Since K has started working at one of the bases down here and is gone more, it’s inspired us to get out and explore more of the island on our weekends together! We signed up for a base sponsored tour of a semi-local attraction called Bios on the Hill–a tropical forest park that included a boat ride and has water buffalo too! We rode on a tour bus over to the park with a group of other Americans, but once there everybody branched off and did their own thing. Looking out over the park, the thick foliage that covers the forest surprised me. I’ve never been on a tropical island before our trip to Okinawa, and the sea of green looked like a jungle extending out below us.
There were various orchids potted and planted throughout the park, making for colorful walkways and photo taking opportunities at every turn. I later found out that this park has the largest number of orchids out of all the parks in Japan!
Here are some hedges we passed by as well, all very artistically grown. It amazed me to see the intricacies of the trunks woven together in such carefully arranged patterns.
The teeth on the dragon hedges were a little uneven and worn down, making them look like hillbilly dragons!
When we stood in line for the boat ride, we were directed to a specific boat that had English commentary playing through the speakers. We learned all about the subtropical flora and fauna as we rode by it.
There were fruits that resembled pineapples, poisonous trees that are nicknamed “suicide trees” because they were once used to make poison, and more orchids artfully planted along the shore.
The pond is split into several different waterways, which resemble a dragons head from overhead, hence the dragon theme throughout the rest of the park. We passed by a rather forlorn pair of water buffalo who were tethered to the shore. The water buffalo are domestic animals in Okinawa, and we also saw them in stalls and pulling a cart in other areas of the park. 
We passed a decorative boathouse that had a lady dancing slowly in it, mimicking the movements of somebody guiding a large boat.
After the boat ride, we walked up to a small “petting zoo.” There were chickens and roosters running around all over the park, and potbelly pigs and pygmy goats penned up. There were also two goats tied up to a post, which the locals kept untethering them and walking them around! I was glad the goats weren’t dehorned, so they could defend themselves against the more forceful people who tried to drag the goats all over the place.
This was definitely a more unsupervised and hands on approach than we are used to seeing back in the States! I loved being able to feed and pet the goats–my family had goats when I was growing up, so there will always be a soft spot in my heart for them!
The water buffalo seemed like a cross between oxen and cows, with huge majestic horns and a docile personality. As we watched another water buffalo pull a cart of 20 people around the park, the water buffalo’s brute strength was apparent as he lumbered along with ease.
A sort of jungle gym sat in the middle of the field–a large wooden structure that both adults and children were playing on. This definitely wouldn’t be in a major park back home–it seems like a lawsuit waiting to happen. The attitude towards hurting yourself here seems much more intuitive here; be careful. Keep an eye on your kids. If they hurt themselves, then it’s your fault (not the equipment they were playing on). Still, it didn’t seem like the most sturdy structure to be climbing all over!
There were several trails throughout the park that we explored, some running along little streams and another we climbed up a hill to a large clearing. Every path held the promise of leading us to a different magical land than the one we were in before.
There were huge swings that were suspended from the high branches in pine trees, and small hammocks we could relax in. We waited for a group of adult men to finish playing on the swing before I swung on it. This park was designed for fun for all ages.
We relaxed in a hammock for awhile, listening to music and cloud gazing before deciding to go down to the cafe and see what was on the menu for lunch.
I got some tasty Okinawan soba noodles in a light broth, perfect for a hot, sunny day. Noodles are such a staple of both Japanese and Okinawan cuisine, and I don’t mind one bit!
We explored the park after lunch, finding even more pathways and trails in this fairyland atmosphere.
Time passed quickly, and it was soon time to head back to base. It was a welcome change of pace to get out and explore the island more in-depth, and I was glad we were able to learn more about the plants and animals of our new temporary home!
