Yon ka getsu (April) brought warmer and sunnier weather to Okinawa. We made a trip to a huge market in Naha. We had a Jimmy Buffet cover band come to the island for a Margaritaville party. No other big events for the month. We start here with Ellie at what we call 'sand dollar' beach...its at the back of a bay that is protected by a huge coral reef...the bay is unusually shallow for several hundred yard out with sandy bottoms...perfect spot for sand dollars and other bivalves. The beach is littered with thousands of shells and such.
The next couple photos are the night before Easter...we had an egg dying party with the neighbors. Ellie clearly enjoyed herself.
Ellie doesn't even know what an Easter basket is but she likes them...
Below we have several photos from a Margaritaville party they had here. They brought in a Buffet cover band that was awesome. We had a great time reliving the classic college party theme.
Katie bought some new flowers in this photo and decided that she would employ Ellie to help her kill them. We think Ellie looks a bit like Bridget in this photo.
Below is a photo of Ellie waiting for bath time...she loves it!
This is a family photo while out to eat.
This is a random photo of what a Soyobi (Saturday) night looks like with a baby...
So here are some photos of our trip to the Naha market...not half as big as Tsukiji in Tokyo but still really impressive...the sashimi in the right of this photo was the freshest we have ever had...the tako (octopus) was raw and delicious...even on sashimi platters it usually is boiled.
Here we all are in front of the nicest fish mongers in the world...the man behind the counter asked if I was in the Navy (good guess) and when I said yes he grabed my arm and shook my hand with meaning...there are lots of Okinawans that would like to see Americans off the island...but there are many more who respect service to nation much more...even if its not their nation. You may also notice the dried blowfish hanging from the top...if you look closely at the bottom you will see fish with huge eyes...these are the famous poisonous fugu blowfish that can kill if not cleaned properly...we did not eat them...we were there for lunch and not in the mood for spending that kind of cash...maybe next time.
This is one of about 15 old women that just HAD to talk to/touch/kiss Ellie...you might not think it but they loved this hat that Katie bought...it got to the point that we had to take it off because we could not proceed through the market without causing a scene
The following photos are of some of the fish...this market was funny...it sold fish on one side and pork on the other...there were a few chickens here and there but mostly fish and pigs...who would complain about that. The prawns in the second photo are about 14 inches long and cost about 10 bucks a piece. The snails in the third photo are famous, apparently delicious but about 40 bucks apiece.
The next photos are just some images from around home. The following photo you are supposed to notice the purple potato. It is an Okinawan sweet potato...at first we were not huge fans but now they are a staple in our house...they are much like our sweet potatoes but not quite as sweet...they bring the best of sweet and white potatoes to the table...and their color is intense.
Ellie's two pearly whites!! She already like brushing.
Ellie says goodbye for now...you may see me walking next month. Stay tuned!
