Nakijin Castle

I realize that we haven't updated you on travels since January - so sorry about that. Please allow this hobbit to bring you up to speed on a few of our adventures!









Well, back in the winter time peach coke was totally a thing - and it was fantastic. I actually miss it. However, it's probably good for my waistline that it was seasonal.

Drinking different flavored sodas wasn't our only activity this past winter. We also visited Nakijin Castle Ruins to see the Cherry Blossoms! 

This was such a surreal experience for me! Having lived near Washington D.C. most of my life, I do not remember visiting the city to see the Cherry Blossoms bloom - ya know, the ones that were gifted to us from the Japan?

Yet, here I am in Okinawa, thousands of miles away from my home, finally seeing Cherry Blossoms - Sakura - bloom.

It was an incredible experience and the blossoms were beautiful!






Another point to mention about this outing is the castle itself. Nakijin Castle Ruins is a lovely spot to visit. There is ample parking and several souvenir and food shops. The path to walk around the castle park is well cared for and fairly easy to follow while allowing a few opportunities to freely wonder. Whether it's Cherry Blossom season or not, I highly recommend visiting Nakijin Castle Ruins for a day out in Okinawa.

*This spot in pet friendly. Parking is free. Take Yen for vendors.*

MariCar

A few days ago I posted this photo on one of my social media accounts.

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A few comments populated wondering if this experience was "for real" or not. I can assure you it is. And, I can testify - IT'S A MUST when you visit Okinawa.

In downtown Naha there is a tourist activity called MariCar. It is a super fun concept where you, you and your love, you and twenty of your friends, or you and a bunch of random strangers; dress up in adult sized character onesies, hop on go carts, and zip around Naha in the middle of everyday traffic. This experience is one in a million. It's not everyday you get to drive a go cart through normal city streets - let alone doing it dressed like Minnie Mouse.

This tour is more than just fun, however, it's also a bit thrilling. Our tour group admitted to having a "need for speed" to our tour guide, therefore, our go carts clocked speeds of approximately 70 kph when the route opened up. Not only are you going this speed on a go cart but your doing it on the streets of Naha so buses are rolling up next to you, taxis are trying to cut in on you, and cars are whirling pass you - it's a rush! If my mother is reading this, don't worry, I was safe. MariCar doesn't send you out onto the street alone. This company has excellent guides. I've been invited to go riding through Naha twice now and I have had two different guides, both were knowledgable, kept us safe, and helped us have a good time! You're with a guide the entire time and you drive in groups in order to make it harder for cars to cut in and separate go carts from the tour. I've felt safe throughout both tours that I've taken and I 1) wouldn't have taken the tour a second time and 2) wouldn't recommend to you if I had not felt safe.

One last super cute thing about this tour is the "fifteen minutes of fame" you get to experience on Kokousai Street. You might be thinking: If this kind of tour happened all the time in my city I'd hate it... I bet people honk there horns and yell and blah blah blah...  Not in Naha. They do not honk their horns (if you recall from the driving post, that's rude here in Okinawa). And, when you drive down Kokousai Street (part of your tour) you'll feel like a celebrity. Don't forget that you are dressed like a famous cartoon character as you drive around. No matter how many times people have seen it, they're excited to see ridiculous people dressed up on go carts. Also, a lot of people on Kokousai Street are tourist so they're excited to capture a photo of you for their Shutterfly book. This is the fun part - you get to be Minnie Mouse (or whoever you are). Smile for the camera. Wave! Be a celebrity. Zach and I are very cheesy and had a great time waving to the people and saying, "Hello!" Why not!? They'd smile, we'd smile! Bottom line - this experience is super fun!

Okay, so since you're still reading this blog I know that you're convinced that you're going to come to Okinawa, therefore, you must add this activity to your list - See downtown Naha...MariCar style! Let me know what costume you'll be picking out in the comment section and I'll be sure they have it ready for your trip😉.

