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BONDS IN OKINAWA
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“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”

– St. Augustine

Heart Rock and Ufuya

2/15/2017

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Heading down to Heart Rock
On a weekend in August, Nate and I headed out in search of the famous Heart Rock of Okinawa, located on Kouri Island.
Kouri island is also known as "Love Island" due to a local legend similar to Adam and Eve.  The couple came from heaven and procreated, creating the ancestors of Okinawa.  They lived in a cave near Chinuguhama beach. 

At Kiinu Beach, there are also the 2 famous heart shaped rocks formed by wave erosion throughout the years and are also on many photos and posters advertising Okinawa.  Lucky for us, it was a beautiful, sunny day.  The beach had soft wide sand, and was surrounded by crystal blue water.   Of course there was a crowd, but we made due.

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Walking down to Tiinu Beach
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Tiinu Beach
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The 2 heart rocks
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The 2 heart rocks
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The 2 heart rocks
Nate and I also decided to check out the snorkeling in the area.  The water was a bit cloudy, but we saw a few fishes and some colorful coral.
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Ready to head out snorkeling
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Snorkeling around the heart rocks
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Snorkeling around the heart rocks
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A quick break from snorkeling for a #snorkelselfie
After our beach day, we decided to check out a restaurant that had been recommended to us by a local Okinawan, Ufuya (meaning "big house").  This restaurant was renovated and built around 100 year old Okinawan house.  It has beautiful views of a waterfall coming down behind it, serving Okinawan cuisine and Agu pork dishes.  This restaurant has also been featured on many foreign TV shows.

When we first walked up, we were greeted by some cute shisa.  We walked through a gift shop and got to sample some tasty Okinawan treats before putting our name on the waiting list and waiting in the courtyard and old restored Okinawan houses.
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Welcome Shisa
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Shisas in the courtyard
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"Kah-Nu-Meh-Yah" House (means "house by the river"), built in 1933
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"Ka-Ra-Yah" House (means "a house with red bricks and straws") built during the Meiji period
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The entrance to Ufuya
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The entrance to Ufuya
After about an hour, our name was called and we headed in the ancient remodeled home.  Lucky for us we got a seat right next to the waterfall!  #score  We enjoyed some yummy pork shabu shabu (dip in meat, veggies, and noodles into broth to cook, then dip in sesame sauce and eat!).  We also got to enjoy some local appetizers of picked veggies and so on.  The meal and the atmosphere were great - definitely a must see for anyone visiting or living in Okinawa.
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Our shabu shabu setup
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Sauces and little appetizers
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Noodles and veggies for our shabu shabu
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Our spread
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View from our table
Follow in our Footsteps:

Heart Rock
Kouri, 今帰仁村 Kunigami District, Okinawa Prefecture 905-0406, Japan
+81 980-56-2256

Ufuya
90 Nakayama, Nago City, Okinawa Prefecture
(+81) 0980-53-0280
Hours:  Lunch 11am - 5pm, Dinner 6pm - 10pm
Website
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    Megan Bond - AUTHOR

    Just a girl raised in California and loved exploring Southeast Asia with my husband!  We're back in the States but still exploring the world as much as we can!

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