Miykojima / Miyako Island

  

WELCOME

TO

MIYAKO

Miyako is gorgeous! It is a small island located a 40 minute flight away from Okinawa. To be honest, there is little to actually 'do' inland, hence this blog is mostly pictures of FOOD! But, you are treated to a delightful range of resorts, beaches and water activities, so, beach-side, your day is a busy one!. In season, it is HOT and packed. We were fortunate enough to catch it just before the main season began (Spring break), but the weather was lovely, the water was the best I have ever seen and some of the snorkelling was right there waiting for you directly on the coast!

RESORTS - There are a few decent resorts on the island and it is worth paying extra for a simple, o-worry vacation. 

THE TOKYU RESORT caters well for families and has direct access to MAEHAMA beach. They offer water activities too as well as restaurants and shops. They have a number of putting parks for golf and even a fruit garden.

HOTEL BREEZE BAY MARINA - Located on the southern part of the island, this hotel resort has access to the German culture village (!) as well as it's own food and shopping village where you can eat for a reasonable price and see live performances each night and even get lots of souvenir shopping done! There is no direct beach, although you can walk along the paths to reach the glass bottom boat and then small beach areas.

Divine!

SHIGARA RESORT - This resort is spread out on a larger area and offers a full beauty salon service, golf and electronic carting/skateboarding activities overlooking the sea. There are also many restaurants on Shigara site including a very sublime pizzeria - would totally recommend!

Of course, there are plenty pensions and apartments where you can have a much more free lifestyle. There are shops in Harara, the main town where you can buy food or, there are many small restaurants scattered all over the island. Many people rent cars, or even quad bikes to roam around the island as well as the adjoining islands of Kurima and Ikema. There is a MIYAKO ISLAND magazine that you will find anywhere and it will be your bible for the trip. Everything from diving, driving, souvenirs, food...etc (lots of pictures too)  is in there so you cannot go wrong.

BEACHES

SUNAYAMA BEACH

SUNAYAMA BEACH - A small beach situated on the west of the island. There is a parking lot that offers showers and toilets, then there is a small hike to the beach itself. Well worth the trip.

YOSHINO BEACH - The rain was coming in, but it didn't stop anyone!

YOSHINO BEACH - If you like snorkelling and diving, then this is the ultimate beach for you. On the east coast of the island, there is plenty of coral and sea life to amaze you. Watch out for the stone fish! 

MAEHAMA BEACH

MAEHAMA BEACH - deemed one of the best in the world!!! Yes, really! I didn't believe it until I saw it! 

The sand is perfect and the colours of the water are magical.

You can take boats out to see the fish, to snorkel or you can wade in the clear water by yourself. It is simply beautiful.

BE CAREFUL!!!

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                           Miyako delights

On a pack of cookies - 'I went to Miyako island'

For a small island, you can eat really well. there are sugar cane plantations everywhere, so, naturally, you can expect to see many sweet souvenirs, ranging from plain brown sugar to just about anything coated in brown sugar. I'm looking forward to making brown sugar bread with the bag we bought for ourselves!

Typical souvenirs from the island - mostly coated with BROWN SUGAR !!!

Miyako beef & Miyako noodles

There must be farms on the island for they pride themselves for the beef.

Guava juice

And, there is fruit aplenty - dragon fruit, mango, guava, sweet Miyako bananas ... ....DIVINE!

Dragon fruit juice

Island spices!!

Scallions grown on the island.

Jasmine tea is very popular.

Taco pizza & Goya pizza!

Sugar cane, sweet potato and mango flavours are typical of the island.

Awamori by the pool

You are allowed to taste before you buy and there is even a popularity ranking!

 Awamori is the alcoholic drink made in Okinawa and the rest of the south. It is a lot stronger than the regular Sake and should be drunk with water and even fruit juice - I wish we had known this when we were tasting them at the shop!!

I'll have a VAT of Awamori please!!! 

Brown sugar cappucino

And a little tip for you and a reminder for me - There was one super lovely cafe, near Sunayama beach, where the vibe was mellow, the layout simple and the food delectable.  Do be sure to visit!

