones, red pillars and painted designes but what we saw that day had been rebuilt as the original Shurijo Temple had been destroyed during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945.
Throughout the temple there were Japanese hanko stamps that we stamped in our brochures. We also enjoyed tea and traditional cookies in this restored Japanese tea room at Shurijo Temple.
After walking the grounds a bit more we had Okinawan soba in a beautiful Japanese rock garden.
As we left the soba-ya Papa started to complain about his right finger which had a few weeks ago hurt and he used his red “tin tin” medicine but he worried that it had gotten infected as he was swimming and relaxing in the Jacuzzi in Hoffman Estates. And now it was warm and painful to the touch.
So we went to the local doctor. I went in with Papa to see the doctor and when asked questions like his weight (he couldn’t remember in kilograms), his height (again, couldn’t remember in cm).
The procedure itself involved Papa laying down on the doctor’s table, he cleaned the finger area, made a cut and squeezed out the infected pus, cleaned it and put some ointment on it as well as a bandage. Papa’s right foot twitched as the cut was made but otherwise Papa didn’t cry out. After paying for the procedure (8,000yen) and medicine (antibiotics which meant Papa could not drink alcohol for 7 days) we walked back to the monorail trainstation.
Along the way we found a famous manju place and in addition to buying our favorite red bean manju we were also encouraged to buy the local favorite which is beni-imo manju.
We took the monorail to Koku-sai Dori where we walked along the main shopping district and Papa and I both purchased these handcrafted An-Shin Lion (these clay lions come in pairs where “An” is an open roaring lion to symbolize life and “Shin” which is a lion with a closed mouth to symbolize death and the full cycle of life. These “An Shin” lion were everywhere around Okinawa on the gates and entryways of stores, homes and train stations.
It was incredibly hard to find a bank ATM machine in Naha that would accept any of our bank and credit cards to get Yen so finally we ended up going to the Japanese post office – who would have guessed?
Wed. Jan. 18 As Okinawa is well known for its yaki mono (pottery), we went along this famous street known for its pottery and I purchase two tea cups and treat plates as well as omiyage for my friend Venecia.
We stopped for coffee and treats and then caught a local bus to the Renaissance Hotel 1.5 hours north. As it was a local bus, it stopped many, many times and passed many large US military bases. I knew that the US had bases in Okinawa, what I didn’t realize is that they’re ALL over the island, many of them and they’re all quite large and along the main highways in the best areas of the city. And as you’ll see from these photos, they looked rather deserted with graveyards of old tanks and jeeps. It made me wonder why, if we weren’t using the bases we didn’t give it back to the Okinawans.
We had a dessert and coffee and then while Mom and Papa rested in the hotel I had a manicure and pedicure at the hotel and was quite impressed with some of the very sophisticated styles that can be selected!
The weather was rather overcast so we largely checked out the hotel which is much better in the Summer and really much more geared to families with a “swim with dolphins” program and a pool with a waterslide (and only one small lane for adult swimming). We had dinner there as well.
Thurs. Jan. 19 The main reason we’d headed north to the Renaissance Resort was so that I could go scuba diving and the original plan was for Mom and Papa to take a tour/bus even further North to check out an aquarium and a Pineapple farm.
The two dives I did with Natural Blue which was the only dive shop with an English Dive Master were fantastic! I’d researched the various dive site and it looked that The Blue Hole and the Dive with Whale Sharks were the most popular.
The Blue Hole was spectacular! It was a gorgeous sunny day so the sun shone through two spots in the cave and reflected of the white shelled bottom to make this absolutely incredible aqua blue color that was amazingly clear (the best visibility) and great photos! There were many white and yellow bat fish that I’ve seen in Australia, some black batfish that are indigenouse to Okinawa. And Japanese tea cup soft coral on rocks and leaves. I saw parrot fish, needle fish, lion fish, red devil fish and very big anemone! There were also silver fish in the cave that are indigenous to Okinawa.
