Shuri-jo Castle

Such a fun day today! I was up at the crack of dawn for swim lesson sign-ups. This time I brought my umbrella and dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt. It did not rain today. I was there early enough that I was under the eves anyway. It was also very sunny and about a thousand degrees. I forgot my sunglasses. Will I ever get it right??? It all ended well, the girls are all signed up for two more sessions of swim lessons and I timed it so that I can get some laps in while they are in the water. Nice!

I arrived home at 8:30 am all hopped up on coffee, having spent the morning socializing with Rebecca and other moms (I was number 19 this time!! Movin' on up!!). After waking up the rest of the house we decided it was a beautiful day to be a tourist. We randomly decided to go south and see Shuri-jo Castle. It was fantastic. It is an ancient royal fortress that housed royalty and was an important stronghold for the Japanese during World War II. It was destroyed during the war and restored after the conflict ended. We have seen castles in England and we were in awe of their ornate beauty. This Asian castle was completely different, but equally beautiful. It was colorful, but simple in its lines, crisp and clean with dots of intricate architecture. It was OCD paradise. I think I would have liked to live in an Asian castle. It just seems like there would be less dust. We had a blast wandering around the grounds because it was a spectacular day. The girls were excited because they had stations all around the castle where the kids could collect stamps. It really motivated the girls to keep walking through the humdity and heat. Kenzie was a serious navigator and Emily was quite the scout when it came to spotting the stamp stations. It allowed Brian and I to amble peacefully through the castle. These Japanese are so smart!! At the end of the day they took their completed stamp sheet to the information office and were given a prize, a sheet of stickers. Happy kids, Happy parents. We got to see a 500 year old spring, the cityscape of Naha (if you come to see us that is where you will land!), a traditional Japanese performance, the ornate castle forecourt, the king's study (an informal set of rooms straight out of Memoirs of a Geisha...tatami mats and all..we had to go barefoot in the interior of the castle, like any other Japanese house.), formal state and throne rooms, and tropical grounds. It must have been good to be king!