I arrived in Okinawa late in the evening on June 2 - which is pretty weird because I left Arizona in the morning on June 1 and, while it felt like I had been sitting for 3 days, I knew perfectly well the trip was only about 17 hours total! Somewhere along the way I had crossed the international date line which "magically" adds a day onto my life, without me having any say in the matter. The good news is I get that extra day back as a bonus when I come home........
Thankfully, my contracting company and the Navy had arranged for someone to meet me, a wonderful thing since I was a lost woman in a strange land - with a very numb butt! My escort, Bobby Rowe and his daughter Bri, collected me (and my two GIGANTIC suitcases) and gave me an abbreviated tour of the roads from the Naha airport headed to Hamagawa lodge. It was close to 10:00 PM when by the time we headed out from the airport so it was not easy to see much in the dark. Bobby very kindly stopped on the base at the mini-market so I could stock up on coffee and instant oatmeal for breakfast and he and his daughter helped get my belongs up to the 5th floor "apartment" that is my home. I was too tired to do much other than dig out a nightgown and find a bed that first night! The following morning (Sunday), I was ready to unpack and explore a bit!
My "partment" is a traditional Japanese-style home so, upon entering, you are greeted with a sign that asks all visitors to please remove their shoes. In keeping with the request, there are handy shelves just inside the door where the shoes can be stored. The "no shoes" rule makes complete sense as the entire home has the most beautiful hardwood floors imaginable!
The apartment has two bedrooms, a small but functional kitchen/living room combination and the strangest bathroom ever: it's separated into three rooms - one room for the toilet, another for the shower/tub and finally a combination laundry room/dressing room with mirror, sink and storage. Now, about that tub - it is the DEEPEST bathtub I have ever seen! I'll try to get a picture to convey just how amazing it is - the edges honestly come to mid-thigh on me.....it brings a whole new meaning to the concept of a "soaker" tub! However.......as I have discovered, hot water is in slightly limited supply so I just don't believe it would be possible to have anything other than a "cool" soak unless I add a gallon of water that I boiled on the stove!?!?!
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| This is where I'm staying - Hawagawa Lodge. It's bit pricey but since my contract is only for 4 months, the military convinced the Lodge to allow me to stay here....and even better, it includes maid service! I'm on the 5th floor right now but I think I might get moved to the TOP floor soon! |
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| This is the view out my front door - not so pretty but that's the ocean in the background - its about a 3 block walk to the water. No sandy beaches - its all concrete seawalls and reef - but it's is a great area for snorkeling and diving! |
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| This is the view off my back patio. The road in the background in the Okinawa Expressway - and it's a busy road for much of the day. |
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| This is my back patio. It's huge - runs the length of the entire apartment! However, because it's so humid here, the railing is kind of corroded - the picture looks better than the real thing, LOL! The cleaners brought the table inside on my third day here when the Typhoon waring was issued - Yes, I managed to arrive at the same time as Typhoon season! Yikes!! |
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