Okinawa
ready for lunch
Aaron, me, and David
Soki Soba
our first meal in Naha
Tofu Chanpuru
pretty tree
Shuri Castle
was destroyed in the war, but rebuilt
enlightened chair
seen at Ryukyu Mura
traditional Ryukyu dance
guys with a shisa
giant rope
roughly 4 ft wide.. collosal
lady making hackysacks?
lady painting designs
rooftop decor
on a traditional house
painting a shisa
shisas are guardians
my finished shisa
our shisas
aaron's, mine, and david's
buying my sanshin
my sanshin in hand, and the guy who taught me how to play
a pretty view
my travel companions
david at yakiniku
cooking up some Ishigaki beef
at yakiniku
that was excellent beef
in a limestone cave
pretty lights in the cave
cave
"deigo" flower
the mountain we almost climbed
us and..
..the mountain we almost climbed
a beach in Ishigaki
IMG_4258.JPG 2007-12-27
IMG_4261.JPG
IMG_4261.JPG 2007-12-27
IMG_4263.JPG
IMG_4263.JPG 2007-12-27
beach #2
IMG_4269.JPG 2007-12-27
IMG_4275.JPG
IMG_4275.JPG 2007-12-27
IMG_4276.JPG
IMG_4276.JPG 2007-12-27
view up north
IMG_4281.JPG 2007-12-27
IMG_4283.JPG
IMG_4283.JPG 2007-12-27
IMG_4288.JPG
IMG_4288.JPG 2007-12-27
IMG_4292.JPG
IMG_4292.JPG 2007-12-27
IMG_4294.JPG
IMG_4294.JPG 2007-12-27
another deigo
view of the harbor from our room
on a mangrove tour...
in Iriomote
IMG_4317.JPG
IMG_4317.JPG 2007-12-28
IMG_4318.JPG
IMG_4318.JPG 2007-12-28
mangroves
IMG_4324.JPG 2007-12-28
IMG_4328.JPG
IMG_4328.JPG 2007-12-28
cool tree!
IMG_4333.JPG 2007-12-28
us with the cool tree
IMG_4334.JPG 2007-12-28
IMG_4336.JPG
IMG_4336.JPG 2007-12-28
Iriomote Yamaneko
the only other place in japan aside from tsushima that has yamanekos
our water buffalo ride
IMG_4347.JPG
IMG_4347.JPG 2007-12-28
water buffalo carts
"where the buffalo roam..."
Yubu Island
view of water buffalo carts crossing between Iriomote island and Yubu island
jungle hike start
IMG_4387.JPG
IMG_4387.JPG 2007-12-29
mini waterfall
IMG_4392.JPG 2007-12-29
Maryudo Waterfall
IMG_4394.JPG
IMG_4394.JPG 2007-12-29
mini waterfall #2
Kanbire Waterfall
IMG_4402.JPG
IMG_4402.JPG 2007-12-29
IMG_4403.JPG
IMG_4403.JPG 2007-12-29
IMG_4405.JPG
IMG_4405.JPG 2007-12-29
IMG_4411.JPG
IMG_4411.JPG 2007-12-29
IMG_4413.JPG
IMG_4413.JPG 2007-12-29
the guys
IMG_4426.JPG
IMG_4426.JPG 2007-12-29
IMG_4429.JPG
IMG_4429.JPG 2007-12-29
glass bottom boat ride
pototo looking coral
what you see is the product of hundreds of years of growth
in kyoto
hina doll store
high rollers
the most expensive doll set in the store at $17,000
my favorite doll in the store
for display in one's home.. this doll is worth ~$550
more dolls
a gift for their grandson
this is the display my host parents bought their grandson...~$3000.
a more impressive set
a samurai-looking set for boys
almost twins
the two youngest grandkids of my host family.. cousins born a day apart
host parents and grandkids
all the kids
the two left kids are my host sister's kids, and the two right are her brother's
the Kitabatake clan
all 3 generations
fun with plastic bags
junpei with his sons
my host parent's son with his children
game time
my host father battling my host sister at a running game
happy grandparents
trying to organize 2 toddlers and 2 infants for a picture is no easy task
IMG_4473.JPG
IMG_4473.JPG 2008-01-02
Pictures from Evelyn
ready for lunch
Aaron, me, and David
Soki Soba
our first meal in Naha
Tofu Chanpuru
pretty tree
Shuri Castle
was destroyed in the war, but rebuilt
enlightened chair
seen at Ryukyu Mura
traditional Ryukyu dance
guys with a shisa
giant rope
roughly 4 ft wide.. collosal
lady making hackysacks?
