March till April was such a ride.
March ☆彡
Ramadhan was in March this year and it was mostly spent with Jaz and easing in to our new home. We were getting the hang of things - and inviting our friends over for sungkai. It’s always lovely to have them around.
Unfortunately, I did not manage to take that many pictures during March. It was mostly videos. But here’s a meh mirror selfie.
April ☆彡 (Part I)
Nabs came back to Brunei - hey, Nabs! ^-^ and it’s always such a treat to have her around. I miss her already.
Our usual activities; chillin, artin’.
Raya was a bit more subdued this year - but I like the way it is. After a tough year it’s been nice to reconnect with family. And I would love to see my niece, especially more often that I would admit. She’s so eccentric and warm.
A picture of our home in Seria in the morning of the first day of Raya.
We took a flight from Miri to KK - then KK to Taipei, Taiwan before we could reach Okinawa, Japan. It was a measly 8 hour transit, and we got to see some sights.
There is a train connecting the international airport to the main city. So we took just that.
Their single journey tickets were sold in a token like fashion which I found very cool and intriguing as opposed to the usual paper train tickets that Jaz and I are used to in Japan.
Inside the express train.
Taiwan’s main train station. Reminded me a lot of Grand Central Station, maybe it was replicated? Anyway, it also reminded me of a couple of early 2000’s movies where the protagonist would always have to leave somewhere and their love interest just seemingly caught up to them before boarding the train, and a Semisonic song plays, forever immortalizing the song with that one moment.
A Taiwanese Family Mart - they have these hot sweet potatoes displayed in demand!
We arrived in Okinawa at around 9:00p.m, and it also took us just one train ride and a few minutes (maybe 10) of walking till we reached our accommodation. Not gonna lie, at that point we were so exhausted, but we were so glad to have finally reached the shores of Japan. And thankfully enough it was also self-check in at our hotel.
The entrance to our hotel. It felt like a traditional Japanese apartment with the receiving area. It felt like a mix of eclectic modernism and traditionalism which I really liked.
After settling in for a bit we went out to get neccessities and just wanted to look around, even though it was late.
Our nearby Lawson.
The view from our hotel porch.
Our first day was spent at the Peace Memorial Museum. It was quite intimidating navigating the bus rides but we enjoyed it.
FYI: Okinawa’s public transport isn’t as extensive as the other main cities on the mainland. But Google Maps has never failed us.
The cape encapsulating the park. It was breathtaking.
One of Okinawa’s unique architectural features. They seem to always place their staircases on their exterior of the structure, which I found really fascinating.
Waiting to board the monorail.
Taking the high speed ferry ride to Zamami Island.
Zamami Island's clear, crisp blue waters.
Fun fact: There is currently only one stoplight in Zamami Island.
The only school in the island - which currently has only 36 students in total. That's wild!
At this point, we were making our way to Furuzamami beach, which was a hike passing by the school. There were bicycles for rent, but unfortunately neither of us know how to bike. Hehe.
In one of the clear fields leading up to the beach.
Okinawa’s famous guardians lined up in one of the homes in Zamami Island.
Geeked out a bit at their Post Office.
Ah, yes. The death of my infamous Merrell sandals. They finally gave up on me after 6 years. These babies have been everywhere. I think it’s only fitting they gave up in Japan.
After the island, we went back to Naha and decided to hit up Kokusai Dori. Extremely touristy, but we were curious. We had no expectations, though. But holy shit Orion t-shirts EVERYWHERE. It was meh.
to be continued . . ᵔᴥᵔ . .