Coconut curry

Okinawa - NAHA

OKINAWA

After 6 years, I finally get to visit the southern island of Japan. What a surprise!

It's hard to believe that this is still Japan - there are tropical trees and flowers everywhere, the climate is already so much warmer, the locals even seemed so much more laid back but little things like the Post Offices and the Yamato (takkyubin service) signs reminded me that this was still the ever efficient Japan I know and loved and how I wished had actually remembered to send my own suitcase down!

Naha is the only city on the island and it is certainly a bustling little hub.

There is a different mentality in the south for sure and whatever the reasons - I like it!

I found people to be a lot more relaxed, the food was delicious and the weather was lots warmer. I was happy.

We failed to actually absorb any culture as we only stopped for a night either side of our main trip to Miyako, but we liked what we saw. Next time, we have promised ourselves some island exploration, a visit to Shuri castle and a lot more coastal discovery! For now, here is a little introduction to Japan's main southern island.

FOOD & YUMS IN OKINAWA

Pig's SNOUT

They do love the PIG down in the south and the poor animal doesn't stand a chance! Look at this picture carefully and you will see the shape of his nose!

And, you shall be glad to hear, that the ears can be served FRESH or DRY and in snack form! I have to admit to trying them a good few years back. I still haven't quite got over the experience.

Pig's EARS!!

Taco Rice

 I have been enjoying taco rice at home for a short while now. It is a Mexican slant on a bowl of meat and rice but I had no idea that it actually 'originated' from Okinawa. This picture has egg and mayonnaise (heavenly) but, it is still very delectable with just salad and cheese!

Goya chanpuru, sea grape, HAMBURGER & FRIES

Goya is a strange, bumpy vegetable. it tastes bitter and looks like a fat, unhealthy cucumber-courgette-fusion gone wrong - yet, somehow, it works. Admittedly, you need to fry it with SPAM (available endlessly, thanks to the US connection.) and add some fat chunks of tofu to make you think that it IS actually healthy despite the oil and faux-meat (!)

Again, thanks to the US, there are a LOT of hamburger joints there. OMG! YUM YUM!

Souvenirs / Omiyage

Hello Kitty hand towel.

Goya kitty pencil.

There is one long strip of souvenir shops in the centre of Naha and you can find anything from Hello Kitty towels, pens, socks etc (of course!) to colourful drinking glasses. There are flowery shirts aplenty as many opt for it as a daily fashion - even your dog can get a Okinawan style t-shirt! (no, we did not get one for Elbi!!)

 I managed to pick up a cute kokeshi doll to add to my collection. She looks so sweet, with her hibiscus on her tummy!

And then....the best...worst...or certainly most popular is this one to  the right...Look carefully...!!!

The airport is one of the best I have ever seen. It's probably easier to just allow yourself an extra couple of hours and you can send your postcards AND collect gifts for all in sundry. You could even do a fruit and vegetable shop for dinner if you are flying locally! (A few items are not allowed even in Japan, so do check when you purchase.)

You might just want to get a last taste of the tropical vibe and grab a smoothie. Good luck trying to remember the names!! But -  it was delicious!

Skymark

It's never a good sign when the first flight to your holidays is delayed, especially without reason, but when the check-in is closed 'indefinitely', it is hard to not let your heart sink and and lose faith altogether.

However, the flight was held back for just two hours, reasons unknown, perhaps better not known. We set off for the three hour journey to Okinawa, Japan's largest island in the south.

So DIY, So easy!

Check-in is simple enough. We had bought the tickets on-line and received a bar code form the ever so convenient, convenience store. A quick swipe of the bar code and we have luggage labels. Magic. Even better is to takkyubin the bags down there, something I forgot about until the return. Then you can travel super light!

We were taken by bus to the plane and because of the delay, we had a slightly longer than normal drive to the cargo terminal of Nairta airport (!).

You could tell by the location of the parking for the plane and the bright orange uniforms (think EasyJet) that this was a basic airline carrier, but, on the plane, I cast all my judgements aside.

The plane was clean, neat and, according to by tall husband, had more leg room than a regular trans-Atlantic flight.

Nice views from the plane!

