Day 4: Busena Marine Park --> Nakamura Soba --> Cape Manza --> Mihama American Village

Once my parents were done being thrilled by the glass-bottomed boat ride, we set off to have an early lunch. An approximate 20 minutes car ride away from the Busena Marine Park is Nakamura Soba, an Okinawan Soba restaurant that is extremely popular with the locals.

And thank goodness we made the choice to have an earlier lunch, because even then, by the time we arrived, the place was already packed and we snagged the last window counter seats! The family that came after us had to wait for quite a bit before they got seats!

Nakumura Soba is housed in this nondescript building by the road and next to the sea. If you're lucky like us, you'll get window seats and can have lunch with a view, abet with a lot of cars whizzing by. 

Ordering is like in many other Japanese restaurants, via a vending machine. I'm sorry I couldn't get pictures of the menu and the vending machines, but we were being quite rushed and I didn't want to be impolite. After that, it just got too packed to get any photos. 

My dad ordered the last bowl of the tebichi soba, which is a bowl of Okinawan soba with stewed pig trotters. Apparently there's only a limited number of servings of this each day. 

Mom got the sanmainiku soba, Okinawan soba with extra thick slices of stewed pork belly. The portion was huge enough that mom couldn't finish all the pork slices and passed me a slab of the meat.

And my own bowl. I stuck with a normal version. To be honest, I'm not a fan of Okinawa soba, they're a tad too sweet for my liking. But of all the Okinawan soba I've tried on the trip, this was by far, the best. By the way, the noodles are handmade.

And of course, the best part, eating your meal with a view!

Tourist Information

Nakamura Soba

Address: 〒904-0404 Okinawa, Kunigami District, Onna, 字 字瀬良垣 1669-1

DID: +81 98-966-8005

Opening hours: 11 am to 8 pm

The Uncertain 7-day Okinawa Journey: Busena Marine Park

All right, so I know this is like blog interruptus. I always seem to take long hiatus. But yes, back again to complete this Okinawa series.

Day 4: Busena Marine Park --> Nakamura Soba --> Cape Manza --> Mihama American Village

We had a relatively later start to Day 4 and walked out of our hotel at 10 am to a bright, sunny morning. The sunshine was especially awesome since the previous day was a gloomy, rainy disaster. So with sunshine and smiles on our faces, 45 minutes after setting off, we arrived at our first destination, the Busena Marine Park. 

To be honest, I had hesitated putting this on the itinerary. While checking online, I read mixed reviews and there were several who expressed that the observatory tower was not worth the price. Well, I won't be able to comment on that since the tower was closed the day we arrived because of maintenance / bad sea conditions. 

That said, it was totally fine by us since the primary reason this pit-stop eventually made it onto the itinerary was the glass-bottomed boats. I thought it would give my parents a thrill to experience an underwater sea view since they would never get to snorkel or dive. 

So after we purchased our tickets, we strolled down a little road (alongside some resort) to the nearest bus-stop for the free shuttle bus ride to the docks.

If you want to clock your 10,000 steps, you can definitely walk to the dock. It would probably have just taken you 10 to 15 minutes. However as the sun was coming down on us quite strongly that morning, my parents and I were really quite glad to hop onto the vintage-looking shuttle with the really friendly driver!

So this is how the glass-bottomed boats look like from the outside. 

And how it looks like on the inside. Unfortunately, I couldn't get a whole boat picture. Basically, the glass panels run down the middle of the boat and passengers are to sit on either side of the panels. The operators didn't pack the boat, so we all had ample space and didn't have to jostle for the viewing panels. Awesome.

Those of you who enjoy snorkeling and/or diving would understand when I say the underwater world is a beautiful (and sometimes scary) one. For my elderly parents who didn't have the opportunity to do so when they were younger and are by now too scared to attempt, the glass-bottomed boat is probably the next best parallel for them to experience something similar. And my parents loved it! They oohed and ahhh-ed, pointed to each other different fishes, reefs and starfishes that they could spot. And my mom, who gets sea-sick, expressed that she wished the ride had been longer and that the boat could have taken them further out.

I'm just really glad my parents enjoyed the ride, and to me, that's worth the price of an otherwise really expensive ticket. 

And when we got off the ride, we were fortunate enough to have a school of puffer fishes welcoming us back on land! The Japanese who were in our boat were definitely excited, several were pointing and exclaiming "Fugu!" 

