Last Dance

Okinawa and its American influences can be so amusing.

In Kin Town, which is outside of a Marine Base, somehow I ended up in this country western bar just as it was closing. Since girls were in short supply, some of the bar patrions took to dancing with bar stools as the final song of the night played.

Random Fishing Harbor

Somewhere on the West coast of Okinawa

Family Mart

Family Mart is a chain of Japanese convenience stores. This particular one had quite a view of the Philippine Sea to offer while I ate cup noodles and drank Orion.

The Vomit Comet

Being a rather public figure on base, has its benefits as I frequently end up in funny conversations with interesting people.

The first time I spoke with Adam he mentioned he owned a sailboat for one reason or another. Having always desired to try out sailing, I asked if we could go sailing sometime. As the pictures above show, a couple of weeks later Adam took me out on his boat Scarlet, where I tried my hand and stomach at sailing on the East China Sea.

Being out on the sailboat in the ocean with only the sound of the wind in the sails and the water splashing against the hull was peaceful. It was also fun to realize that nothing more than the wind was driving us along. However Scarlet was a rather wayward women. She pitched back and fourth as the harsh Okinawan sun beat from above.

Before long I felt sea sickness creeping up on me. Though I wanted nothing more than to lay down, the size of the boat and the fact that I still needed to help Adam meant I just had to solider on. In hindsight the experience was a great deal of fun and though my stomach will take insects and food from the market in the third world, it draws the line at sailing.