Okinawa a-go-go 3

PINEAPPLE PARK!!

Seriously, how cool is that? I love pineapples!!!! Who doesn’t love pineapples??!!

There is a place in Naha (the main island in Okinawa prefecture) called the Nago Pineapple park.

Okay, maybe it’s not that awesome. But the mascot is awesome! Very, very kitschy!

It’s also super-cheap!! Just 500 yen ($5) for adults and 250 yen for elementary school kids and younger! There’s also a 10% discount for groups of 15 people or more. 🙂

The only things to do are go on the pineapple tour, which is a tram ride that showcase pineapples in various states of life, and the factory where pineapples are processed. Pineapples in Okinawa are very, very sweet. It must be the amazing heat and sun!

At the end is an all-you-can-sample area where you can buy and sample every kind of cookie and pineapple-related goodies under the sun. Feast your heart out, because it’s deliiiiiiicious! And so, so bad for you. 🙂 I bought so many pineapple cookies that my suitcase could barely be lifted by the end of the trip. 🙂

We also spotted a Goya Park on the way back into town, and so of course we had to stop!

The english term for Goya is “bitter melon.” I’d never heard of them before coming to Japan, and it seems that it’s basically an asian gourd. They are really, really, reaaaaaally bitter. It’s like eating complete bitter! I, for some reason, absolutely love them. I can’t get enough goya, I am serious. 🙂 🙂 🙂 YUM!