10.21.2009

please excuse....


*lacy & i*
my tardiness~ i'm a little bit late on this one, but i wanted to share it with you anywho! a couple of weekends ago, we hopped on a ferry to the island shodoshima known for being very mediterranean-esque. the ferry was huge and we headed up to the tiptop for the best views, not knowing we'd find a kids play area with bouncy things which kept lacy and i totally amused for the ride. i have to admit i was bummed when kids came up and i had to give up my new-found toy! we are such kids at heart, us girls! the views were breathtaking, and i was secretly wishing to one day live on the coast and have to take a ferry boat to work. mcdreamy is so right: there's something utterly romantic about a ferry boat! but i digress....

*workin' the bouncy thing - quintessential me with the coffee*
the reason was the kayaking and it was nothing short of amazing~ to include the workout it ended up being. we started out on a chilly morning; the sea was pretty calm. 

*tiny island shrine*
first stop: a tiny island shrine- we collected sea glass, the boys rough-housed (unbeknownst to them there were a ton of sharp rocks RIGHT off the shore!!) chris walked away with a bloody knee of cuts, which stung like hell when that salt water kicked in! the sun shone beautifully on the water~ and reflected upon us the feeling we had found another little slice of heaven on this earth. 

*so damn cute ~ we can't control ourselves*

*chris searching for his ring - me; thankful chris brought this jacket!*
next stop: pebbly beach further down the coast of the island. we parked the kayaks and got to exploring! there were huge rocks being splashed every few moments by the waves of the sea. tall grass swayed in the breeze. a canal with a very crazy bridge made oddly-shaped concrete slabs. the boys did tai chi on the shore line with the waves trying in vain to throw off their balance. more roughhousing ensued. followed by chris losing his wedding ring in the sea. what color is it? black. murky water plus a black ring, it was a doomed rescue situation from the start. snorkels helped in the rescue, but the searching went on as the waves continued to push the water further up on shore, and moving the rocks endlessly. the guide, yamachan, joined the rescue attempt- he went down a few times, then asked what color it was- down under one more time, and up he comes with the ring! hero of the day! wow... 

*taco rice ~ yamachan and his home brew*

*me making chris' bowl of taco rice yum-o*
the next treat, and the reason we stayed on the beach so long was our lunch. i never would have imagined having one of the best meals in japan on the seashore with the kayaking guide cooking. he had to change the usual menu (likely fish, fish, and more fish) because of chris' allergies *sometimes they come in handy!!* so the lunch for the day turned into okinawa's famous taco rice and mushroom soup. there was home brew and grapefruit juice to wash it all down. HUGE purple grapes for dessert (too bad chris couldn't have those either~ i ate his share!!) so, to explain taco rice a little further: make rice, cook up ground beef just like you would if you were putting them on tacos; seasoning and all. make fresh salsa. chop up lettuce. get the shredded cheese ready. grab a bowl and layer: rice, meat, lettuce, salsa, cheese. pick your pair of chopsticks and revel in the yum-o-ness!!! it was seriously awesome. i can't wait to make this when i get back home. the soup was perfect because we were all a tad chilly at this point, and it made our noses run! the home brew was good and strong, and the bubbles tickled my nose. 


 then there was more kayaking.

*biggest punkin' ever*
stop 3: another beach; this one with a bathroom. score. the potty queens immediately went to check it out. cute gift shop with everything olive-flavored, and plum soft-serve. we found the biggest pumpkin EVER! it was ginormous! lacy and i had more fun on the bouncy things, we are VERY easily amused! 

*the crew, another adventure complete*
back to the kayaks, rounded out the day with our last stretch of now-choppy waters to return us to the base camp. a quick change into warm clothes and we were off to the ferry port. the ferry was great again, this time we got to watch the sunset. ooh-la-la is all i can say. another incredible weekend of friends, and fun. life is good. happy adventuring!

*view from the ferry boat*

*hot, hot, hot*

3 comments:

  1. It was a ton a fun. We're going to miss you guys as you head off on your next adventure. Glad we had these moments together.

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  2. WooHoo I can comment!!! What fun it looks like you all had! Ah the things you miss by staying in the US. I hope one day Lance is stationed in Okinawa. Look at the beautiful sunset!!

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  3. yay for commenting rachel! :) we had too much fun!

    suz, i'm glad we did too, hopefully the adventuring will continue for all of us!!

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