Okinawa: Enjoying Nature

So, I realized I may have unintentionally fibbed at the end of my last article. While my night out wasn’t terrible, it had left me feeling a little low. I probably remembered it as being good because the following day turned out to be quite lovely.

While I had gone to my usual bar, it was a lot busier on a Friday night, leaving less time for chatting with the friendly bartenders, and I found myself drinking alone. It wasn't the worst experience, but I was hoping for a little more, so I decided to check out some other venues. However, my attempt to find a livelier scene elsewhere fell flat. 

I paid a 3,000 yen ($30) cover charge at a club, but the atmosphere didn't click - no one was dancing, and it was too loud for conversation. I left quickly, not even using my drink tickets. It wasn't a disaster, but it left me with a weird taste in my mouth as I headed to bed.

I slept in the next morning, and having grabbed some breakfast from the convenience store, I decided to check out a nearby garden. It was about halfway to the beach I wanted to go to after, but I wasn’t quite ready to brave the heat, so I thought this would be a nice warm up (literally). I was in an alright mood as I walked to the garden, but after paying the small fee, my mood started to change. 

It never ceases to amaze me how quickly being in nature can change your mood. It seems to be one of those universal truths we all know, but tend to constantly forget, or at least I do. Walking around the beautiful gardens, exploring a small cave, relaxing in a hammock, it made all my problems feel small. I wouldn’t be thinking about having a mediocre night or going to a lame bar in a few days. As evidenced by the fact that I did indeed forget about it until writing this article. 

It turned my mood all the way around, and it really began to sink in just how beautiful Okinawa was. During my trip I’d heard it described as “Japanese Hawaii”, and while those broad comparisons are always reductive, it’s not entirely inapt. The weather was tropical, I saw palm trees on my way from the airport, and as I would soon discover, the beaches are fantastic. 

After a second full lap around the garden, I headed back to my hotel room to gear up to hit the beach. Naminoue Beach was only 20 minutes from my hotel, and while it seemed to be in a unique spot, being right by the highway, the photos online still seemed gorgeous. I loaded up my backpack, lathered up with some sunscreen, and headed off to the beach. 

The beach wasn’t overly crowded, it was around 3PM, but given the heat, if people came in the morning they had probably left already. If you were a local I could easily see this being a casual beach you come to and spend just an hour or two before heading home. It was surreal seeing a beach with a highway as a backdrop, but it was beautiful nonetheless. 

I made a bit of a funny mistake when I got to the beach, I saw a few umbrellas in a line, and just assumed they were for people to use as needed. I found an open umbrella, set down my towel, and started to get comfortable. Quickly, a lifeguard came and asked if I had a reservation. I had to use google translate to help me with the interaction, but I had to pay 2,000 yen ($20) to use the umbrella. 

Had I known that all ahead of time, I doubt I would have bothered to reserve it, but stumbling into it like this I felt somewhat compelled to go along with it. So, after trying to parse where I would pay for said umbrella, someone flagged me down, and I paid the money. I would spend about 2 hours at the beach, so $10 an hour for some shade isn’t the worst, and it did probably save me a sunburn, so I guess it worked out. 

I laid out in the shade for a bit before I decided to wade into the water. The swimming area was sectioned off with a rope, apparently attached to jellyfish nets to prevent jellyfish stings. There was still plenty of room though, and kids, families, and couples were happily hanging out in the water. The water was warm, but still felt cool compared to the heat in the sun. 

I floated on my back, slowly making my way down the beach, enjoying both the sun and the water. It dawned on me that I hadn’t gone swimming since arriving in Japan, about 9 months ago, and who knows when I went swimming back in Canada. It’s another activity I don’t do often, but always tend to enjoy. 

Though, unlike some of the other beach goers, swimming laps has never been my idea of fun. I floated from one end of the water to the other, before getting out and walking along the beach back to my umbrella. I laid in the sun, grabbed a drink, went back in the water, and just relaxed for a while. 

Before coming, I had worried being in such a tropical place might make me feel lonely. Beach days in Canada were always a highlight of my summer, having a chance to spend a few hours with friends just hanging out and shooting the breeze. I was definitely lonely at times, but I did find ways to enjoy just being present in nature, even if I was by myself. 

It had really turned around my mood, but after a few hours, even under the umbrella, I was getting pretty hot. I decided to head back towards my hotel, take a shower, find some food, and gear myself up for another round of nightlife. Not every night going out is a winner, but if you don’t go out, you won’t have a chance for an amazing night. 

My success rate for great nights in Okinawa was probably about 60/40, which to me is a pretty good track record. I never found other repeat patrons to drink with at the bar, which was too bad, but a rotating cast of colorful characters is fun in its own way. I got to drink with other foreigners visiting Okinawa, and even some fun locals, and of course, the bartenders. 

I never really regretted going out, even if the nights didn’t always turn out the way I wanted. I never know what to do with my nights when I’m traveling solo, and trying to meet new people at bars seems to be the only activity I’ve really found. Otherwise, I’d just be sitting in my hotel room playing games, and I can do that at home anytime I want. 

So once again, I headed out for the night, and really did have a great time. Thanks, at least in part, to the great day I had already had. Being in the right headspace at a bar can often be a huge factor in how your night shakes out, and admiring nature and being outdoors did a lot to put me in a good mood. 

I’ll be talking more about the beauty of Okinawa, so I don’t want to overstate it too much, but Okinawa is truly gorgeous. The gardens were excellent, and the beach was a blast. Not every day of a trip needs to be grand and see amazing sights, sometimes you can just spend the day in a nearby neighborhood and be just as blown away.