Pizza in the Sky and Butterflies... oh my!

This is Okinawa!

Today was one of the best days yet. First off a big thanks goes to our new friends Juan and Angela and their kiddos Sage and Sophia. We met these nice people here at the Westpac within the last week or so and were excited to get to know them a little bit. They asked if we wanted to join them this weekend on a trip to Naha and the 10000 Dancers festival and we readily accepted the invitation. In the end, the trip to Naha got cancelled (due to rumors that we needed tickets to get onto the street where the parade was) and we decided to go in the other direction (north) and check out the Butterfly Garden.


Juan started out the drive with their new fancy van. We saddled inside with our 2 kids and the 2 adults and we were ready to party. We took the road north and just enjoyed the amazing sites that this island has to offer. It is truly one of the most beautiful places we have ever been.

We got ourselves all the way to the Butterfly Garden (well Juan and Angela and their awesome navigational skills did the work) and enjoyed our first tourist experience and our first purchasing of entry to something (when we really had no idea what we were paying for). The place was so interesting - there was a section with crawly type things and then a section for the butterflies (and other random stuff). We hit the crawly type stuff first where the kids got to play with hermit crabs and we saw a coconut crab (think big, brown and looks a bit like a coconut) and some other large beetle creatures. Then we moved onto the butterfly garden. It was fun to watch the kids play around and the butterflies landing on things.

It got really hot and sticky while we were there, so we took a few photos and headed to the gift shop and then on out. Here we are at the Butterfly Garden.

The next stop - Pizza in the Sky. Or Pizza Kajinho.

Now this place is another that we had heard of from Patrick and Amy. We knew the view would be gorgeous and that the food would be good (and you know how important food is!)

We left from the Butterfly Garden (and thankfully I had directions - or is it?). We get down the road a little bit and turn off (where the directions said to) and then start up this windey, narrow road. I have no idea which places were the forks, which were the T's and if we make any correct turns at all, but somehow we got high up onto this mountian/hill, found 2 nice Japanese ladies in a car that pointed us in the right direction and then we made it.



We had to wait a little while to get a table that would seat us all, but finally one came available and we sat down, ordered 2 medium pizzas (they only had small and medium), a variety of drinks (juices - guava, mango, orange, mulberry), orion (beer), tea and water (our table looked thirsty). We had salad (incredible yumminess with some sort of soy sauce, rice vinager dressing that made me so happy) and pizza. I didn't think it was possible, but we ate every, single bite.

(The following are really attractive photos of us eating. Nice huh?)

One of the good ones of me huh? Note: Eating pizza with chopsticks... and it really works surprisingly well! Juan and Sage

Angela at the end of the table of yumminess

While we were there, little Sage was a movie star. His blond hair caused quite a bit of attention and people were taking photos with him. We had heard this happens in mainland Japan and also China, but hadn't heard of it much here. After awhile, one group of ladies talked to us and we found out they were from Osaka (mainland Japan), so it made more sense. It was pretty funny.

Here are Olivia, Sage and Alessandra after dinner playing in the grass...

Oh yes, and also - I almost forgot. It rained too - a quick downpour - very monsoon season-ish and very islandy.

All in all, aside from 1 other couple, I think we were the only American's there, and it helps us realize that we are the minority here (which sometimes while on base it is easy to forget). We enjoyed the experience and are getting better at the little bit of Japanese that we know.

On the way back the kid's all fell asleep and we enjoyed the ride back and Angela's first time at the wheel (I have to say, she was braver than I was on the tight roads coming down from that place!) And one memorable thing was that there are these ice cream carts on the side of the road and she stops to get one, and here she is, new driver, with ice cream cone in hand, getting on the highway. :) Oh yes, and here is the ice cream cart sales girl from out the window.

Off for more adventures!

(this is a great family photo - don't you think?)