Okinawa-rama

So, anyway, back to the old lady, the roadside stand and the empanadas. Joe and I were on our way back from Okuma, which is a resort area on the north side of the island. The first day there wasn't overly impressive. It was raining nonstop and the "resort" (for military personnel and their families) was less than glamorous. But, the next day was something else! The sun was out! The water was turquoise. And the mountains -- lush and green. For the first time since I've been here, I honest to goodness felt that I was in a tropical island paradise.

We walked on the beach and then decided to drive up to Cape Zampa, where Joe "saved" the old guy. We drove north along the coastline on the west side of the island. Up north, the island is wilder, natural and unspoiled. You see pine trees and mountains and big craggy rocks and long waves breaking on the coral near the shore. After Cape Zampa, we headed back down south on the east side of the island - the Pacific side. The water seemed rougher there and the weather was even different. We passed by a little temple in someone's garden -- carefully placed plants and rocks and in the corner a large Buddha sheltered by a wooden roof. There were also these windmills in the distance towering over the ocean like giants.

We cut back across the island to the west side again to the highway that would take us home. There were many distractions along the way: a pretty seaside cafe; a little island you can loop in 10 minutes; a roadside produce stand with adjacent nursery. We stopped there and decided to get some plants for the house. That's when we met the lady who sells Argentinean empanadas. And when we met the old lady.

I was concentrating on selecting some oranges I wanted to buy, when I heard the empanada seller ask Joe, "How old do you think she is?"

I looked up to where she was pointing and noticed the old woman sitting on the wall dressed in a kimono.

"Ummm...eighty-eight?" Joe ventured.

"How old do you think?" she asked me. Hmmm...I wasn't even about to go there, 'cause I knew she was old and shoot, we're in Japan, who knows what offense I could cause.

I shrugged my shoulders.

"She's one hundred and six years old."

(What the !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

ONE HUNDRED AND SIX

1 - 0 - 6

Do you know any six year olds? Now tack one hundred years on that.
When I was born she was already 76.
She was alive at the same time as Queen Victoria.

Man.

The old woman pointed to Joe with one finger and me with the other and then crossed them.
The empanada lady said that meant that we should get married.
Joe took a picture of me with her. I don't know if that's rude or not, but she's 106 and that's an achievement if I've ever heard one.

Apparently, she's just a spring chicken though. The oldest person in the world lived well into her 120s.