Landing in Okinawa was no problem, although the crew seemed to expect a lot more turbulence than there was. We all buckled up, but the cloudy weather in Okinawa had no effect on our plane.

Equally as impressive was the short, 40 minute flight to MiyakoJima, a smaller, even more tropical style island. The plane was smaller but the leg room, the service and the flight itself were all very pleasant too.

Drinks are served at an extra cost, but you are not ripped off at all. Everything is 100yen, so you really can relax and enjoy the flight.

Shin Kanuma - 新鹿沼

Deciding to log my Japanese travels from now on.

This expedition, was out on the Tobu Nikko line. we travelled north, probably about half an hour before Nikko itself. Why? On  whim, following some amazing, mouth-watering pictures in a magazine, simple as that.

It's a little Japanese of us to be doing such a thing. It is so common to hear a great review of a restaurant and then travel for miles to find it. Well, it really is worth the journey.

Actually, there were many great little bistros advertised in this magazine, and we will be back to try them all, but for today, it was An riz-l'eau. And voilà  our 3 plate meal, which actually consisted of four, if you include the tasty cakes and fruits!

Oh, all the food here is vegetarian and grown fresh locally. This soup had some trusty renkon (lotus root) and konnyaku too. Heart warming and healthy.

                                                                                                         Deep fried daikon!

Coffee was served with a range of sugars - plain brown, dark brown, maple sugar, cinnamon and even a drop of brandy! The walnut cake was a surprise and a delectable treat!

We wondered around the town. I had read about a flower market that day, but got the days wrong. However, we encountered some great Taiko just outside the main souvenir shop which was stocked with fresh, fresh veggies!

Seeing these guys has inspired me to start playing once again so I have been hunting down local classes...

I guess as it is the start of the year, these Darumas are on sale. I have never partaken before, so now is my time to make a wish! The idea is that you paint one of his eyes on, make a wish and when it comes true, you can paint the other eye on as well. 

Let's see if my wish will come true!

 Hello Kitty candy floss!

The food at the fairs is always so good. Even though, they are all the same types of stalls and the same greasy food, I love it! This is an okonomiyaki stand. Actually, we failed to eat this day, given that we had just stuffed our bellies full!

How to use your Daruma!

The different colours are for different areas in the house, depending on what you are wishing for.

I just got a small red one

Shin Kanuma is located in the valley of some hills and you can see lovely bamboo forests around the small town. It was an old swamp land back in the day, but is a much more built up area now.

They have a few lively looking festivals throughout the year, including one on March 1th this year (one year since the earthquake.) I may go along and see what it is all about.

INDO DIARIES 2010 - The last days

In our final days in Bali, we found our pure Zen. Walks along the quiet beach of Sanur turned into the pleasurable hunt for more avocado juices and not a desperate hunt for an escape route.

Lovely 

Still in love with these bikes!

We thoroughly enjoyed hanging out at the apartment, but eating out is so cheap and varied too that it is almost not worth stocking up the fridge!

The kitchen in the garden apartment

The veranda

Back in Ubud - More music

The owner of the hotel even took us back to Ubud with so much less hassle than the previous  journey. 

Travelling in style? Slightly overweight!!

 We left Bali with a lot of extra luggage! But we now have most of a gamelan orchestra here at home! Indonesia is a fascinating discovery each time. We have already been back to Bali once since this blog and are planning the next trip for 2012¬!

Endless travels!

INDO DIARIES 2010 - 28th July

Pool side aggression never made any sense to me. Yet, you see it all over. I was sat next to an empty chair and as someone went to sit down, I pointed out it was already taken. They responded with attitude 'I don't see anything there'. As we swam, some people hovered over what must have been not enough empty chairs for their group. Perhaps I had ruined their plan to take over the side of the pool. Who cares? We enjoyed the swim and moved on pretty quickly. New villas today.

By the time we moved the luggage out of the room, the group had taken the corner over - shame the sun was no longer shining there for them.

At the Ari Puri villas we would have access to two peaceful pools, a private garden and our own outdoor bathroom and kitchen. Time to stock up on goodies and enjoy the quiet life.