Super bagel

Bagel lunch at Glory House in Hirata. I ended up eating the top of the bagel, eating the contents with chopsticks, then eating the bottom. Followed by amazing coconut and pumpkin ice cream at Baskin Robbins!

Rainbow day

Rainbow after a sudden shower on Miyako.

What a lovely coconut

On our second night of searching, we found a coconut crab!

You were right

Dear everyone who told me about snorkelling, I get it now.

Oh my gourd

Seen at a local market.

Box lunch

Lunch on the tour with Hiroyuki was a bento from a local rice merchant.

True blue

Looking eastwards.

Northwards

The bridge from Miyako to Ikema.

Ponies

We saw a few of the endangered Miyajima ponies.

Sunset beach 3

Sunset beach 2

Sunset beach

The beach down the road from our accommmdation in Miyajima.

In Japan, curry is Swedish

Flying whale shark 2

The real thing spotted at Naha airport!

Strange fruit

Tonkatsu!

House of orchids 1

Amazing orchids at the Tropical Dream Center beside the aquarium.

Oh, the things I didn't buy

3D model of a giant isopod! I got a fluffy giant squid instead.

Flying whale shark

A model of the JAL whale shark liveried jet. I saw it landing at Osaka and taking off at Naha.(^_^)

Incoming 3

Incoming 2

One of the three whale sharks making the rounds.

Incoming

Taken from a window seat at the Churaumi Aruarium cafe.

Ah, school trips

Topiary turtle

Bill and Austa in front of the Churaumi Aquarium.

Playing with manatees

To measure your girliness

Tis the season to be black

Even melon bread is getting in on the act.

Fantasies of correct English

Water for indigo 2

Water for indigo

One of the 'gaa' water channels at Shuri Castle used for indigo dying.

Stupidly serious

Ad campaign for the post office, which made me laugh.

Are you asking the right, er...

Japanese is perfectly happy without a subject. It gets interesting when you insert the wrong one.

Sweet end

Purple yam tiramisu for dessert.

Shelter and sustenance

Aubergine and amazing tofu at Ashibina near the arts university outside Shuri Castle. We got there just as it started to rain.

On the beach

Just a few minutes walk from our accommodation Miyako, and covered in hermit crabs!

Coffee with whale sharks

The Churaumi Aquarium has a cafe with seats right by the tank. ^_^

Read the label

Juice from a local citrus fruit, the shikuswa. I didn't read the bit that said to dilute it first or drink in small sips. I should have.

What you desire

We found zero-carbohydrate beer in the conveience store next to the hotel.

Happy Halloween

The hamburger chains are trying to outcompete each other with bla2k buns... and cheese.

Just desserts 2

Just desserts

My wonderful brother swapped with me so I had a delicious chicken and vegetable curry iostead, followed by an amazing milk and ginger cheesecake.

Cultural differences

I ordered what I thought was rice with octopus (tako-meshi). But it was taco rice (rice topped with minced beef, lettuce and salsa).

Loving it

Ice tea in a heart-shaped glass at the Chatarou cafe and shop in the Tsuboya pottery area.

Keep off

A decorated fire brigade access hatch in the Tsuboya district.

Keep your hat on 2

Keep your hat on

One for Nik!

Blast from the past

This may not make sense unless you grew up with the same cartoons as I did.

Meet the locals 2

Another edible local, the black pig.

Meet the locals

Plush pineapples and bitter gourds at the amazing Don Quihote on Kokusai Douri.

Code

The tickets for the Naha monorail had QR codes that scanned at the gates.