Knee Deep in the Water Somewhere

Although surrounded by crystal clear water on every side, the beaches of Okinawa are few and far between. Most of the coastline consists of rocky, super-sharp cliffs that make entry into the water pretty much impossible. On Saturday we challenged the terrain and decided to head up the west coast to search for a sandy little slice of paradise. After a bit of investigative work, we discovered a very small, secluded, and apparently relatively unknown beach. The only other people on in sight were Okinawan children and a pair of scuba divers.

At first we were a little hesitant about this beach, however once we saw the mundane, more popular beach nearby we knew that our little cove was the one. It was enclosed by the classic Okinawan cliffs which gave it a perfect sense of seclusion for a relaxing beach day, Even with the other visitors, we felt as though we had been transported to a tropical vacation. My only gripe was that we forgot our water shoes which is an absolute tragedy when going to the beach here. The water is full of scary and potential dangerous sea life, as well as jagged rocks and sharp shells. We ended up throwing all caution to the wind though and swam anyway. It was way too hard to pass up a swim
on a hot April day! 😁

This day trip also gave us the amazing sights of an ancient, seaside fort. I also loved seeing the many Okinawan fisherman casting their rods off of the cliffs while others cut white lilies and piled them into bouquets. Life in Okinawa is not only beautiful, but it is much slower than any place I've ever been to. They give "island time" a new meaning. It seems to be working though because the Okinawans are also some of the friendliest, happiest, and healthiest people I have ever encountered. Their hospitality will definitely be one of the things I miss the most when we eventually leave the island... Guess I can be thankful that I still have well over 2.5 years here!

But wait... There's more! Here are some unrelated pictures taken from this week.