Scuba Diving & Snorkeling Okinawa

I came to Okinawa expecting a lot. Looking at google earth, it looked like sheer paradise. Coral surrounding much of the island, beaches everywhere, which means snorkeling and diving should be good, right? Well, yes and no. Yes because there were an amazing amount of coral with a lot of variety. Places like Iriomote had walls of it 15 foot tall, plus, you'd have to walk out 100-200m just to get to the break. The ocean is real calm so there's not much danger of getting caught in a current. There are sea turles, manta rays in the summer, whale sharks and hammerheads in the winter and an underwater city like formation that no one knows how got there. No, because many typhoons sweep through this area and the coral often get shattered when the storm is too big. I've been to many places to dive and snorkel and unfortunately, shattered coral is quite common so really, it's no shock. The fish diversity is massive. There are fish of all sorts living amongst the coral but sadly, there were very few large fish which I like to see. The problem is me, I've been to quite a few tropical islands and seen some pretty amazing locations so I'm quite spoiled when it comes to this.

Overall, I'd say to the average unseasoned eye, you'd be thoroughly impressed. David Peyrot in my video definitely was! I can't complain too much either, I saw three 4 meter wide manta rays, didn't I?

Sexy Girls of Taiwan

I have lived in Taiwan before. When I first got there, I had very different expectations of what girls were like. Although they didn't quite fit what I imagined, I began to have a new perspective over time and especially when I started learning some Mandarin. I began to shift my taste. It was nice speaking in their language, a 3rd tongue. Actually, they were shocked after I started talking at how basic my Chinese really is and would be shocked. I'd have to go through the, "I was born in mainland China, emigrated out of China at 1" speech once again but it's pretty normal for me. I go all over Asia and locals think I'm local too. I don't mind so much. It means I can blend in when I want to. Anyways, some of these clips are old but like that matters! So if you've never met a Taiwanese girl, here is a glimpse of what you MAY see.

Boracay Sailing Trip to Puka Beach

This trip was most enjoyable. If you enjoy beaches, water sports, partying, friendly English speaking locals... This place is a must do. It takes a little traveling to get here but it's worth it! You must fly into Manila, transfer to Caticlan airport, take a motorized tricycle to the port, take a boat to Boracay, then another tricycle to arrive at this paradise. Look it up on the internet, there's countless videos of people having a great time. The high season starts in November. It's a good time to go because the hordes of tourists haven't quite arrived and hotels are still midseason prices. If you go before that, it'll be cheaper but it's the rainy season and you may get some not so nice days. There are countless number of restaurants, waterholes to party the night away and the beach runs for miles to soak up the sun during the day, jump in the waves and recover from your hangover.

Give it a try, you'll love it!

BMO Music Festival '09, Okinawa

I went to the concert with high hopes, a lot of energy, and was ready to dance and have fun. While taking the long windy bus ride, I lost some of that enthusiasm. We were more than 1 hour late. We didn't even know if we were at the right location, at first. Then we heard the music but very little noise. That was because the outdoor theater wasn't even full. Here is how the line-up went when I got there:

1. NAMELESS: (because I didn't know his name and they had no programs) He seemed to have no confidence in himself or something. He left the stage saying, "Goodbye, thank you! You will enjoy the show."

2. SEAN KINGSTON: He came out with much energy and enthusiasm and pumped the crowd. Then I found out he was back up singing his own songs. He could barely hit the high notes. He must have hit puberty.

3. T.O.K: This was more of what I was looking for. A group that had it all! They all had great voices, had a variety of styles, good up tempo music, and knew how to please the crowd. Pleasantly surprised!

4. OMARION: I know of him as a good singer, performer, and dancer. He was half ass. You could tell his heart wasn't there. Probably too small of an audience for him. Right away complaining about his music being too quiet. He put in some decent dance moves but I expected more.

4.Lil'Jon: Now here's a guy who had the energy. I was impressed. Now he just had to beef up his music and his lyrics. He had the same beat playing for 15 minutes or something ridiculous. Only song I like was Get Low.

5.SHAGGY: He was what I was expecting out of all the other big name artists. He didn't disappoint!

All in all, I still had a good time. I found the bikini babes I was looking for! Now I got to leave Okinawa. Land of beautiful beaches without bikini babes.

Ocean Park Expo Aquarium

This aquarium situated in the northwest of Okinawa Island houses the largest single tank in the world. It's main attraction being 3 whale sharks. Within the same tank they also have an assortment of rays, such as the manta, school of giant trevally, tuna and various others unknown to me. They also have other tanks where they have sharks, bat fish, napoleon wrasse and other cool marine sea life.

On the outside is actually a hotel with a park which has many places to explore. For example, traditional style Japanese homes, a botanical garden, a flower garden, a spiral staircase which brings you to a gorgeous view, a maritime museum about the historical Okinawan wars, sea turtle and manatee tanks, and an entertaining, lovable dolphin show that all should enjoy.

Then when you're tired you can relax and go to the beautiful white sand Emerald Beach. Here you can take a dip, play beach volleyball or just soak up some rays and laze the rest of the day away.

As you can see, you need to be there early to really take in all its sites. If you go to Okinawa, Ocean Park Expo should definitely be on the list!

A Glance back at Okinawa

I've been traveling the Okinawa Islands since April 23rd now. My Goal? Cycle as many islands as I could. I ended with 7. Could have done more but I am satisfied. Plus, I was buggered. It's been amazing beyond words can say! Never seen so many beautiful beaches all clustered together. The only thing lacking is the hordes of bikini babes. The beautiful scenery makes up for that I suppose. So if you get the chance to come here, this is what I suggest:

1. Don't go to one of those big resorts and get pampered and driven around everywhere and so on.

2. Do it by bicycle or scooter, if you can.

3. Take your time. Spend 2-4 weeks if possible to soak up the peacefulness of your surroundings.

4. Bring your snorkeling gear. There's plenty of islands that have a good diversity of marine life and coral.

5. If you're into diving, there's schools of hammerheads, whale sharks, an underwater city that's a big mystery in the winter and manta rays in the summer nearby.

6. Definitely go to Iriomote Island via. Ishigaki Island. It's too bad they canceled the ferry service so you must fly to Ishigaki first, but if you like nature, it's worth it. There's nothing but rivers leading to waterfalls snaking through the mountains. At the estuary there's always mangrove trees which shelter an assortment of life. You can go kayaking up one of the many rivers, snorkel offshore, or just lay on one of the gold sand beaches.

Now I'm in Naha waiting to start the 3rd leg of my journey in Japan. The 1st being 3 months of working as a snowboard instructor in Niseko, Hokkaido in the north. I will start in Osaka. Buy me a motorcycle and see where the road takes me. Sounds like an adventure.