We both slept well last night because there was no rocking and rolling for a change. Of course, we were overnight in the port of Naha, and docked. We heard from our morning waiters that some of the crew went off to the neon lights of Kokusai Street and had a fine time. It's not very often that we have overnights, so the crew and some of guests really enjoy a "night out".
It was breakfast as usual for us….that is, until the President of HAL, Gus, and his colleague arrived for their morning meal. Although there were only a handful of us present today, a hush fell over the room when Gus walked in. And you have never seen such a fuss made over the two of them by the staff. To be fair, we also had all the pastries offered as well as full cups of coffee. Everything had to be perfect, even though the new guests might not have even noticed anything unusual.
About 8:50am, Kimberly came on the speakers, as she always does, with a resounding Japanese greeting which sounds like "Ohio". We all just about jumped out of our seats it was so loud. We could see our buddy Don holding his ears and loudly complaining about the intrusion. We had to laugh because Gus had overheard Don with the complaint, saying he agreed, it was too loud. Don did not apologize, but stayed his ground, not intimidated by the president's presence in the room. With that, all of us resumed our meal, and by 9am or so, it was time to go. As it turned out, Don was not aware of Gus being in the restaurant, or as he said, he would not have put his foot in his mouth.
Doing some research, we did locate a recommended pizza restaurant to check out. So we took the same walk we did yesterday, and both agreed it did not seem as far today. For one thing, the weather had cooled off and the wind was blowing, like a storm was on the way. The skies remained heavily overcast and we did have occasional light showers. More like a mist, but enough to pack the umbrellas. It was also the first day since boarding in Ft. Lauderdale that we put on long jeans and wore a jacket and a sweatshirt. From here on, as we head north to Tokyo, we expect colder temps.
Passing the Fukushuen Garden along the way, we peeked inside before the establishment was opened. Serving as a relaxing oasis for the locals and tourists, it is a symbol of the ancient Chinese that once ruled here. It was also a good way to beautify an urban section of the city. The garden consists of ponds with koi carp, a fountain, several small buildings and plantings that reflect the colors of the seasons. A convenient restaurant is on the property as well. Admission was a mere 200 Yen or $1.35 US. A night time visit was 300 Yen. Bet it would be pretty to see it lit up at night.
One of us was looking for a new pair of black dress sandals, so we went back to the modern mall. There was not one pair of shoes that were not enclosed, like old fashioned dress shoes. Hate to say it, but everything we saw was dumpy. It is possible that Japanese ladies do not wear sandals. Now if you were looking for old fashioned flip flops, they were sold by the thousands in all of the shops on Kokusai Street. Go figure.
Much to our surprise, Kokusai Street had been closed to through traffic by noontime. Perhaps this happens every Sunday, and the street becomes a food court. We are only guessing, but there may be several food trucks that set up in the cordoned-off street. There were a few of them there already. One thing for sure, it was no where near as crowded as yesterday. Somewhere in our travels we seem to recall that Saturday is a work and school day, and Sunday is their only day of the week they get off. Yesterday, the only local kids we saw were in strollers. We went as far as the arcade, and happened to run into friends Greg, Ginni, and Rich. Heo was off running ahead of the group as he always does. The two guys had come here last night for the lights and partying. They said they did have a fine time among the locals. And they also have a better knowledge of the food being served here. They live in Sydney and indulge in varied cuisine from all over the world. We did see from some photos they sent us that someone tried the fried Spam….something we ate on occasion as kids. We both remember salty and greasy, an acquired taste. We did see a stack of regular Spam cans for 480 Yen or about $3.20 USD. Not to date ourselves, but we bet that same can would have sold for under a dollar when we were little.
We made another sweep through the arcade, still not finding any souvenir-like treasure to buy. We already have a pair of the lion dogs (shisa) we bought for good luck while in Japan 22 years ago. So it was getting close to 1pm, and time to search for that pizza venue. Thanks to a good website, we were able to see the side streets (without names) and looked for the flag of Italy flying outside. If it wasn't for the flag, we might not have found it. Anyway, it was a very cozy café that held maybe 12 customers. There were some folks in there when we arrived, so we took a table in the back. The waiter did have a Japanese/ English menu, and by pointing to the pizza we wanted as well as the beer, it worked just fine. Starting with two Orion drafts, we ordered one large Margherita pizza with various mushrooms. And once again, they had a wood-fired oven, making the best tasting pizza in our humble opinion. With the photos and memorabilia on the walls, we would have sworn we were in the middle of Naples, Italy.
It was so nice to be able to sit and relax after the hike. We prolonged our stay by ordering a dessert of a pizza shell with Nutella and mixed berries in the center. The four slices were dusted with powdered sugar and cocoa powder. A great way to end a nice lunch. And all of that for about the equivalent of $26. The cook and waiter both bowed as we complimented them and said goodbye or sayonara.
The wind had picked up on our way back, and down by the water, it was worse. There was a mist in the air, and we thought rain would come any minute. It never did rain and we never used the umbrellas. For a change, we had to turn the thermostat up in our room to get warm. The only thing we don't like is not being comfortable on our veranda. We could go out bundled up, but with the wind, it was just too chilly. It was a good time to work online and finally pick out a movie to watch, as we still have no live signal. It appears that some new movies have been added, which is good, since most of them are really dated.
Dinner for us was the usual time, despite that fact that a special event was happening in the Lido Pool area tonight. The Grand Fun Fair was held from 7:30 to 9:30pm, our dinner time. Carnival games and contests would take place. It was free admission, and the tickets people won could be used for prizes. Gus Antorcha would be present to share in the fun as well as enjoy complimentary drinks, appetizers, treats and snacks. Obviously, this event was aimed at the early dining crowd, which happens to be the majority these days. The dining room menu won over the event with an appetizer of a pork and beef egg roll, chicken noodle soup, and entrees of beef Wellington and an orange-glazed chicken meal. Carrot cake with a side of ice cream finished the ample meal. All was good and tasty and hot as could be. Finishing by 9pm, we could have gone to the fair, but eating and drinking would be out of the question. We wonder why this was planned on a port night, when the folks were exhausted from a day in and out of town? On previous cruises, these events were always held during an afternoon while we are at sea. Makes more sense to us, but what do we know?
We will have two days at sea on the way to Tokyo. Captain Frank said to expect up to 35 mph winds, rolling and rocking. And there will be more activities with Gus with a presentation in the World Stage tomorrow for a Q&A and announcements of the world cruise in 2026.
Bill & Mary Ann
