Day 5 was definitely super tiring; we had to drive from the north to the south of Okinawa mainland. Also, we woke up for sunrise! But hey, we were on holiday!
Day 6 – 15 January 2019 (Tuesday)
The night before, we made sure that we set a time to wake up. Also, we knew that there was no time to wear make up or shower. So we prepped whatever we needed to survive the cold if we ever saw the sunrise.
After much contemplation, we decided to head to the Okinawa Peace Memorial Park – a location that kept the harsh remnants of World War II on Okinawan soil.
Destination 1: Okinawa Peace Memorial Park
Initially, I thought that the sunrise wouldn’t appear really nice as it was cloudy (it seemed like bad weather followed us throughout almost the entirety of this trip!). However… today was very, very different!
It was a 20 minute drive from Hotel Skyblue Okinawa. When we arrived at the park, there was only one other car parked (free parking, btw!), and we didn’t really hear any other souls except nature. The mood was rather sombre, bordering the lines of creepy. It was… after all a place that kept the memories of war.
After a long wait… the sun appeared.
Magically.
Absolutely… breathtaking. There was another Japanese jogging around the park, but he cared none about the sunrise. We, on the other hand, just stood on the hill in silence.
I truly understood why this nation was called the Land of the Rising Sun. Sunrises were truly quite spectacular, with nothing blocking, only the sea to mark the horizon. Trust me, this was an experience I hope to never forget.
After the sun rising completely, we head back to the hotel to get some more rest. Gladys had to put on some makeup while I wanted to catch more zzz’s.
Destination 2: Yoshinoya
Breakfast! Well, we wanted to be a little local yet try out the Japanese version of McDonald’s. It was great! There are many Yoshinoya outlets all around Okinawa, but more so in Naha city and Itoman city.
For a set meal with rice, miso shiru (miso soup), marinated beef and free flow drinks (either plain water or green tea), it costed us each ~640 yen. It’s rather filling too, so you eat rather like a king during the morning.
Destination 3: Ryukyu Glass Village
Our “first” destination was to visit the Glass Village. Okinawa is known for their pottery, but we didn’t want to visit the Onna one due to the reviews. After some searching, we found one at the south of the Okinawa mainland.
Why Ryukyu Glass Village?
In my opinion, this Glass factory is not as touristy as other glass workshops there were quite a number of Japanese tourists. The prices to make your own piece were quite alright as well.
Things to Note on Glass-Making
However, if you would like to make your own glass, do note that it takes 2 days to solidify the artwork you made.
We were already in our second last day, so it didn’t make sense for us to delay our flight another day. Another option was to have it delivered to your home country, but delivery prices depended on how many pieces there are, the complexity of the piece and also the destination. The cheapest delivery fee was the same price as the cheapest glass you could make.
It’s a personal choice, but I chose not to make the glass, and instead chose something from the shop.
Note: Parking is free!
The Ryukyu Glass Village is separated into three areas – the workshop, the gallery and the shop. We didn’t notice how large the area was, so we entered the shop first (and did a lot of damage there in spending!). Then, we moved to the gallery, and then to the workshop.
I bought one of the tea cups, because every time I looked at it, I feel inspired! That’s the thing with art – get things because they inspire you. 🙂
Also, most items in the shop have stickers to denote whether they are made in Okinawa or not. Be careful, if you’re specifically shopping for an Okinawan-made glass.
Destination 4: ベジタリカ
We were famished by then. After googling some places – literally just typing in “Cafe” onto Google Maps, we came across this place… which we fell in love upon arrival!
Note: It’s called Vegetarica, but the food served is not vegetarian or vegan. I assume that the inspiration for the name is because of the vegetables present in the food are sourced from local farms!
Service Quality
When we arrived, we were the only non-Japanese people. What made it more awkward was that the menu was in Japanese, so we just stared dumbly at the menu. However, the owner (the MOST ADORABLE GRANDMOTHER) of the cafe literally carried the menu board/easel to our table and explained to us what the menu was, with a little difficulty. By then, our hearts were sold!
As I cannot eat pork, I worriedly said: Butaniku ha tabemasen.
Buta means pork – but note that there are many Japanese words to describe pork. Niku is meat. Tabe is eat, and masen is to negate the prior word, so in other words, cannot eat.
The grandmother told me that the soup they serve has small pieces of bacon. Well, at least I know! In the end, I didn’t eat the soup even though I tried to remove the bacon.
Location & Menu
The cafe is located on a hill, absolutely perfect for sunsets (and sunrises, but the cafe isn’t open that early). The menu is also quite short, which is great because that means the food is usually focused on the quality of a few dishes rather than a spread.
Gladys had curry rice and I had omelette rice (the one where the egg spills out when you cut it in the middle). Even though there was a slight wait due to the many customers present, our dishes were super delicious and I highly recommend it!
We also added a slice of cheesecake to share, and lemon tea (literally lemon + black tea). I felt extremely light and full after eating the food. For sure, these foods were made with love!
Cost
I can’t remember how much we spent on this, but it wasn’t expensive – perhaps around 1000 yen per person. Considering the portion size and it is a set meal, it is worth the money spent. 🙂
Destination 5: Gyokusendo Cave (Okinawa World Theme Park)
As the cafe was quite near the Gyokusendo Cave, it was an easy drive there. Our main highlight was to see the limestone cave. I had seen one in Perth, Australia, but Gladys hasn’t! Also, I wanted to see how different this cave was than Perth’s.
The entrance fee was quite expensive – well, it is a tourist highlight. We paid 1240 yen for the entrance fee, including the caves. The site is separated into mainly two parts, the caves (underground) and the Cultural Village. We decided to head to the caves first and spend as much time there as we want.
Why? We knew that the cultural village was just a tourist trap, so we made a trip back to the entrance through the village after we visited the caves.
The Caves
Do note that the caves is not wheelchair nor elderly friendly. The floors are not as slippery as I had expected it to be. However, conditions might change if the weather outside had just finished raining. It might also be cold – 18 degrees C, so wear accordingly.
It was quite sad where some of the limestone columns, stalactites and stalagmites were sawed through to build the touristic path. However, the good part is that not all of the limestone cave is open to tourism – hence, there is still untouched portions. Also, please do not touch any of the limestone!
The Cultural Village
We also managed to watch a show in the cultural village – possibly the only thing I recommend to do above ground. For the most part, you are not allowed to film or take photos of the performance. Only the introduction is allowed.
Okinawan music and dance will be performed – well, it’s quite enjoyable, I must say!
Destination 6: Mihama American Village (AGAIN!)
I told you in the previous post that we will slot in another visit to the village right? Yes, again we went to the American Village! Our first visit was not enough. 😛
We wanted to eat at a good restaurant, but because of our last minute decision, almost all the restaurants were full. So we settled for a roadside food which was… meh, not worth mentioning.
Then, we went to the #1 place we wanted to go (again) – The American Depot!
The entire night was spent on basking in the atmosphere and shopping. Well~
Total Spent (Day 6)
Yoshinoya – 640 yen
Vegetarica – ~1000 yen
Ryukyu Glass Village – 5400 yen
Gyokusendo Cave Entrance Fee – 1240 yen
Dinner (American Village) – 1400 yen
Toll – 270 yen
We’re reaching the end of Okinawa posts! Have you read our experiences during the previous days?
Click here for Day 1.
Click here for Day 2 & Day 3.
Click here for our experiences on driving in Okinawa.
Click here for Day 4 (Churaumi Aquarium).
Click here for Day 4 (Okuma Beach and Cape Hedo).
Click here for Day 5.
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