lady painting designs
rooftop decor
on a traditional house
painting a shisa
shisas are guardians
my finished shisa
our shisas
aaron's, mine, and david's
buying my sanshin
my sanshin in hand, and the guy who taught me how to play
a pretty view
my travel companions
david at yakiniku
cooking up some Ishigaki beef
at yakiniku
that was excellent beef
in a limestone cave
pretty lights in the cave
cave
"deigo" flower
the mountain we almost climbed
us and..
..the mountain we almost climbed
a beach in Ishigaki
IMG_4258.JPG 2007-12-27
IMG_4261.JPG
IMG_4261.JPG 2007-12-27
IMG_4263.JPG
IMG_4263.JPG 2007-12-27
beach #2
IMG_4269.JPG 2007-12-27
IMG_4275.JPG
IMG_4275.JPG 2007-12-27
IMG_4276.JPG
IMG_4276.JPG 2007-12-27
view up north
IMG_4281.JPG 2007-12-27
IMG_4283.JPG
IMG_4283.JPG 2007-12-27
IMG_4288.JPG
IMG_4288.JPG 2007-12-27
IMG_4292.JPG
IMG_4292.JPG 2007-12-27
IMG_4294.JPG
IMG_4294.JPG 2007-12-27
another deigo
view of the harbor from our room
on a mangrove tour...
in Iriomote
IMG_4317.JPG
IMG_4317.JPG 2007-12-28
IMG_4318.JPG
IMG_4318.JPG 2007-12-28
mangroves
IMG_4324.JPG 2007-12-28
IMG_4328.JPG
IMG_4328.JPG 2007-12-28
cool tree!
IMG_4333.JPG 2007-12-28
us with the cool tree
IMG_4334.JPG 2007-12-28
IMG_4336.JPG
IMG_4336.JPG 2007-12-28
Iriomote Yamaneko
the only other place in japan aside from tsushima that has yamanekos
our water buffalo ride
IMG_4347.JPG
IMG_4347.JPG 2007-12-28
water buffalo carts
"where the buffalo roam..."
Yubu Island
view of water buffalo carts crossing between Iriomote island and Yubu island
jungle hike start
IMG_4387.JPG
IMG_4387.JPG 2007-12-29
mini waterfall
IMG_4392.JPG 2007-12-29
Maryudo Waterfall
IMG_4394.JPG
IMG_4394.JPG 2007-12-29
mini waterfall #2
Kanbire Waterfall
IMG_4402.JPG
IMG_4402.JPG 2007-12-29
IMG_4403.JPG
IMG_4403.JPG 2007-12-29
IMG_4405.JPG
IMG_4405.JPG 2007-12-29
IMG_4411.JPG
IMG_4411.JPG 2007-12-29
IMG_4413.JPG
IMG_4413.JPG 2007-12-29
the guys
IMG_4426.JPG
IMG_4426.JPG 2007-12-29
IMG_4429.JPG
IMG_4429.JPG 2007-12-29
glass bottom boat ride
pototo looking coral
what you see is the product of hundreds of years of growth
in kyoto
hina doll store
high rollers
the most expensive doll set in the store at $17,000
my favorite doll in the store
for display in one's home.. this doll is worth ~$550
more dolls
a gift for their grandson
this is the display my host parents bought their grandson...~$3000.
a more impressive set
a samurai-looking set for boys
almost twins
the two youngest grandkids of my host family.. cousins born a day apart
host parents and grandkids
all the kids
the two left kids are my host sister's kids, and the two right are her brother's
the Kitabatake clan
all 3 generations
fun with plastic bags
junpei with his sons
my host parent's son with his children
game time
my host father battling my host sister at a running game
happy grandparents
trying to organize 2 toddlers and 2 infants for a picture is no easy task
IMG_4473.JPG
IMG_4473.JPG 2008-01-02