Tour book day...

On Saturday Adrienne and I did some house cleaning and a little shopping...nothing to buy so our small salaries are safe! Rachel called and said there was something going on down at the beach...so we all decided to troop down there, 10 years later we find a parking spot. We go over to where all the tents are set up and discover we can pay 500 yen (about $5.00) to get into whatever it is that's going on...which doesn't look like anything. We decide to walk around until whatever starts so we can decide if we want to go...it seems that it's some sort of music thing so we go and get food from Jusco (an EVERYTHING store, with groceries and prepared food...think super target with restaurants too) Anyway, we got these little BBQ meats on a stick things when I saw the squid on a stick and couldn't resist the picture. Rachel says she needs to try it at least once, I like squid, but the whole thing on a stick is a little more then I can handle!

After getting our food and paying our entrance fee we sit down on the grass to eat and listen to the music group - kind of Reggae in Japanese...after that there were all kinds of groups - dancing, plays, drums, a dancing dog - we think it was a dog - 2 people in costume (might have been a dragon) There's a video at the end of the blog of it - couldn't get it to move up here so I just left it at the bottom! After a couple of hours we decided that not speaking Japanese wasn't working in this situation - we couldn't tell what was going on in the REALLY long play...so we decided to go to Big Dip for double dip day...2 scoops for the single price :) After that we headed home.

All these kids had these very realistic toy guns - they seemed to be practicing for future hold ups...a little unnerving.
2 things - EVERYONE had these pink panther blow ups...who knows why...and second, that kid is eating his blue cotton candy with chop sticks - pick it up with your hands kid, it's fun!

The girls - we had to take this one several times (not for my hair thank goodness it's staying a normal size lately) Adrienne was having trouble centering us so we were all in it!


After church we had decided to have lunch at the Rose Garden - our favorite place, they serve breakfast till 5 and Adrienne and I have sharing a breakfast down to a science that involves left over ham for scrambled eggs at home...we had actual lunch today - my clam chowder was yummy and the first time I've seen it with bacon - I make it with bacon...but I thought it was just me :) Anyway, after lunch we headed home to change. We were going to go to this lighthouse and explore the beaches out that way too. On the way I realized that one of the castle ruins was on the way so we decided to take a detour. The tour book actually said, in the middle of town (can't tell what's the middle) you will see a gas station on the right, turn right there. UMMMM really? those are the directions??? Ok then...we turned at the gas station...


Ok, how cool is it that they pull down from the ceiling? I was excited...so we drive down the road and see what might be the parking lot, not sure so we turn around and check the sign - yes, still think we're in the right place - right name, and it has a castle wall in the name...so we begin a short walk up while I'm reading the tour book description out loud. This was our first view once we got up the little hill. I have to say it's absolutely breathtaking here!!



We continued on until we reached the castle - Adrienne thought it was kind of small...but everything is smaller in Japan (except the bugs, they're bigger!) But pictured below is the entrance of Zakimi castle. It was built by a warrior supposedly he made a crew move it from one site to this one, one rock at a time in a chain...crazy! So this whole place is made of these massive rocks and the walls are SO thick - I'd be curious to know how long it took them to build it.



I was trying to get a picture of the view from the castle floor...Adrienne stuck her fingers in so I'd be sure to know the picture was taken in Japan :)
These are their tombs - they're all over the place, we could see them from on top of the castle wall - it's crazy how big they are!
The three of us sitting on the castle steps
After we left we went back on our journey to the lighthouse. When we arrived we paid our 200 yen...the book had said 150...inflation! We climbed 90 of the biggest stairs I've EVER seen up to the top of the lighthouse and this was the view...the clouds had come again and the water was so dark - spectacular! And so quiet and peaceful - such a change from living in LA! On a side note, I'm a little bitter that I STILL can't see stars here - we get a couple, but I figured away from all the lights there would be stars - apparently not.
This was the view from the other side of the Cape Zanapa lighthouse (it's one of 2 on the island)
I was the first up the stairs and started laughing because this was the door to get out onto the lighthouse - I made Adrienne take a picture - that door is SO small!!

It was a good tour book day - I've picked out a couple of other places to explore - gotta finish reading the book and mark my pages - we have lots of weekends to fill! Below is the dancing something video - hope all is well at home - miss you guys!