Well, I am sorry to say that it finally happened. Last night Barry showed the tell tale signs of the bug I have had and he is now sick as well. It has hit him hard. We don’t have far to go today, so we asked for a late check out so that he could rest. The owner is a very kind person (as we have read in reviews from other guests) and she quickly offered us a complimentary late checkout. Since she has no other guests booked in our suite today, she encouraged us to stay for as long as we wanted. And that is exactly what we did. Meanwhile, she arrived with a gift bag from Mister Donut, full of goodies. She thought that some treats would help Barry to feel better. I guess if nothing else is working, sugar may do the trick. At the very least, it certainly brought a smile to Barry’s face. He does have a sweet tooth.
Villa Sunbeams is a small property with 3 units. The owner has created 3 well equipped, comfortable and self sufficient suites. We recommend it.
We liked the combination of Western and Japanese in the design. The centre section is Japanese with a tatami mat floor and a close to ground table and cushions for seating. The sleeping area has Western style beds. We liked the atmosphere she has created.
It started to rain heavily so we pulled in to take cover under the overhang of this coffee shop’s entrance. We thought they were closed…oops, it looks like they are open.
Mary Ellen came up with a great route through a residential area. It was great to get off of the busy road that we had been riding on. We love the homes in Okinawa as the yards are overflowing with interesting flowers.
Lately we have experienced windy and cold days with intermittent sun. We are tired of being cold and fighting headwinds. It doesn’t help that we are both dealing with a cold bug.
Before we checked in we wanted to have a late lunch/dinner. The ride to our hotel is up a long steep hill. The Aeon Mall is one of the most popular malls in Okinawa.
This mall is special with many features that make it more than just a shopping experience. .The massive aquarium can be viewed from all 4 sides (4th side is from the elevator which has a glass door) and is home to some interesting fish as well as this Torii gate.
The kids lined up for their opportunity to have their photos taken by their families with these giant stuffed characters and they were so well behaved. When they had to leave the stage they didn’t want to leave their new friends…petting them and staying close. Heartwarming to see their innocence and belief.
The aquarium is a big draw for visitors. Its popularity is also enjoyed when riding the elevator. The elevators have glass walls and this gives you a different viewing than you get on the ground.
We found a great Japanese restaurant for dinner. My meal is Nanpan chicken with a delicious white sauce with black vinegar, pumpkin and green salads, miso soup, pickled sides and silver rice.
The silver rice comes to your table partially cooked. Before you eat it, you give it a stir, put the thick wooden lid on top and let it sit until the sands of time have poured through. Then you give it a good stir and enjoy. Perfectly cooked rice.
We have had a great time at Aeon Mall. We are so often in villages and rural areas, so this was a fun change for us. However, when we came out of the mall it was dark…pitch black and there was a torrential downpour. It was hard to see, couldn’t change gears as I had neglected to put on my cycling gloves and much of it was straight up. Added to that, there was gridlock getting out of the mall. We took an alternate route on the sidewalk which helped. We arrived at EM Wellness Resort dripping wet and a bit of a mess. Not the zen disposition of someone spending time at a Wellness Resort. Nonetheless they welcomed us and were happy to have us bring our trikes inside. Next stop after we check in, is to visit the Onsen at the hotel and let the hot therapeutic hot spring pools work their magic.
We stayed here last year and are excited to be back. In planning the coming week, the last week before we spend some days in Naha before flying home, we agreed that Onsen Hotels would be the tonic we both need. We will stay here 3 nights.
Barry BartlettTo Rich FrasierYou are so right Rich. Somehow we just carried on.
Some days, the moment we walked in to our room and flaked out was such a good feeling. Reply to this comment 1 week ago
