As soon as you start down the eastern coast, the greenery increases and habitation drops to almost nothing. There's also little traffic, too, making this road ideal for cycling... if you can handle the hills, and if you're prepared for bike maintenance problems (and you are, aren't you?). There are long stretches with little to no sign of human habitation, so by all means make sure you're able to fix the bike and keep on going.

Wherever you go on Okinawa, you'll see the distinctive Okinawan turtle-shaped graves like the one in the center of this photo, as well as the more compact style to the left. On my previous visits to Okinawa, I remember seeing a lot more of the former, and wondered if the style had changed. Not so, says an Okinawan friend: there have always been two types: the larger turtle-shaped ones were traditionally for those of higher status, and the smaller ones were for regular folk.