Ryukyu Mura

Ryukyu Mura is a recreation of what life was like in the ancient Ryukyu Kingdom... which is present-day Okinawa. We were able to hear, see, and taste what life was like so long ago.



Shishimai (The Lion Dance)



Chondara -- he's kind of a strolling entertainer... reminded me of a court jester.




Noah and his Daddy.



Feeding carp. These fish have HUGE mouths! They're actually pretty nasty looking.



Check out the outfit in the background... Okinawan fashion will require a blog entry all its own.



Here I am all geeked out with the water buffalo. This guy is used to turn a wheel which squeezes juice from sugarcane. The juice gets boiled and made into brown sugar. Brown sugar "candy" is seen everywhere here. It is supposedly filled with nutrients and minerals which contribute to the longevity of the Okinawan people. Apparently this "water buffalo" method is still used in a few places today.



Yes. It's a pig face.


Yes, you can eat this.



An interesting fuzzy red flower... don't know what it is... but it and others like it were growing on a tree.


Noah and Marcie being Kijimuna... mythical Japanese characters.




Noah "reading" the map.



Umi-budo (Sea Grapes) for lunch... hmmmm...



Devin examines his before trying...



EJ's not scared!


Yum! She likes them! (They actually were quite tasty... kind of briny/salty/pickle-y... all the tiny globes popped in your mouth -- you could hear them crackle. Tasty and fun! (Of course, Noah would have no part of them.)




Yes, it's just a Coke can... but look how pretty it is with the flowers and shisa on it. The Okinawans have a wonderful way of beautifying the most mundane and everyday items. I love it!



Eisa dancing...



And of course, the shisa...

Mata ne, everyone!