We have both been fighting a bug for awhile. Yesterday when we checked in, that was it for me. I thought I'd put my head down, and sometime later I woke up, completely disoriented. Is it night…the next day?
We could see when we booked Harbor Hotel, that it is an older establishment, the rooms look old, yet the reviews spoke well of this place and the breakfast that is included. So we gave it a try. Like any place that is successful, it starts with the people and their level of hospitality. This family owned and run Hotel is a labour of love and we discovered many unique and thoughtful touches when we entered the small breakfast room.
We noticed the small framed images of vintage bicycles, which we purchased for ourselves at the Shimano Bike Museum in Osaka. When we asked him about these, he shared that a guest had given these to him as a gift for the Hotel.
They practice what they advertise…we can see that they are genuine in supporting cyclists and their needs as travellers. Liked the message on this tote bag.
Buffets are a common way breakfasts are served in Japanese accomodation…and many are excellent. However, nothing compares to a freshly made breakfast, just for you. This is one of the best breakfasts we have had on our trip.
Home made brown sugar bread toasted, omelet, pork and sausages, homemade tomato soup with a special oil swirled in, salad and yogurt with a fruit sauce. The coffee was delicious and it was all served on local Okinawan pottery. A meal that was lovely to look at and tasted even better.
As we were finishing, he brought us this tasty dish of fresh mango with whipped cream and a sprig of mint. This small hotel offers wonderful hospitality with attention given to providing us with a wonderful start to the day. Thank you…Arigato domo.
The room is old, but we have everything we need and it is so clean…not a dust bunny in sight. The thickness of the cement walls are over a foot thick which makes it very quiet.
In talking to the owner, we could hear his pride in being Okinawan , the culture and its food. They have put some effort in offering information about the region.
This man hole depicts the way bulls interact while fighting. Bull Sumo originates in Okinawa, it is most practiced here, but other parts of Japan may host matches as well. It is called Togyu. A Sumo Bull event is held in a massive stadium and is usually sold out. People here are passionate about this event.
Each bull has a coach who helps keep the bull locked in combat and gives them encouragement. Much care is given to keep the bulls from being injured. If a bull is accidentally gored, the fight is immediately stopped. Like Sumo Wrestling, where the combatants try to force their opponent out of the ring, Sumo bulls lock horns and try to force each other to give up ground. The match ends when one of the bulls tires, or loses interest or has given up ground.
On our way to the Sea Road we came across these humourous sculptures reminding people to drive safely.
In Japan, humorous or cute characters are used to slow people down when driving. These imaginative quirky characters got our attention….and being an Okinawan, it has a Sanshin instrument.
The Sea Road connects the island of Okinawa with four remote islands. The road/bridge is five kilometres long. The Sea Road itself has become a sort of tourist attraction with a Michi-no-eki at the half way mark. We saw many people stopping for photos, having a picnic and enjoying a variety of water activities.
Japan is a country of over 14,000 of islands, with approximately 430 inhabited. There are many unique ways to connect with the main island. This one is one of our favourites, as the road is a destination to visit as well as the islands.
The water is quite shallow and there is much coral in the water. Before the sea road was built, people would walk or eventually could drive at low tide to the first island. Driving a vehicle became possible with the introduction of amphibious and American large trucks. In 1970, Gulf Oil started constructing port facilities for petroleum storage tanks and reshipment on Henza island. The oil company paid for the construction of the sea road. A two lane road was completed in 1972. In 1999, the road was expanded to 4-lanes.
The large rock at the point has significance…that we aren’t sure we understand. Japanese Pennies have been placed by the glass rock, and they are all around the sides in indentations.
People were wind surfing with varying degrees of success. These are rentals and have a different design with inflated edges. This fellow was doing very well
Charmaine RuppoltThat's interesting to see the wind surfing sail has inflated edges! I've never seen that before - - I wonder why they have those inflated edges? Maybe to make it easier/softer when it hits the water? Reply to this comment 4 months ago
Mary Ellen had a very different version of taco rice…but this one was on a bed of soba noodles with a soft egg on top and covered in fresh Bonita flakes. Delicious.
Looking at Henza Island. Only one side of the island is inhabited-1800 people here. Other than the village and the port, 90% of the island is an oil refinery and tan farm. Altogether there are 70 large round oil tanks covering the space.
Hamahiga Island is known for Mozuku Seaweed harvesting. Also known as the place where the goddess Amamikiyo sleeps. People consider Hamahiga to be a sacred island and they come here to pray. We have ridden the return route to the main island on the Sea Road and are headed to Ginowan, a 28 km ride across the island.
We came upon this Shinto Shrine once we had reached the west side of the island. It was beautifully decorated and people were making their first visit of the New Year, called Hatsumode and were giving thanks for the past year and prayers for the coming year.
Visitors to the shrine draw a slip of paper, Omikuji (fortune slip) from the box. After reading, it is tied to the stand with the others if it is bad luck. Good luck slips are taken home.
The New Year time is coming to a close. Charms and amulets that you have received the year before are kept at your home and they are kept at your altar at home. There are three types of charms…Omamori, Ofuda and Hamada. At this time of year, you bring these charms back to the Shrine where they will be disposed of in a sacred fire.
What is it about bike shops and coffee. We see the best fixings for coffee in shops like this. Come to think of it, great music shops with jazz and blues seem to have this trend too. Just realized, maybe we are the common denominator.
Loved his collection of miniatures, and by the way, he had some beautiful bikes too. We were able to get an inner tube from him to replace the one we used on Barry’s trike.
This guy was a hoot. We had fun in his shop. Now off to find the hotel. It has been a fabulous day on Okinawa with some great riding and as usual, meeting good people.