Hopefully, they weren't thinking of the delicacy.

Tourist Information

Busena Marine Park

Website: https://www.busena-marinepark.com/english/index.html

Address: 17441 Kise, Nago, Okinawa 905-0026

DID: +81 980-52-3379

Opening hours: Mondays to Sundays, 9 am to 5 pm

The Uncertain 7-day Okinawa Journey: Bise no Fukugi Tree Road

Day 3: Bise no Fukugi Tree Road

As I mentioned in the earlier post, day 3 in Okinawa was a wash. What was supposed to be a full-day excursion at the famous Churaumi Aquarium and the adjacent Expo Gardens got cancelled because the place was closed as a result of Covid-19. Plus with strong rains and the extreme dip in temperature, we were practically holed up in the hotel most of the time.

Thankfully, by early evening, the rain let up and slowed to a heavy drizzle. Mom didn't want to get cold or wet so I ventured out with dad to the Bise no Fukugi Tree Road. The Bise no Fukugi Tree Road was recommended by the receptionist who gave us really clear directions. Well, it was the only attraction really that was within walking distance. Another reason why a car is kinda necessary if you want to move around the whole of Okinawa. 

There were pretty clear signages along the way. Even then, dad got worried mid-way and kept asking if we were on the right path, since it looked like we were just walking along roads, some dilapidated buildings and nothing much else. He was only reassured when we saw the Welcome board. 

I have to admit, if not because we had nowhere else to go, I wouldn't have included this in the itinerary at all. Basically the entire draw of the place was just a road flanked by these tall Fukugi trees on both sides. Good to stroll around on a cool day and you can get pretty pictures, but it does get boring after a while.

The area itself is mostly residential although there were some cafes near the entrance and a couple of shops once you enter the tree tunnel. After a short stroll, dad and I chanced upon a cafe called Soy Soy and decided to stop for hot drinks and to escape the cold. It was the best choice of the evening.

Honestly, after the cup of coffee, dad and I just decided to head back. We did attempt to take the way long through the beach but gave up very shortly. It was just too cold and the rain was coming back on. 

All in, not too excited by the Bise no Fukugi Tree Road even though they were a pretty sight at first. Bummer of a Day 3.

The Uncertain 7-day Okinawa Journey: Centurion Hotel Resort Vintage Okinawa (Part 2)

Apologies for the brief hiatus. No, I was not stricken with Covid-19. Instead, I picked up a new hobby during Singapore's Circuit Breaker (aka lockdown) and was spending the past few weekends with this new hobby. But ok, I do intend to finish the Okinawa posts so here goes.

Day 3 in Okinawa was a complete wash. I made a gamble that did not pay off at all. My original plan was to spend the entire day at Churaumi Aquarium but if you read my earlier posts, you'd have known how this became impossible. Given the original plan, I did not plan for driver at all for Day 3 and took the gamble that we could still explore the area nearby and would not need one. 

Oh well. The skies had a different opinion and thwarted my plans with an incredibly heavy downpour. So much so, even when we attempted to step out when we thought the rain was slowing, we were back in the hotel in a jiffy. It was just too wet and cold to be out. In fact in the short time that we attempted to walk to the beach, my shoes got so soaked, I had to change into another pair. We were essentially stuck in our hotel for most of the day, either in the lobby with the lovely view of the rain and sea bashing against each other, or within our warm, cozy room. 

Of course we ended up having all our meals in the hotel. Thankfully even thought there was only one restaurant which had a pretty simple menu, it was diverse enough that we didn't have to end up eating the same thing repeatedly.

Again, as you can see from the picture, we basically had the entire place to ourselves. Over lunch and dinner, we tried quite a few dishes: Okinawan noodles, pizza, tonkatsu curry, chicken yakitori, chicken karrage. Mom's verdict: Skip the yakitori, the rest all ok.

But you know what the best part was? Free-flow yummy gelato! All you can eat ice cream in cold weather! Between meals, we tried all the flavours. Of course, there were flavours that featured Okinawa's best like brown sugar, purple sweet potato (which I found a little weird).  

Thankfully breakfast the next day was a buffet spread else my parents and I really wouldn't know what else to order. And the spread was decent too. I had at least 3 helpings of some of my favourite items.

And I've got to say, I was impressed that even with very little people, the hotel continued to put out a decent spread. And even replenished items!