Dive # 146: Natural Blue Dive Shop and Dive site: Blue Cave. Max depth was 7.4 meters (25 feet) and 29 minutes with a temperature of 22 degrees Celcius. The visibility was more than 30 meters. My Dive Master Yas had dived in Florida and the Bahamas before returning to his homeland.
Blue Cave Part 1
Blue Cave Part 2
Upon heading out to the whale shark dive, I remarked “I hope I’m lucky enough to see a whale shark”. I was very surprised when Yas responded that I was guaranteed to see whale shark as they were in these 100mx100m nets in the middle of the ocean and I was going to watch them fed and get a chance to swim with them.
I had no idea! They were captured whale shark swimming in these nets in the middle of the ocean. The experience was thrilling, to be so close and see what absolutely beautiful sea mammals they are. They are huge and very gentle. When I was watching them get fed, I could see they had gummy teeth and I could look halfway down into their stomach – a small child could fit in there and still have plenty of room to kick around – I didn’t think it’s be so cavernous.
Dive #147: Natural Blue Dive Shop and Dive Site: Whale Sharks, Max depth was 18.3 meters for 35 minutes.
When I got back to the hotel I learned that Mom and Papa had decided to enjoy the hotel. We walked to a local food market called Onnamachi where we had grapes of the sea, sashimi and other Okinawan delicacies.
It rained but finally we made it back to Hotel Nikko for a late dinner.
Friday, Jan. 20 We went to the fruit and vegetable market then onto the Naha Fish Market where we saw tons of fresh fish that we could pick from and have cooked to taste upstairs at one of half a dozen restaurants. Before we selected the fish, we walked around and saw huge shell fish, puffer fish with the spines off and gigantic shrimp. There was also a “meat” aisle where I was tricked to eat pig face!!! I was following Mom down one of the aisles and she was standing next to a vendor lady who had what looked like bacon on a toothpick. Stupidly I put it in my mouth before asking what it was – while I expected it to taste like a salami it was crunchier in a grittier kind of way than I expected so was shocked when upon asking what it was she pointed this package of what looked like a rubber pig face mask! Ugh!
The fish we selected to have sliced, steamed, fried and such was wonderful. And I topped it off with Japanese version of Munchkin donut holes that had sesame seeds and coconut and chocolate.
Then off we were again taking another local bus this time south of Naha on what would become our historical education day of the visit to Okinawa.
Our first stop was to the Himeuri Memorial which was built in honor of school girls who during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945 first started out as nurses turned into victims and many lost their lives. What seemed to show that Okinawans were yet to be a considered a part of Japan was the fact that the Emperor of Japan was willing to sacrifice any and all people young and old living in Okinawa as a means of stalling the inevitable invasion of the Americans to mainland Japan. Thus many of the exhibits showed how students were starting to be trained to be nurses and combatants in the war and when the military was told to pull out the students were left to fend for themselves. And sadly, many died. The museum featured photographs that portrayed the lives of the girls and had models reconstructing these winding caves and the deplorable conditions they lived in during the war.
Then we headed to the Okinawan Peace Memorial which was a museum of the history of Okinawa and outside along the ocean there were walls much like the Vietnam War Memorial with the names of over 200,000 names of military and civilian lose of life in the Battle of Okinawa. It’s incredible to believe that in 95 days, more civilians lost their lives than the military death toll in what’s called the “Typhoon of Steel” in late March 1945.
Mom and I wanted to goto see the Former Navy Underground Headquarters, which consists of several hundred meters of underground corridors and rooms that served as the Japanese navy's headquarters during the war but we simply didn’t have enough time.
Instead we took a bus and checkout another local market where we had dinner and a look around the shops before heading to Kokusai dori for a final bit of omiyage shopping (this is where we got Kenichi and Hiroshi’s zori personalized) and I had my second favorite Japanese dessert – Okinawa Zenzai! If I’d found this on my first day, I would have had it every night!
After nearly a week in Okinawa, I was very impressed with what a modern, big city Naha is. I always thought of Okinawa as an island largely made up of very small fishing villages. The city’s quite wide spread, modern with tall office buildings, an extensive train and bus systems which made getting around very easy and as in the rest of Japan a very clean and safe place.
