Remember the Day

As I write this, Typhoon Vongfong is swirling outside of our window. Vongfong is expected to score a direct hit on Okinawa. Thankfully, the island is prepared for such storms, and OIST in particular has excellent infrastructure for this. We are having a day of snacks, puzzles, crafts, and movies. I am sure there will be damage, and the storm is indeed serious, but without 24/7 coverage of impending doom, it feels less like a total panic-fest than it would if we were experiencing something similar in the U.S.

I figured this would be a good day to post about one of my favorite days in Okinawa thus far. In late August we spent a day at Busena Beach. This is near the Underwater Observatory  that Maddox and I visited one day. The beach is on the property of the exclusive hotel located there, so we paid a fee to enter for the day, but it was well worth it.

As I've written about before, there are a good number of poisonous sea creatures here, so swimming at a beach that is netted is definitely preferable. The day was hot, and the water temperature perfect. The water itself was crystal clear, and we played and swam for many hours.

At most beaches here, you can pay for water activities, and Maddox of course is always up for an adventure. She spotted the aqua-tractors, and well, how often in life does one get to drive an aqua-tractor?

The tractor was pretty slow-moving and required a good amount of pedaling. As you might guess, John was the one who did most of the literal legwork. John had planned to split the time between the two girls, but Zoe decided that she mostly enjoyed looking adorable on the beach instead.

The day ended with all of us tired and hungry. We ended up at Thai Food in Yomitan Village (the girls pre-partied with some food at home) for a great meal with a laidback vibe. The Thai food at Thai Food is quite good , though I think it's possible that Thai Garden in Keene, New Hampshire is still the best Thai food that I have eaten. 

As the gusts near 100 mph outside our window and we all go a little stir-crazy, I am trying to transport my mind back to Busena. Truth be told though, I've gone to Carolina in my mind instead, feeling grateful that marriage equality is now a reality in our home state. At the end of the day, even when the day brings a typhoon, love wins.