Even though I have no complains about Centurion Hotel, I don't think I will be returning anytime soon. Well, I definitely want to return to Okinawa and have the chance to visit Churaumi Aquarium, but given how much time we spent in the hotel, I'd like to try the newer one beside Centurion.

The Uncertain 7-day Okinawa Journey: Centurion Hotel Resort Vintage Okinawa (Part 1)

Day 2: Nago Pineapple Park --> Ufuya --> Kouri Ocean Tower --> Nakijin Castle (cancelled) --> Centurion Hotel Resort Vintage Okinawa

Day 2 kind of went downhill after Kouri Island. Because of her vertigo, mom got really car sick on the way to Nakijin Castle. In addition, it started to really pour and I knew that there would be little shelter at the castle ruins. Hence we decided to cancel Nakijin Castle and instead head straight to our hotel.

I knew mom was really glad to see the hotel when we reached. The thing I do like about traveling free and easy on our own is that we can decide and make changes to our itinerary when needed. Unlike joining a group tour, where you are forced to adhere to the itinerary whether or not you like it.

Walking into the lobby was a relief. Day 2 was when we realised that the winds at Okinawa can be brutally cold. Mom actually stood in shock for a moment when she alighted from the car and then ran into the lobby to get out of the winds.

Thankfully check in was simple and again fuss free. We were again informed by the receptionist that the Churaumi Aquarium was closed. What I liked was the follow-up touch, when the receptionist realised that the aquarium was the reason why we checked into this hotel, she offered to assist us in our itinerary if we didn't know what to do.

If you see my photo above, you'd spot the shadows of a corridor to the left. That's where our room was, just much further in. I usually don't like rooms that are the same floor as the reception as it can be really noisy but this round was ok mainly because it was further in and the hotel was a little deserted. Another time where there was very little people around because of the Covid-19 situation. 

My apologies for the quick snaps of the room. I didn't want to hold up my mom taking a rest but neither did I want photos of a messed-up room later. 

When booking the hotels for this segment of the trip, I had a few options and eventually decided to go with the one nearest to Churaumi Aquarium. In fact, Centurion Hotel had a direct path into the aquarium which would have been perfect if the aquarium was open. However, the next time I'm back for the aquarium, I'm going to try the other hotel next to Centurion. Only because it looked newer and more modern than Centurion.

Centurion Hotel Resort Vintage Okinawa isn't too bad, but its exactly like its name - a little old. The room was clean and well-maintained. My only complaint was the third bed. When I booked the room, it was advertised as a triple room. My third bed was a sofa bed and the springs were really too old. one night would probably had been fine, but the second night was a torture on the back.

My parents didn't have any issues though with their queen bed and mom recovered enough after 2 nights of rest here.

The toilet and bath was decent sized but lacked hooks or shelves to separate your clean and dirty linen when cleaning up. As there were 3 of us, we had to be really creative with hanging up our towels and clothes. 

The awesome view from our hotel window. One of the rare times that mom wanted to keep the curtains open. By the way, the path to the aquarium is down this pool.

What really saved us while staying at Centurion Hotel Resort Vintage Okinawa was the 7-11 that was a short stroll away from the hotel. We ended up being really stuck in the hotel the next day and haha, one of the highlights was to walk to the convenience store to get snacks. 

Upon exiting the hotel, turn left and just stroll down the road until you spot 7-11. It's a really short walk, definitely less than 5 minutes away. My only gripe is that it's not a very big one.

My initial plan was to have our dinners 2 nights in a row at the hotel. However, seeing that we were going to be extremely stuck, my parents and I instead decided that for our first night at Centurion, to just settle dinner with whatever we could find at 7-11. 

The wonderful thing about convenience stores in Japan is that you can really get a full and nutritious meal there. My parents settled for bento boxes and some fried chicken while I went for the onigiri. We also had our pick of drinks. I picked a packet of coffee flavoured milk which I always enjoyed in Japan while my parents went for apple tea. We also stocked up on water and the Calbee potato crisps that my mom loved so much. 

Thankfully we headed out to the 7-11 early enough because the minute we stepped back into the hotel lobby, it started pouring. In fact, during that short journey to and back from the 7-11, mom was already shivering from the cold blasts of winds. The light drizzle on the way back just made it worse but we were especially relieved that we missed the rain.

And that marked the end of a short Day 2.

