Getting Lost

One of the best parts about Okinawa is loading the dog in the car and just driving in any random direction.  There's something really liberating about getting lost and not caring about it.  (As opposed to getting lost when you actually need to BE somewhere, which is an entirely different situation ...)

After yoga this morning, Lucky and I headed up the coast.  We stopped along the side of the road at Cape Zampa and wandered around for a bit.

We've officially entered the drizzly, rainy season in Okinawa

Okinawan beaches are typically covered in thick, sharp coral.  I remember walking along a beach in flip flops when I first arrived here -- not the best footwear choice.

I love looking at all of the tiny creatures that have washed ashore

Lucky was just happy to get out of the house

No, the Earth's axis hasn't magically shifted.  My failed attempt at trying to use a rock as a tripod and take a photo ... sorry, Lucky.

Lucky the water dog tried to wade in the ocean until a wave caught him off-guard.  

"Abort, abort!"

After a few minutes, we loaded back into the car and continued to drive.  I found a winding side road and followed it into the countryside for a few miles, until I came across a hiking trail that led to some castle ruins.  (It was raining at this point, so I left the camera in the car.)  

The rain was starting to pick up, so after our hike, I started to drive back to Kadena.  Along the way, I stopped at a random soba restaurant.  

To be honest, I had no idea that it was a restaurant.  It just looked cool from the outside ...

The owner didn't speak English, and my Japanese is skoshi, but somehow I managed to successfully order a bowl of soba noodles.  She was an absolute sweetheart.  

Pork belly, scrambled egg and noodles in broth with pickled ginger on top

Unlike regular Japanese soba noodles (which are made from buckwheat), Okinawan soba noodles are more like udon noodles.  The soup has a nice, meaty broth.  I had mine with stewed san-mai niku, or pork belly. 

When my food arrived, I told the owner itadakemasu, which means "I humbly receive."  (You're supposed to say it before you begin eating.)  She gestured for me to add a few drops of koregusu, or pickled peppers in awamori rice liquor.  It was delicious, and just the meal for a cold, rainy day.

While I ate, the owner's husband played the san-shin for me.  (It's kind of like Japan's equivalent to the banjo.)

After I finished, I told them ochisosama-deshita, or "You were a feast preparer."  (Something's definitely lost in the literal translation.)  

Soba noodle shop

I returned to the main road and started driving back home.  Along the way, I realized that I'd only been about 8 km from Kadena the entire time.  Ha.