If you are in Okinawa and interested in going on a MariCar tour, you'll need to set up a tour through MariCAR Okinawa (you can find them on Facebook). For the actual tour you'll need to wear closed-toe shoes and bring the proper forms of ID. If you're a SOFA status driver (like me) you'll need your SOFA license and your ID. If you're visiting Okinawa, because it's amazing, you'll need your passport and driver's license. 

Proof I'm A Coffee Addict

For everyone that I disappointed in the previous blog regarding my lack of coffee intake, I believe I will make up for it in this blog. 

First things first, I did go back to Esparza's Tacos and Coffee and tried their iced latte. It was a solid choice and a decent cup of coffee. The coffee in Okinawa is often VERY strong making what we drink in the States seem pretty weak. If what you find in the other coffee cafes around the island is too strong for your taste I would highly recommend going to Esparza's on the regular as it will remind you of the coffee you get at home!    

Next, over the Labor Day weekend, Zach and I visited two coffee farms to the north of our home in Okinawa. 

One was Hiro Coffee Farm, an independent coffee farm tucked away on highway 70. The other was Matayoshi Coffee Farm a more established farm south of Hiro. The drive to Hiro Coffee Farm is a bit of a distance but worth the time if not for the coffee itself but the beautiful Okinawa scenery. If you take the route provided by Google maps, you'll enjoy a lovely drive up the Pacific coast, the East China Sea, and through some luscious mountain passes. Okinawa is a beautiful island and sometimes half of the adventure is just getting to your destination. So, don't let the distance stop you. Just go! Enjoy the ride!

After a few bends in the road, you'll soon find a sign informing you that you have arrived at Hiro Coffee Farm. The farm is small, as is their shop, so don't drive too fast or you'll speed past it. If you do, be sure to turn around because you do not want to miss this place! 

The parking lot can probably fit about ten cars and the shop does not sit far back from the lot. The women working in the shop, who we assumed to be one of the owners, was so friendly and allowed us to walk around the small farm. They have an example of a coffee tree out in the open for tourist to take pictures of since this is not a large operation with formal tours.  The owners have figured out a way to make this small coffee shop unique by offering specialty items like coffee pudding and a coffee roasted hotdog as well as serving hot and iced coffee. They have a small place to sit inside as well as several areas to sit and enjoy the north island breeze outside as you consume your caffeinated items. Overall, if you love coffee and have ever wanted to wander around a coffee farm and feel a bit more connected to the beverage that completes your day - visit Hiro Coffee Farm. It's as chill your favorite coffee house.

As for the coffee they roast, it is not for the "weak in cup". This coffee is strong. So if a non-fat, double pump, no foam, pumpkin spice latte is your thing - I would try the coffee pudding. But if you like coffee for coffee's sake - Hiro Coffee Farm is where you want to go. 

Since it's still pretty warm here in Okinawa, I ordered an iced coffee. Bonus points to Hiro Coffee Farm for putting coffee ice cubes in their iced coffee! That was a pleasant surprise and a nice touch in this hot weather because things melt so quickly yet thanks to Hiro Coffee my coffee did not get watered down. Therefore allowing me to truly enjoy the flavor of the coffee which was not too acidic so I'd give it a 6 out of 10 (1 being bitter -  10 being acidic). Disclaimer: I am not a coffee professional and my scores mean nothing.

We also tried the coffee pudding and the coffee hotdog. If you go to Hiro Coffee Farm I would recommend all of these items but if you can only get one - try the coffee. If you don't want to drink the coffee - try the pudding, IT'S FANTASTIC!

Coffee Tree on display for tourists. If you look closely at the left picture you'll see the green coffee beans. 

Working our way back to the south we visited the second coffee farm, Matayoshi Coffee Farm. When driving to Hiro Coffee Farm you'll pass Matayoshi Coffee Farm but I would encourage you to press on to Hiro first and stop at Matayoshi on your way back. Hiro is a "mom and pop" operation, as we'd say in the States. Matayoshi is a bit more robust. They have a great deal more land than Hiro and even have a small processing facility. It's nice to have both experiences. 

