hello blooms

Cherry blossom season has begun here in Okinawa, the first along the Japanese archipelago. A couple friends and I drove to the north end of the island to the annual festival held in Nago where the cherry blossoms flourish along the streets and mountain tops; it is something I have been looking forward to for quite some time. If ever there was a place with stairs, stairs, and more stairs, this had to be it. We climbed and climbed...and climbed some more. (It made me feel less guilty about not going for a long run in the morning.) We saw everything from the obvious cherry blossom to mongoose, eagles, big scary (banana?) spiders, butterflies of every color, and views as far as the eye could see. We walked along the mossy paths that held the scent of cherry in the air, bees humming en masse. It was unusually warm, considering how cold it has been here lately. It was a perfect day. There were just enough clouds in the sky to soften the light, bringing to life each pink petal that hung from its tree. After all the hiking we did, we eventually found ourselves in the valley where vendors lined the streets with fried foods and carnival games. Our favorite among them, was the little ice cream shoppe - an old converted trolley car that had the charm and character of something you would find in San Francisco on a balmy summer's day.