Camera Stroll Through Heiwa Dori Naha Okinawa (Photos)

12 Photos to Inspire the Shoppers

 

At least once a month Yahoo emails asking for shopping articles to be written.

They are asking the wrong person.  Because, I don't like shopping.

Photos of what you see in the local shops may help you decide if you want to become a shopper.

They have some colors in the materials that just scream at you.

"Take my picture!"

So, after I ask permission, I shoot them.

Heiwa Dori is just one of the side streets off of the International Avenue.

There is a maze of covered streets that you can get lost in walking around down there.

Back in the old days, after the war, lots of people called this Black Market Alley.

Some enterprising GI's could get rich, smuggling stuff off the base, to sell.

Those days are gone.  Who wants an old Hershey's bar from Christmas ?

Both sides of the street are lined with these kinds of shops.

It's best to go through early, before crowds of tourists start showing-up.

The people are all friendly.  Some, don't mind posing for a photo.

Others, I just wait 'til they aren't looking, then, shoot.

That gal, I showed her this photo. She was a beauty.  That's all you need to know.

Those dimly-lit places get to me after awhile so, I shot some kimonos, to wake myself up.

Glassware, pottery and seashell trinkets are hot-selling souvenirs, I guess.

Herbs and spices seem to be popular with travelers from other parts of Asia, too.

You can buy ready-made kimonos or, material, to make your own.

It got me thinking when I saw this character on a kimono.

Wouldn't that look cool on a tuxedo ?

For anyone who would like a video tour of the Naha Market, I found this:

TheBladeChef guy who made it cracked me up !

Doggie Photo: Rufus at Red Beach Okinawa, Japan

The best light for outdoor photography is before 9AM.

This photo was taken this morning at 8:56 with the Canon G12 handheld.

Camera specs: f/8  1/400  ISO 80

Lens at 16mm

If anybody is looking for a little doggie, I have one I'll give you for free.

But, it won't be Rufus or, my other husky.

It'd be my wife's dog, which I religiously call Stinky Cheese !

A Day in Naha with Shisa and the Sweetest Gal in the City

There Was Some Racket Down the Street

 

The weather didn't look too promising today.

We packed up our cameras and headed for the big city.  That's normal for foul weather days.

No sooner than the car was parked, we heard the sound of Eisa drums.

Sonovagun, if today wasn't Shisa Day.

We just missed this huge statue being uncovered and all the excitement that went along with it.

But, got there in time to shoot some photos of Miss FamilyMart, I guess.

And, this dude wearing a suit, with some pottery on his head.

 

They were real nice people.  Even took the time to pose and growl for me.

To be honest, I had no idea it was Shisa Day.  Doc informed me.

So, I said, "Good.  Let's go shoot some Shisa."

The Tsuboya Disrtict of Naha, Okinawa has tons of them.

We went there for awhile and took lots of photos but, I wanted to do something else.

Uehara-san is the sweetest gal in the whole city and I can't go there without visiting her.

She is one incredible woman.  She breaks out in smiles every time we meet. 

Years ago, the first time we met, she told me to sit down on a concrete stool, in the shade.

In the local dialect, I said, "I can't, my ass hurts from hemmorhoids."

And, she laughed hers-off !

We have been good friends, ever since.

Her photo is in an article I did for Matador Network Jul 15, 2009.

The Traveler's Guide to Okinawan Dialect

They don't Make People Like This Anymore

It's been months since Doc and I have seen Uehara-san.

The last time I was with her, I bought her some green tea.  She didn't forget.

Today, she dug through her purse and pulled out a thousand yen note, to buy me coffee.

Trying to be polite, I showed her a handful of change and told her I was good to go.

She has a hard time standing-up, without walking to the coffee machine.

She wouldn't let me refuse her gift.  She insisted.

Doc, told me,  "You have to let her buy you the drink.  She won't take no for an answer."

The damn stubbornest woman I ever met, walked painfully over to the machine.

All I could do, was hold her arm and escort her both ways to get the coffee.

Men, shouldn't have tear ducts.  That's what I say.

Once Uehara-san was back in her seat at the shop we all did a "Kampai."

We chatted for awhile.  When it started to rain we excused ourselves.

We explained, we had a long drive ahead of us and had better get going.

We left the sweetest gal in Naha at her store.  And she sat there smiling.

Men really shouldn't have tear ducts.

A Quick Trip to the Blue Lagoon: Islands not Far From Here

Ever Wonder What Causes A Blue Lagoon ?

 

Many times, I've rode across the bridge between Henza and Miyagi Islands in Okinawa.

The water in this area has a different color than any seawater I've ever seen.

Finally, one day last week, I got out with the cameras and walked around.

Critters, is what I always look for because I love nature.

So, I shot this butterfly.

Here's what I call the Blue Lagoon.

The photo was taken from the Miyagi Island side and I can see the Kin Powerplant.

The left side of the frame shows, just a tad of Henza Island.

Turning around, I snapped this photo to give you a better view of Henza.

That's not a resort you're looking at up there.  It's some sort of oil storage and refinery place.

Besides that pretty blue water, there are all kinds of things you can find at the Blue Lagoon.

Electrical supplies, auto parts, beer mugs and computer components are there for the taking.

This is only the stuff you can see on the surface.

It's still a mystery, to me, what may have turned the water blue.

But, I can tell you, no wildlife hangout around there.

Today, I did a little snooping around on the world wide web and found something interesting.

A company from Singapore wants to buy all that oil stuff, up there on Henza.

By pure coincidence, I learned, it hit the news on March 22, 2013.

Eighty Million Dollars, they are offering for the refinery.

And, another Five-hundred Million Dollars for the oil and stocks at the joint.

SSSSSHHHHAAAAAAAAZZZZZZZZZAAAAAAAMMMMMM ! 

Y'all oil company and travel people need to contact me.

For under One Million US Dollars I can tell you how to turn this place in to a tourist attraction.

Folks need to get out of the office and go where the flip-flops meet the road.

The idea for this sweet deal came from:  Bloomberg Businessweek.

Off Island and Off Road with Map It Okinawa Dude

Ten Selected Photos

These photos were taken on March 28, 2013.

Our mission was to go to another island and talk to the folks in a village office.

Deciding to travel light, I just grabbed two Pentax cameras and lenses.  No backpack or, shoes.

Knowing I'd be riding with Map It Okinawa Dude, I left the office lights on.

That's because we get back after dark, sometimes.

Things went well at the village office.

Then, we decided to go explore another island.

Bingo!  Map It Dude found a mysterious trail through the jungle.

Not exactly flip-flop friendly, I took my time and shot lots of photos.

The place was unbelievably quiet. 

No wind, no birds chirping, no blown highlights from the afternoon sun.

 It was so quiet, you could hear yourself breathing.

Rocks, ferns, trees and plenty of jungle vegetation were there for the shooting.

The only sound to be heard was the mirror slap from the camera.

 Imagine a place without any motor vehicles, fast food joints or people yapping on cell phones.

If you soundproofed your house, it couldn't be as quiet as this jungle.

Something tells me, this is a sacred place.  It was eerily quiet.

It made me wonder.  How many people could survive in a place like this, nowadays ?

No convenience stores, no TV or internet connections, there's nothing there, but nature.

 Returning to the road and civilization, I saw the sun peeking through along the trail.

So, I went back looking for Map It Dude.

He's in one of these photos.  Did you see him up there ?