Island Life

Recognize any of the breakfast foods?

We start off each day with some wonderful, two course Japanese-style breakfasts.  Breakfast is very different here - people eat what I consider lunch items - soup, salad, sandwich, rice, maybe an egg.  I'm not a big breakfast person so I don't mind the change.  Our last morning we're served an egg crepe - I can see making this at home!

Egg Crepe - the egg is on top of the crepe with the edges folded over the whites.

Tastes like molasses!

Steve's favorite part is the morning we get a brown sugar popsicle as a bonus.  Our hostess tells us the sugar comes from Miyakojima.  Sugar cane is growing all over the island.  It stands about 10-12 feet high.  Usually they have 4-5 typhoons hit by this time of the year, but none have come yet, so nothing has knocked over the sugar cane.  (Side note: The popsicles make me think of Little House in the Big Woods, when Laura talks about getting fresh snow and pouring maple syrup on it as a treat.  I wonder if tastes similar?) 





We decide to take a break from the beaches one day and explore a bit.  We visit the botanical gardens and check out the twelve art cottages there.  They teach different Japanese crafts at each one.  I'm interested in the indigo dyeing class, but that's the only one that's closed (naturally). 

The path does not lead to the indigo-dyeing class!

While driving around the island, we see the Mamoru-kun at different intersections.  They're traffic cop statues that encourage you to drive safe.  They serve Steve well, as he has no problems with driving on the left side of the road.  There are actually nineteen statues, and they're all different.  I find them charming!

Steve, I think he's talking to you!

Made for each other!

There's a cruise ship that stops in (from Taiwan, we're very close to it) several days a week, but we're lucky to avoid the crowds.  We have fun walking through the shops downtown and I can't resist a pair of shell earrings that exactly match my shirt.

Japan pose

We also see an establishment that is very popular in the islands - A&W!  I think my parents said it was my favorite restaurant when we lived in Hawaii. 









 

No wonder it took 10 minutes to make!

We walk past a gelato shop, and I'm looking at their signs and I mention to Steve that maybe we should go in.  I look up when I don't hear a response and discover he's already in the door!  I don't eat a lot of ice cream anymore (two years working at a frozen yogurt shop and you get tired of that kind of thing) but I do choose their mango special.  That's actually mango gelato, carved in the shape of a mango (and a little slice of cheesecake, some chunks of mango, milk gelato, a waffle bowl and passion fruit sauce).  Yummy!  Steve is lucky he gets to try a bite.


After visiting town, I'm ready to hang out by/in the pool.  It's not our private pool, but we only have to share it with one other room, and they're not around.  I love how easy it is to read my Kindle in the sunlight!  Poor Steve has to stay inside to do some work. 

Maybe I fall asleep while I'm out here...

Prepping the glass

Feeling refreshed, we go out a little early for our dinner and wander this part of downtown before going to eat at a tapas-type restaurant.  We find a cool bar, named Think, to relax in.  He has every type of liquor, including the local awamori.  The drink menu is a large binder, available in English!  We decide to pick drinks that are their specialties.  Luckily we don't have to walk far to get to our restaurant!

Work is finished!

I bet you thought I purposely got the bartender blurry...but you're wrong.  I'm not that talented!