Matayoshi's cafe was larger and sold more product than Hiro. They did not offer tours of the facility or grounds but did not mind guests looking around the greenhouse that was just behind the cafe. Matayoshi was a fun farm to visit because they had so much going on. Not only was it a coffee farm but they also had a horse stable on the land as well and right beside the cafe there was a training ring for jumpers. We enjoyed seeing inside the greenhouse as Hiro utilized a greenhouse as well and that allowed us to gain a better understanding of how coffee is grown here in Okinawa. 

Unfortunately, the day we visited Matayoshi Coffee Farm they were completely sold out of their Okinawan coffee bean. Having just had a cup of coffee at Hiro we didn't feel the need to just try a random cup of coffee that we could get anywhere (no offense to a good cup of 100% Arabic coffee) but we were coming to sample the Okinawan blend and without that we were coffee'd out. That would have been my fourth cup of the day Y'all. So instead of sampling a cup of local brew, we tried a local sweet instead; Ice cream Zenzai. 

Ice cream Zenzai is shaved ice (think powered snow), with a scoop of ice cream on top, and sweet cold red bean soup poured on top. You're thinking, "No way. Red beans belong in Chili." Let me tell you, friends, red beans belong with ice cream - oh and inside pastries but we'll get to that later. This dessert was perfect for a mid-afternoon snack. Light - because it's mainly shaved ice. Protein - because of the beans. Sweet - because of the scoop of ice cream. What more could you ask for? 

Ice cream zenzai is delicious and this will not be our last time sampling this particular sweet! Two thumbs up, Y'all!

Overall, Matayoshi Coffee Farm was a fine experience but not for the coffee, for the ice cream, since they didn't have any of the Okinawa blend!

Every story needs a twist and there it is for this one; we left our house in search of coffee and found it but we also found a treat we had never tasted before - ice cream zenzai. So when you come to Okinawa, and you will, you should visit Hiro Coffee Farm and you must try ice cream zenzai. But as we're learning from these adventures, who knows what else you'll find when you venture out!? And that's half the fun of it! 

#imgoingonanadventure

Tacos and... Coffee?

I've shared a lot about the Japanese and Okinawan cuisine that we have tried thus far, but this week I'd like to veer off from those flavors a share a different type of restaurant that's here on the island - Esparza's Tacos and Coffee.

Tacos and coffee? 

Yes, tacos and coffee. You may not think this combination works, but it does. 

They actually serve more than just tacos and coffee at Esparza'; they also serve enchiladas as well as soups and some delicious sides, like Mexican rice and chips & salsa. 

Their coffee bar is full service with Americano, latte, cappuccino, and mocha options offering a flavor assortment to go with each coffee selection.

If you're not in the mood for coffee Esparza's also has a few very unique soda options like pineapple and their own in-house homemade ginger ale (which I highly recommend). 

Once you've ordered your food you'll have the opportunity to select your salsa from the salsa bar. There are several to choose from; green tomato, spicy red tomato, red tomato, fresh jalapenos, and more! After you've selected your flavors for today's visit you then take a seat anywhere you like inside the restaurant or outside on the patio and wait for your buzzer to alert you that your order is ready. Once alerted, you proceed to the order pick up window and grab your trays. Then it's time to chow down!

At Esparza's the vibe is chill, the food is fresh, and the flavors are on point. My favorite thing so far is the green salsa enchiladas. They're spot on! However, you cannot go wrong with the tacos (try the fajita tacos).

This may come as a shock to my friends and readers, but I have not tried the coffee yet. I've been so eager to try their unique sodas that I have passed on the coffee (insert shocked face). However, I'm not leaving the island anytime soon and the green salsa enchiladas are so good that I'll definitely be back to Esparza's, which means a cup of coffee is in my future. And, I'll update you when I try a cup!

Until then, if you're on the island and craving a taco, enchilada, or just a big bowl of chips and salsa - visit Esparza's - you won't regret it!

