Nakagusuku Castle

After a night of revelry and heavy margarita drinking, hiking around an ancient castle in the high humidity was an odd choice to spend our hungover Sunday. Nonetheless, our spirits were high because this was my, Ben, and our friend Kevin's first true adventure in Okinawa. After a quick ten minute drive we had arrived at Nakagusuku Castle, although from where we parked the castle was no where to be found. After a bit of confusion (the language barrier never gets easier) we were directed to a pathway which eventually led us up to a steep staircase and onto a grassy knoll. Words nor pictures could ever do the scene we came upon justice. We had a 360 degree view of Okinawa which consisted of the Pacific Ocean to our left and the East China Sea to our right. We were already amazed and we hadn't even reached the castle yet. Another windy, treacherous, rocky path (sandals were an awful decision) finally lead us to the castle. The pictures can tell you more about the sights than I can. A little history about Nakagusuku though for those of you who might be curious. The castle was originally built around 1440 for the Ryukyu Kingdom and was in use until 1611. It was added to the UNESCO World Heritage site list in 2000 and is a shining example of traditional Okinawan architecture. Nakagusuku Castle is undoubtedly beautiful and gave me an other-worldly feel, another weekend well spent in Okinawa!