Quicker Than Lightening in Reverse: Chile Specialist

It Took Place in Okinawa

 Sitting in the office, I plodded through batteries of travel classes and tests.

The Travel Agent Academy offered this course on Chile.

There were things like history, geography, language and transportation.

Now, I can hook you up with this diverse land that stretches out like a shoestring.

Send you anywhere from the driest desert in the world, to Easter Island if, you'd like.

And, I know how to get you to Robinson Crusoe Island or Antarctica, too.

The tests were taken yesterday, on June 8th 2017 and, I finally passed.

Things happened so quickly, my certificate was dated June 7th. But, I won't complain.

This happens to be another country, added to my travel advisor profile.

What's It Got to Do with Okinawa ?

Just as much as, Hawaii, Mexico, Switzerland or, any other course I've taken.

While, I'm qualifying, I see all the special highlights, countries have to offer to travelers.

What might appeal to the visitors, depending upon their travel style.

Exploration, water sports, bird watching, golf, spa treatments, hiking, shopping are some.

The travel bureaus promoting destinations, have to entice customers.

Once, inside and I graduate from the destination courses, I get permanent access to materials.

Some countries do better than others at showcasing their positive attributes.

Take the best of the best and, don't copy but, utilize their methods, to promote tourism.

Okinawa, could use some promotion and, I'm learning, how to provide something different.

Standby for more.....

Doing Hawaiian Island Tests in Okinawa

Still in Okinawa

Last week I took some gruelling tests, to get certified in Switzerland but, didn't go there. 

There's something special, you may not know about me.

My grandmother and mother were 100% Swiss and I'm half Swiss, too.

They both went to Heaven. Just me and my Swiss Army Knife are here in Okinawa.

Oh, and one of my daughters has been to Switzerland and brought back a brass cowbell. 

I put the gadget on the dog's collar. It's just a miniature thing and, so is the dog.

The Travel Agent Academy, hooked me up with Switzerland Tourism.

They have their own Travel Academy and, I went to it online. It wasn't easy.

The application was the worst part. They grilled me pretty good.

See, I'm not a travel agent. "What are you trying to do, trying to get into our academy?"

The American Travel Agent Academy, sent me there's, what I told them.

Travel professionals, aren't always agents. I do travel photography and writing.

So, I showed them some of my credentials. It felt like I was being looked at by the CIA.

After awhile, they let me in and said, "You can do it."  So, I did.

Once, I passed all the tests, they made me a Switzerland Travel Expert.

There were languages, history, culture, transportation, festival, sports and location exams.

It's beautiful country but, they get snow. I don't really want to go there.

Hawaii's a Possibility

This is a place, I been to and, wouldn't mind visiting again.

It snows up in the mountains, there sometimes but, I'd stay at lower elevations.

Years ago, I used to get sent there for conferences, boring conferences.

All these years, I thought I had been going to the Hawaii Island, the big one.

Whenever, we weren't confrontating, I was out in Waikiki celebrating.

Matter of fact, what those conferences were about, slips my mind, at the moment.

Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau

They have their own courses over there and, are hooked up with the Travel Agent Academy.

That's where I've been going for the past few days, from my office in Okinawa.

First, I took the courses, to become a Hawaii Destination Specialist.

What an eyeopener that turned out to be. Hawaii has a bunch of islands.

All the times, I'd been to Hawaii, I was on Oahu, not Hawaii Island. Who'd a thunk ?

There's no sense, staying a specialist, when you can become an expert.

So, that's what I've been doing, over the past 48 hours.

Geography, history, culture, language, festivals and transportation of six Hawaiian islands.

Yellow flip-flops are probably, acceptable attire, over there.

So, I might have to go back and, visit one of these days and, bring the bride along.

Do romantic stuff like, horse riding and, shooting live volcanoes with my Pentax.

Honey, don't that sound like fun ?

