Traveling the Islands It's Best to Have a Plan B

The Weatherman Said Rain

 

 

We all know, sometimes they are not the sharpest saws in the tool-shed.

So, when we saw the sun shining on the other side of Okinawa, that's where we went.

This spot in Yomitan is a great place for photography.

Someday, I'm gonna get a gal with a kimono to dance out there and take some photos.

When the wind picked up and the skies started turning grey, it was time to move on.

We got caught in a few sprinkles of rain this morning.

So, it was best to think of somewhere else to go with the cameras.

Plan B

 

 

We jumped back in the car and headed south.

Senaga Island was where Doc Graff and I, decided to go to check out a five star place.

The Ryukyu Onsen Senagajima Hotel has this lunch buffet.

And, it was under 20 bucks, for all you can eat.

Flip-flops and cameras were allowed.

So, we figured, it might be a good place to hangout for awhile.

Not wanting them to think, I was some kinda low class person, I only ate twice !

Now, I'm too sleepy to develop all the photos but, will get around to them later.

Next, I better pack away the cameras and get out of here.

Or,  I'll never find a gal crazy enough to wear a kimono and dance on those rocks !

Checkout this restaurant's website.

Peeking Inside an Okinawa Tea Room

Don't Think Tea House of the August Moon

 

 

This establishment, I have probably walked by over a thousand times and, never gone inside.

A friend of a friend messaged me one night and invited me over.

Remember the guy who walked in a bar with a brand new toilet seat ?

He's one of the friends but, like me, wouldn't be interested in tea rooms.

Both of us, would rather drink beer than tea so, we would just keep walking by this place.

If, I got the urge for some coffee or tea, I'd just buy some from the machine outside.

The friend, who doesn't collect toilet seats, said the food was good over there.

So I agreed to join him, one night.

The first clue, there wouldn't be folks drinking tea, was the drapes in the hallway.

That kanji, says Tatsu (dragon) which happens to be an alcoholic beverage. 

There is plenty of seating for sipping drinks and dining.

 On my initial visit, I didn't bring a camera.

My friend, his wife and, I sipped and dined and, I was glad I left the camera behind.

This place gets busy so, it wouldn't be easy to take photos.

 Slot machines, dartboards and other games, can attract a crowd.

There were half a dozen people (moving around) today, when I took these photos. 

So, I may try to get in there, next time, before they open to the public.

The food is delicious and, reasonably priced.

So, lots of hard working individuals, stop by there at the end of the day.

All those bottles of Tatsu, have somebody's name on them.

 So, that got me thinking.  I could become a tea house member, too.

It's nothing like the place, I imagined it would be.

 It's just a place to unwind and relax on the way home from work.

Tea rooms are not like that last Century movie, at all !

Obon in Okinawa Ended with the Full Moon

Two Final Motion GIFs of the Action

Guys beat the drums energetically while chanting.

Girls chanted while Eisa dancing, too.

There was so much excitement and partaking of spirits, it wore me out.

So, after shooting the moon last night, I went home.

And, was probably snoring, before the ancestral spirits departed, going back to the other world.

Favorite GIFs: Second Night of Obon in Kin Town

Early Evening Eisa

 

 

The sights and sounds of Eisa during Obon are something no traveler should miss.

Last night, I got out early, looking for some new angles, before the sun went down.

From above, here's a birds eye view showing some of the action.

In the blue robe, a chondara, visits the drummers.

He's offering them something to drink. It might or, might not, be water.

 

Descending the stairway, I was on, got me closer to the action at ground level.

When you get this close, you have to be careful and, leave the dancers some room.

Nobody wants to see you accidentally get whacked on the head with a drumstick.

  The Eisa dancers chant fairly loudly.

And, you may be able to catch the scent of what they've been drinking.  Not water.

If you were a mile away, you could still hear those drums.

But, you might mistake the noise for thunder.

Across the street from the stairway where, I took photo No. 1, I shot these girls.

They are much more graceful than the dudes with the drums.

But, they sing and chant, loudly sometimes, too.

An Amazing Little Guy Joined the Eisa Dancers

 

 

 

To capture the images of him meant, getting way down low, on the ground.

 He hasn't had the years of experience, others have, at doing this.

But, Touri, looks like a potential Eisa dancer, to me.

Being, he's the son of some close friends, I think we should all get together and chip-in.

We cold buy him a drum, uniform and maybe, some flip-flops.

Then, he could become an official member of an Eisa team !

 

 

 

 

 

Friday Night Eisa: 5 Motion GIFs

The First Night of Obon in Okinawa

 

 

 

The streets of Kin Town were livened up with the sounds of drums.

And, you could hear the chants of "Eisa" along with the music of sanshin players.

These photos show one Eisa group that performed just down the block from my office.


Not wanting to use flash, I carried a Pentax K3 equipped with a 50mm prime lens.

Most days, you won't catch me lying down on HWY329.

But, having gotten permission to photograph this little guy, it was the only thing to do.

He watched the gals dance for a little while and, figured out the rhythm.

Then, he danced on down the highway, along with them.

Obon, is a three day event for welcoming ancestral spirits.

It is a festive time of the year and the Eisa troupes perform well into the night.

With all the activities going on, I'll be out shooting until the wee hours of the morning.

And, my days will be spent, catching up on image processing.

Maybe, some sleep, too.