Agena Castle Ruins

Whenever we share the length of our orders to Okinawa with people, they often respond with, "Wow! We've been here 'x' amount of years and still don't feel like we've been able to see or do half of what we've wanted to on this island!" And after hearing that five or six times, Zach and I devised a plan: with every free weekend that we have we are going to attempt to visit a new place. 

Our most recent new place was the Agena Castle Ruins in Uruma City. These ruins date back to the 14th century (not too shabby) and were part of the Ryukyuan Kingdom. Although the outer wall has not stood the test of time, the inner wall has and is protected by the Japanese Government. 

But here is what's really fun about this site - it's open to the public. The Agena Castle Ruins have become part of a central park for Uruma City and visitors can enjoy this history anytime they want. As long as you are able to make the ascent up to the top of the castle (approximately 161 feet) you should have no problem enjoying the ruins as there are easy walking paths and benches throughout the ruins. 

If you choose to visit these ruins in the summertime and lack the motivation to continue the ascent due to the heat, let me encourage you with this picture:

 The view from the top is totally worth it!

 The refreshing breeze along with the spectacular scenery is surprising and quite beautiful!

The ruins were so much fun to walk through. There's a tunnel to go under, trees to go around, and rocks to climb over; but only if you want to. If you're not interested in that you can stick to the main path (except the tunnel, you have to go through the tunnel to get to the view).


Overall, we had a great visit to the Agena Castle Ruins and would highly recommend visiting if you're looking to get outdoors without going too far away from everything (we were only three blocks away from a delicious sushi restaurant... more to come on that later).

Final note: if you forget a bottle of water to take with you through the ruins, don't worry, there are several vending machines along the sidewalk before you enter the park.

*Facts about the Agena Castle Ruins came from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agena_Castle and https://en.japantravel.com/okinawa/agena-castle-ruins/7615*

Noodles, Noodles, Noodles...

This is Mr. Ping from Kung Fu Panda. In the movie, he owns a noodle shop - he lives for noodles. Noodles, noodles, noodles... 

You've learned over the my last few posts that the food in Okinawa has been a BIG part of my journey. Well, this post is dedicated to my favorite food here: NOODLES!

In Japan, there are several different noodle dishes to experience and enjoy!  Soba, in general, is the name for Japanese noodles dishes that are made with buckwheat or wheat noodles. Occasionally you'll be served an egg noodle but for the most part it will be in the wheat family (the thicker wheat noodles are more like udon). You can find them served cold with dipping broths or hot in noodle soup forms (this noodle soup is what we know as ramen). Yakisoba, which is scrumptious, refers to a stir-fried noodle dish. 

When ramen is your main course it will, most likely, have a protein, onions, chives, seaweed, bean sprouts, and bamboo shoots. It could have many other delicious items inside but those are the standard items I've seen in the bowls I've consumed thus far. The protein could be pork (which is king here in Okinawa), chicken, tofu, and/or a hard boil egg. Your broth will change depending on the type of ramen you order. The base could be soy, salt, or miso. When ramen is a side dish it's usually seaweed, onion, chives, and noodles. Zach likes his ramen spicy. I prefer mine to be a bit blander - salty is good for me. The best thing about ramen is that there is a flavor for everyone. 

Yakisoba is absolutely scrumptious and unlike anything I've had in the states (same as the ramen here). It has the same vegetables as ramen, minus the seaweed, and is stir-fried in a broth. It is fantastic!

I have tried six different noodle dishes so far (yes, I have a problem) and they have all been delicious and elicited a happy dance. Therefore, when you visit Okinawa (because by the time you finish reading all of my hobbit updates you're going to HAVE to visit Okinawa) try some noodles. 

"Where should we go?" The truth is you could try any noodle place. There is a restaurant here called Arashi that is very good and they do have an English menu, but Zach and I found some incredible noodles just by stopping at a place that popped up as Noodle House on Google Maps. So, my advice? Be adventurous and try what looks good to you!

Happy slurrping and Itadakimasu!