3 More Animated GIF's -- 2016 Uchinanchu Matsuri

Festivities End Tomorrow

This parade took place OCT 26th, the day before opening ceremonies.

Friends and families from 18 countries, appeared on Okinawa for the 3 day festival.

Closing events begin at 5 PM and last until 9 PM OCT 30, 2016.

Have a peek at some of the smiling faces and brilliant colors, marching down the street.

Alaska Kenjinkai

Argentine Kenjinkai

Hawaiian Ukulele and Hula Dancers

The camera batteries, are all charged up and, ready to go, I'm gonna miss this crowd.

It seems like, I haven't been doing anything lately but, developing images.

One of those gals from Alaska, brought me some gifts and, I didn't get a chance to thank her.

If no blog post gets done tomorrow, that means, I'm out of town.

The Million Views Contest Winner Announced

The Winner is Emi Iwasaki, a Facebook Fan from Tokyo, Japan !

This is a continuation of the events that took place Sunday night.

In case you ever decide to do a contest redneck-style, bookmark this page.

After the winner's name was drawn, the model ran around posing with it.

The Ryukyu Dudes let her have some fun and that was alright, I guess.

We weren't paying her.  So what the heck.

RyukyuRusty was shootin' the camera and the rest of us were drinking beer.

After awhile I yelled at her to quit fooling around and said.

"Would you please hold still and let the cameraman get a picture of the winner's name" ?

 Probably, I shouldn't of done that.

  She almost cried.

So, I went over there and gave her a l'il hug and everything went back to normal.

The tux is only worn for special occasions.

Now, I have to get the beer and wrinkles out of it before St. Patrick's Day.

 Probably, you wouldn't want to be so formal, if you did a redneck contest of your own.

Some of those Bib Overalls from Walmart would be OK.

I hate gettin' all dressed up, too. 

Back to the Winner

Emi Iwasaki tells me that she loves southern islands, especially Hawaii.

She studies and teaches Hawaiian Hula Dancing.

On a visit to Okinawa back in April, Emi found my Facebook Page.

So, she has been following and liking photos there all along, without me knowing.

Facebook should fix those pages for old people.  I don't like wearing my reading glasses.

Anyway, Emi typed in there "I want to see more of the Ryukyu Islands".

CONGRATULATIONS EMI

YOU WON !

Wildlife Photo: Mongoose (Herpestes javanicus) Okinawa, Japan

A classic example of man fooling with nature and regretting it, the Mongoose (Herpestes javanicus) was brought to Okinawa from India in the 1900s to control the poisonous snakes, Habu.

A mongoose will kill a habu, no doubt about it. I've seen it with my own eyes, even seen them kill larger snakes, like cobras. The shows that used to be put on for tourists to watch the event in a controlled environment have been banned but, you can still go some places and catch it on video.

As you can see from my photo, these little weasel-looking guys hang around in broad daylight. The snakes they were brought here to eliminate are nocturnal dudes, wouldn't you know.

So, instead of eliminating the snakes our little mongoose friends eat frogs and birds and their eggs. I hear Hawaii has the same sort of problem. A moongoose will pull raids on a chickencoop.

We have mongooses (mongeese, if you prefer) eating endangered species and the knuckleheads  who came up with this brainstorm are calling the mongoose an invasive species. Hah !

Now these poor critters got a bad reputation. They even have a bounty on them like they're some sort of criminals. BRING THEM IN DEAD OR ALIVE. LET'S STRING THEM UP !

Has it ever occurred to you, maybe the dingbat humans who snatch a critter out of his wildlife environment and stick him where he ain't supposed to be, might be the invasive species ?

The people who came up with the idea of bringing the mongoose (Herpestes javanicus) to Okinawa to eat snakes are the real VARMINTS, HERE. LET'S GO AFTER THEM !

We won't string them up and we don't want them dead. Bring them here ALIVE AND MAKE THEM ROUND UP THE INVASIVE SPECIES AND TAKE THEM BACK WHERE THEY CAME FROM !