Cape Maeda & Blue Cave Adventures

Another fun time exploring another part of Okinawa. We went to Cape Maeda this time because it was so close to Onna. Found the most amazing lookout point. The view was amazing and so was the weather. We got very lucky! 

We explored a lot more and found a beach and cave! My husband found the blue cave. I was hesitant to go in because I got scared of how dark it was inside. The cave is famous for diving and snorkeling. We just went in to explore. It was cold and dark. We were laughing so much because I kept saying it was so dark and I didn't realize that I was still wearing my sunglasses inside the cave. 

It was challenging walking inside the cave. We had to climb up and down rocks and it was hard with the grooves. It felt like I was walking on tree trunks. I ended up ripping my pants. 

We got to the end of the cave quite quickly. We saw the rocks open up at the end and the water got deeper. I didn't want to walk at the end because my pants were getting soaked already and I didn't know how deep it was at the end. We had to walk back to the entrance. 

After our cave exploration, we walked around the beach area. 

Cape Manzamo, Okinawa

Having a car in Okinawa is necessary in order to get around the island. It gave us freedom to go wherever we wanted to go and at our own time. After going to the market, we decided to drive to Cape Manzamo. It was a short drive from the market. Cape Manzamo has a rock formation that's shaped like an elephant's trunk. 

We had to go through a path to get to the rock formation. It was a scenic hike before we reached the cliff. And we were rewarded by the best view of the cape! My pictures do not do it justice. We walked along the cliff path as it has been fenced off for everyone's safety. It was windy so thank god for those fences, I felt like we could have been blown away. 

Cape Manzamo is one of the main tourist spots in Okinawa and it did not disappoint. 

What I Ate: Nagoya, Japan

Let's talk about food! Japan is my mecca for food and the first meal we had after our long journey from Toronto to Japan was fried chicken wings! We went to a karaage restaurant next to our hotel. And of course we had drinks. I ordered whisky highball. 

Since, I'm a morning person, I always wake up before my husband and instead of me searching for breakfast alone in Japan, I usually buy cup noodles so I can eat my breakfast inside our room. Our hotel didn't have room service. 

Misokatsu Yabaton! This was highly recommended by a friend and when we passed by the restaurant with no lineup, we quickly decided to have an early dinner here. Pork cutlet with miso sauce. Soo good! 

Expensive but worth it for the taste. Japanese strawberries are the best!

Ichiran was next to our hotel, we absolutely had to eat here and it's worth the hype. 

Another must visit chain restaurant for me is Coco Curry. I never leave Japan without eating Japanese curry. And since, I'm very clumsy when I eat, I had to protect my white shirt by wearing a bib. It's a good look.

We also ordered kaarage and fried gyoza ;)

Another day, another ramen. I can't remember the name of this restaurant because it was a random place. My husband dragged me to a soccer store and made me walk miles to get there. And he proceeded to try on a million shoes.  I was hangry by the time he finished buying shoes. This was the closest place we could eat in before I turned into a monster. 

Ramen was delicious and so was the gyoza so he was forgiven for starving me. He was not harmed. 

Ice cream treat for me. 

A little blurry because we went to a random izakaya. We could not read the Japanese menu but we had a nice server who helped us figure out what to order. We ended up ordering chicken, pork and liver skewers and some meat stew especially for my husband. 

Last meal in Nagoya. This was at the airport. It was my birthday and this was our lunch. I love tonkatsu and the cabbage salad in Japan is unreal. It's nice and sweet. 

I miss my hometown Nagoya. I always feel at home in this city. I can't wait to come back. 

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.