Now that Chuck and I are settled into our new apartment, I’ve had some time to explore the town of Uruma. I bought myself a used, Japanese-style bike (with a basket!) and I just love it. It has truly maximized my adventuring potential, as it covers more ground than walking yet gives me the freedom and visibility I would lack if driving a car.

So, even though the weather has been rather blah, I hopped on and turned left outside of our housing gate. I turned again onto the main road and wandered for several blocks, occasionally venturing down side streets that looked particularly intriguing. Of course, I couldn’t read any of the signs or storefronts, but I still managed to find multiple restaurants, bars, grocery stores, bakeries, spas, and even a florist. It’s certainly a quieter, more residential area of Okinawa, but it clearly has a lot to offer. And, despite the typical gray, concrete architecture, there are oases of beauty everywhere you look…

Excited about all the new places to try (most especially the food), I finally turned around and biked the river walk, where I couldn’t resist snapping photos of the pretty flowers. Even on a gray day, the colors just POP. I love all the flora and fauna around here.

Of course, what’s exploring an island without a beach within easy reach? Uruma has that covered, too! If you turn right out the housing gate, you get a completely different experience: the most lovely specimens of Pacific blue. To date, the majority of the beaches we have visited are on the East China Sea, but our very own Courtney and Uken Beaches are on the Pacific side of the island and are very beautiful indeed!

The beach route is significantly less urban, and a fun change of scenery from the more built-up side of Uruma. There are fewer restaurants, shops, and cars, but more fields, unpaved paths, ornate family cemeteries, and… THIS:

…Yep, that’s a bull. Walking the streets of Uruma. Can we be friends? 🙂