The Long Road Home

After enjoying our time in Okuma, it was time to go home. Of course we could not just go straight back, so we had to make some stops along the way! The first stop was the Nago Pineapple Factory. That's right, an entire facility dedicated to the pineapple. We rode an electric cart around several different kind of palm trees, different varieties of pineapples, and a section where they make charcoal out of pineapple. Next along the tour was a seashell museum. I'm not really sure what this had to do with pineapple, but it was at the factory so what do I know? This didn't take very long. We walked through quickly trying to occasionally act interested in a seashell. This wasn't Greg's cup of tea. We caught up to some tour groups (this was a very popular place) and were led like cattle to the tasting room. They had everything from wine to cookies. Pineapple wine is not as good as it sounds. Managing the stroller through the crowd proved to be too much, so I held Brady as Greg carried the stroller. Brady started twisting and trying to get down, so as a distraction I started giving him cake samples. The next thing I know, he is pushing people and pulling on some shirts as he points to cake they are standing in front of. Once we safely made it outside a strange man came up to us and motioned that he wanted to take a picture of Brady. Now, I don't know about you, but it seems strange to take random children's pictures. Brady looks worlds different from the children here on the island, but how do you explain the blonde headed kid in your stack of pictures? I hope he makes up a story about how that child saved the entire pineapple factory and all of the tourists in it! A glass making store was right down the road so we stopped in to take a peek. It was very interesting watching these men make vases and cups right in front of us. We went into the store and the glassware had a sticker saying "made in Vietnam." Yeah, I thought the same thing you are thinking right now! The next thing on the list was lunch. On the way we stopped so I could get something out of the trunk. The playpen we rented from the campground was still back there...OOPS! Since we were very hungry we decided to deal with that later. We went to a place called Pizza in the Sky. When they said sky, they weren't kidding. We went up a mountain, down a dirt road (once again our directions were in question), and ended up at this restaurant tucked way up in the clouds. What a spectacular view! They put a fan on the table with a choice of different drinks and a small or large pizza. When the waitress came you point to what you want. You didn't get a choice what was on the pizza. It came out drowned in cheese with corn, yes I said corn, pepperoni, ham, onions, and peppers. It was fantastic! We have realized that you just have to go with the flow and step out of your comfort zone to have a wonderful experience. Now, back to Okuma to return the playpen! The best part about it was we were able to go straight to the weaving factory and it was open to take a tour. We walked upstairs to a room set up with a small room with a large pot of boiling water where 2 people were wetting some sort of fibers. The next room was filled with several looming machines with people working. It was a strange feeling walking around there. It was like we entered some sort of sweat shop. I'm just glad there weren't any children working there. It turns out that they make fabric called Bashofu out of a type of banana fiber. Local plants are used to dye the fabric blue or brown. Brady made friends with the cashier there and they laughed together the entire time I was shopping. We went back to the woodworking shop and it was still closed. We stopped at a bookstore on our way home. I'm not sure why seeing as how we can't read Japanese, but whatever! Finally we landed at home sweet home. While we were away I couldn't help thinking about something my mom always told me, that it's the everyday ordinary moments that make up a lifetime. Since I've begun writing down our everyday ordinary moments I have become more aware of the joy in our lives. God has truly blessed us and has provided a life that we sometimes take for granted. It is important to take in the moments and enjoy them to the fullest instead of waiting for something "great" to happen. Ordinary life can be GREAT!