The Uncertain 7-day Okinawa Journey: Kouri Ocean Tower

Day 2: Nago Pineapple Park --> Ufuya --> Kouri Island (1 hr 15 mins) --> Nakijin Castle --> Centurion Hotel Resort Vintage Okinawa

After the superb lunch at Ufuya, we headed for our next destination, Kouri Island. Kouri Island is a 30 minute drive from Ufuya and you know you've reach when you start crossing the scenic Kouri Bridge. We were informed by the iPad in the car that the Kouri Bridge is 1960 meters long and is the longest toll free bridge in Okinawa. Unfortunately, as it had started raining by then, even though our driver offered us the option to get off at the entrance of the bridge, we skipped that. There's a very tiny parcel of beach there which really isn't much. However, the idea about getting off at the entrance of the bridge is to enjoy the sight of the bridge. It's a prime photo spot if you want to get a picture of the bridge really, especially if you're interested in a blue and white theme picture.

Anyway, I was primarily interested in the Kouri Ocean Tower although the entire Kouri Island is open for exploration. In addition, given that it had started raining, we asked our driver to head straight up to the Ocean Tower.

We used our Okinawa Enjoy Pass again to exchange for tickets and headed to yet another driverless cart ride in order to get to the Ocean Tower. Yup. Day 2 is just full of driverless cart rides. This one was definitely the most scenic of all, since the cart took us on a leisurely ride round and up the hill. We had a bird's eye view of the island and the bridge. 

Ok, because it was raining and mom was starting to feel a little unwell, I didn't stop to take as many photos as I liked. So I didn't get any of the exterior of the tower. And just FYI, mom was suffering from vertigo and not Covid-19. Different symptoms, but I digress.

Our first stop once we reached the Ocean Tower was the shell museum where we spent quite some time there. Even though she wasn't at her best, mom was still extremely fascinated by the wide array of shells we saw there! There were a lot of the usual shells that we know of, like conch shells, clams and cowries. However, some of the sizes we saw were amazingly huge! 

There were also some really colourful ones that I absolutely loved! It was like the rainbow painted them! My parents initially even thought that they were dyed until we were later informed that these were their original colours! Seriously beautiful! I took photos of the ones that I liked and there was even 1 set (second photo below) that looked like they could be a nail art set!

There's a small gift shop specialising in shells at the end of the museum. We browsed a little and marvelled at some of the creations, like this really pretty shell lamp (photo below). I actually considered a wind chime that was made from shells but eventually decided against it as it seemed really fragile and I wasn't confident about packing it into the luggage. Mom actually commented that it was a pity since it was really pretty.

Exiting from the gift shop, we then took the elevator to the second floor of the tower. The second and the third floors of the towers are indoor observation areas. We did a round on the third floor but the highlight has got to be the open roof observation deck. At a height of 82 meters above sea level, the rooftop observation deck offered an amazing panoramic view of Kouri Island and the Kouri Bridge.

As it was raining, the winds were really strong that day. While at the rooftop deck, there was another group of four guys who lost their hand held tickets and a head band to the winds! So if you have anything lightweight, make sure you hang on tight to them!

Seriously loved the view.

Dad insisted on a photo here and I can totally understand why. The photo turned out really good too!

After we exited the tower, we headed for our favourite thing to do. Haha, yeah, we shopped again at yet another souvenir shop. In fact this was where I had bought my shikuwasa cider that I had introduced in an earlier post. We bought more food stuff again here although I was a little disappointed not to have gotten anything pumpkin related. Kouri Island is also known for producing yummy pumpkins. There was a café that sold pumpkin cakes and pastries but we skipped it as we were too full from lunch. In hindsight, I don't know why we didn't just get it to go so that we could save it for later.

By the time we exited Kouri Tower, it was raining really heavily and mom was really unwell by then. Hence, we skipped exploring the island itself. Which was a pity because my research prior the trip indicated that it was a really quaint island with unique stores and cozy cafes and pop-up food trucks. In fact, there's apparently one food truck that was really famous for its shrimp.

On well. Another time I guess.

Tourist Information

Kouri Ocean Tower

Website: https://www.kouri-oceantower.com/en/
Address: 538 Kouri, Nakijin-son, Kunigami-gun, Okinawa
DID: 0980-56-1616
Opening hours: 9 am to 6 pm, last entry is usually at 5:30 pm

Admission fees: 

Adult	800 yen
High School	600 yen
Elementary School	300 yen
Pre-school	Free