Our first visitor!

Tricia (Kris' sister) is here for a visit! We've been showing her around even though it's been pretty cold for a subtropical island. We went to Okinawa Soba and ate some Soki Soba, which is a soup with noodles and pig legs. The pork tastes like BBQ ribs and is so delicious. We also went to check out the Nakagusuku castle ruins. This is a historical castle from which you can see both the Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea. We noticed hat looked like an old abandoned complex next to the castle. Trish overheard someone say that it was an old hotel that was never opened because it was haunted! So, naturally, we walked over and checked it out! We were able to walk to the top of it and take some pictures. It was even higher than the castle!


New Years on Okinawa is very different from New Years in the States. It is a time to spend with family, not so much to party. On New Years Day, people traditionally go to a shrine to say prayers. Most businesses are closed January 1-3 and there are festivals and the shrines are decorated in bright colors with lines of people over 300 meters long waiting to say a prayer at the shrine. We also went to the Shuri Castle, where they do a reenactment of a traditional New Years Day of the Ryukyuan Kingdom before it was part of Japan. There were prayers and Ryukyuan dancers.



We've also been doing a bit of shopping, below you'll see Tricia, the banana at a thrift store; and a whole of lot eating. Nate and Trish rode in the "Pop 'n Ride" near the Indian restaurant we went to for dinner. A little boy ran up to check it out as the car moved around with flashing lights and crazy noises so Nate and Trish got out and let him jump in. His mother was trying to tell us that we didn't need to do that, but the little boy was already in the car playing with the knobs.



Off to do some more sightseeing!