Wax On, Wax Off

So if you are like me your entire information base on Okinawa comes from three Marines you knew, and uncle who was here 40 years ago, and the Movie Karate Kid 2.  I thought I was good until Martin told me that KK2 was filmed in Hawaii.  Uggggg.....

So I woke up at 4:30am the first morning and went for a walk. (Please do not mention to Dee Dee that I went out before daylight in a strange country on the first day I was there.  Thank You.)  That is what you do when you have been traveling for two days and want to stretch.

But, do you know what I saw that first morning when I walked?  Karate on the beach.  And why this was so reassuring, I am not sure. But I snapped this picture later, cause who can pass that up?   There were also Marines running on the beach, which is reassuring as well in a whole different way on your first morning.

I also found this super playground on Araha Beach which kept my kids busy on many afternoons.  It is a huge pirate ship with a tiny zip-line.

Okinawa Wanna Be's:  I was at first disappointed that there was "no room at the West Pac,"  but in hindsight am glad that we stayed out in town because we had to acclimate to the climate a little more.  Especially now that I am a hermit unpacking our new Unit.  EXPECT to be in West Pac (The lodge on Foster)  for 3 weeks when you arrive. You can hope for shorter, but might get longer.  If it is full they will send you into town.  If this happens and you are lucky enough to have a FABULOUS sponsor like we did, they will plop you down on a beach.  You will change rooms a few times if it is the busy season.  You will have to repack the 8 bags that hold everything you currently own and haul them to another room.  It will stink.  Try to look at it like vacation.  We stayed at Beachside Condominiums for two weeks and Okinawa Beach Tower for one.   The highlight to the Beach Tower was the pool complex with Dr. Fish!