Seafood Lunch at Makishi Public Market

Our last day in Okinawa was a lot of fun! We had a seafood feast at Makishi Public Market. It's a seafood market on the first floor and restaurants on the second floor. 

We found a restaurant upstairs and sat on tatami mats to eat our lunch. I ordered a sashimi set. My husband ordered a chirashi bowl with tuna and sea grapes. I never heard of sea grapes before but they are everywhere in Okinawa. It's a type of seaweed that grows around Okinawa. It's good for your health because it's packed with minerals. And it's fun to eat! 

Keiko ordered tofu with pork. We ended up sharing our food so we could taste each item. Love the pre-covid days! 

The seafood was of course amazing and it was so cheap. My set was only ¥1,200 yen ($13 CAD). You can't get that price here in Toronto. 

We were enjoying our lunch and just minding our own business when 3 guys sat beside our table. 

They started talking to us (mostly in Japanese so Keiko had to translate). They ordered beer and a big sashimi boat. They bought the seafood at the market on the first floor and the restaurant prepared it for them for a fee. 

They were really friendly and nice to us. They shared their seafood with us. They gave us oysters, unni and lobster sashimi. They offered to buy us drinks.  

Okinawans are really friendly. They are very open to talk to strangers which is surprising because I find most Japanese people are shy and they mind their own business unless you approach them first. 

Onna no Eki Nakayukui Market

Did someone say market? Our Airbnb was 5 minutes away from Onna no Eki Nakayukui Market. That was our first stop for our eating adventures. 

We first walked around the supermarket to shop and sample snacks. We don't say no to free food. 

I love walking around grocery stores when I travel, you just never know what you can discover. We ended up coming back here to buy some food to take home with us. I bought a bottle of shikuwasa (citrus juice that is similar to calamansi) because I got obsessed with making whiskey highball. 

Just outside of the supermarket are outdoor food stalls selling various types of food. My first stop was getting myself a shikuwasa drink. A refreshing drink on a hot day. 

The next stop was the seafood stall. We ordered tempura, baked mussels and scallops. Btw, this was our snack because we had a full breakfast before we left our house. 

After all the snacking, I went to look at plants and flowers. Okinawa is truly a tropical paradise! I recognized a lot of plants like orchids, hibiscus, etc. It's so similar to what we have in the Philippines. 

Varvakios Central market

We passed by this market on our way to Monastiraki square. It was almost closing time so we didn't have a lot of time to browse the market. I was still interested in looking around the shops that were still open just to get a glimpse of what they are selling. Wanted to buy the bacon ;)

A lot of fresh vegetables and fruits on this stand.

And then we saw a spice store. This was really interesting for me. The prices for each bag was pretty cheap considering the size of the bag.  One bag will last for a few years with me. They had every spice you could ever want.

And also different types of nuts! I wanted to buy the almonds and pistachio's. 

We eventually found an island in Greece known for pistachio's but that's for another blog post. 

Do you get excited when you see a market? Do you stop and explore it? 

I have not come across a local market I didn't like. 

Bohol tour - Chocolate Hills

Since, I already trusted Julius in booking our boat tour, I also booked our Bohol tour with him. We became friends. We got to hang out with him one night when we were passing by the main street of Alona. I ended up talking to him for a few hours about his life, family, job...it was really fun speaking in my mother tongue. And joking around. 

Julius booked us a private car to use for half a day tour. It was ₱ 1,600 ($39 CDN) for two people (you can also have more people, 4max). I loved it because I didn't want a group tour and following an itinerary. We wanted to have full control on where to go and not wait around for other people. 

Ricky was our driver and he was awesome! 

The entrance fees for each attraction was not included in that price but it was very cheap so no problem! 

The one thing to remember is most attractions in Bohol closes around 4:30pm. 

After lunch, Ricky picked us up from our hotel and our first destination was Chocolate Hills because it was the farthest. We brought water and snacks in the car to keep us entertained. Ricky was a great driver and we felt very safe with him navigating the steep and winding roads. 

We saw fellow tourists driving scooters and I felt so queasy watching them drive on winding roads. I was glad we booked a car instead of renting a scooter. I don't think I would make it.

The entrance price for Chocolate Hills is 50 PHP per person which is $1.22 CDN. It's cheap! 

To see the hills, you have to first climb up the  steep stairs. It's 240 steeps to the top. It was tiring and also very hot so take your time climbing and make sure you have water with you. And if you want some shade bring an umbrella.

Once you get to the top, you are rewarded by the best view!

Chocolate hills are grass-formed limestone. During the dry season, the grass-formed hills dry up and turn chocolate brown hence the name "chocolate hills".  There is about 1,776 hills in total spread around the towns of Carmen, Batuan, and Sagbayan in Bohol. We went to the viewing deck in Carmen.

Take all the photos that you want at the top.

After leaving the Chocolate hills complex, we found rice fields by the side of the road. A has never seen a rice field before so I told Ricky to stop so we can have a look at the newly planted rice #riceislife.

I almost fell off the rice paddy and into the water hahaha. Oh well, it was a nice photo. And I had mud on my sandals after but it was worth it. 

I used to go to my Grandmother's farm because she had a rice field. This brings back childhood memories.

We also stop by a wet market. I wanted A to see the local market in Bohol and show him the different items they sell. And I needed new slippers since I had mud on my sandals.

I grew up eating dried fish so for me it's not a big deal but A didn't so I showed him the different varieties. A lot of people hate the smell of fish but I love it. The stinkier the better ;)

I used to eat dried fish all the time with rice. And you also can dip it in either vinegar or soy sauce.

Also showed him the different types of bananas and veggies at the market.

I really enjoyed our time at the market. Just walking around and talking to the locals.

Cayo Santa Maria

It's my second visit to Cayo Santa Maria in Cuba. I wanted to come back here because the beach is pristine and it's not as touristy as Varadero yet.

From our almost two hour drive from the airport to the hotel, I saw new resorts being built on the island so change is coming and it won't be long before this piece of paradise will be different.

Last time I visited, I did not venture out of the resort but this time I went to the nearby market to shop.

While waiting for the bus to come to the resort, I saw a couple getting off a vintage convertible Ford taxi. I was curious and asked the driver how much it was and he said 10 CUC to get to the market. It wasn't cheap but i wanted to experience this once so my bf and I hopped on the car.

It was so much fun!! Cuban music playing while we rode to the market.

We got to the market 15 minutes later.We visited Plaza la Estrella market.

It's a usual tourist market selling souvenirs, alcohol, coffee, and cigars. The market also had restaurants and cafe's.They also have a bank here if you need cash to pay for your purchases. Most of the shops will only accept cash payment.

We ended up buying coffee beans, cigars, and sandals. This area is known for leather so I had to buy the sandals ;)