First Night in Okinawa

So, as often as possible for the next two weeks, I will post some updates as to where I am and what I am doing.
I left for Japan this morning - it was Thursday when I left. Jeff dropped me at LAX at about 9:30am. I arrived at Naha airport in Okinawa about 9:30pm of the next day. Except it is not the next day in LA. I don't have any idea what freak-ass time it is there. Okinawan time actually feels normal to me because I got to the hotel where I am spending my stopover night and I was hungry and tired - and being 9:30pm, I am right about on schedule.
I took the Yui monorail to my hotel - the Gran View Okinawa - chosen for it's proximity to the airport. Indeed, I only needed to ride one stop to get here. Although that stop cost me about 2 bucks.
The room's super-small, but this is Japan.
I went to the restaurant in the lobby cuz I'm too burnt to try and find anything else. This area does not look like there are many shops/restaurants around... it's too near the airport and a few stops from "kokusai dori" (International Street) - the main tourist drag in Naha.
Later, when I return from the Yaeyama Islands, I will check out Kokusai Dori I suppose.
Right now, I am just happy to have eaten something and be able to communicate marginally well. I got some Souki Soba. I didn't know what souki was. Turned out to be pork ribs that were really good, cuz the meat was falling off the bone and could be picked apart easily with chopsticks. The soba was weird - not the usual buckwheat dough, but something that reminded me more of store-bought packaged yakisoba. The consistency was good though - springy and al dente. The Yeayamas are known for having their own special soba, so I will try some when I get there.
It is not too hot, but I was a little heated from carrying my luggage around (although the hotel is literally at the base of the monorail station - almost Disneyland-like). So after my dinner (which included an Okinawan-brewed Orion beer), I decided to try a Goya Aisu. It was a root beer float made with ginger ale and goya flavored ice cream. Goya is some kind of bitter melon I think. I have read that it figures prominently in Okinawan food. The dessert itself was fine, but I was happier that I understood when the waiter came to tell me rather apologetically that the kitchen was busy and it would take time to make it. I asked him how long and he replied, again very apologetically, that it would be about 10 miuntes. I told him that was "Daijoubu" - totally fine, and I don't think it took even that long. But the verbal exchange made me feel great. It's great not only to be understood, but to understand.
That's it for today. Typing is slow because this is a Japanese keyboard. Hopefully, it will post correctly.
Tomorrow I get up early and head for the furthest western point in Japan - so far from Japan's mainland in fact, that on a clear day it is said you can see Taiwan. That island is called Yonaguni. If I am successful there, I am sure there will be a lot to write about. Actually though, I have been unsuccessful in contacting the American from Okinawa who was supposed to arrange my scuba diving there, so I may be landing there without any plan. If that's the case, then I suppose I will REALLY have something to write about, as I will really become dependent on my nihongo skills to get anything done.
That's it for today. I need to sleep so I can be up at the crack of dawn tomorrow.
No pictures yet. I suppose when I return I will put them all up at Kodak, but for now, just words.