Last summer we discovered that Jessica DOES NOT like to hike. Since then, I've been making her walk herself up and down the hill to and from the bus stop to get her legs ready for some hiking. (It also means that I have to walk my self up and down that hill twice a day.) When we first discussed going for a hike, she said she hated hiking. So instead, we told her we were going for a walk to see a waterfall. And to some extent, I wasn't lying.
The trail is "improved" with most of it being stairs of some sort or another. There are rock stairs, and there are wood staircases, and then there are barrier stairs, where they have laid a piece of wood and built the dirt up behind it to form the stair. There's also a good deal of paved or wood plank path and a bit of well worn dirt path. But mostly stairs. Jason and I were "feeling the burn" for a couple of days.
But Jessica was a little trooper, and she said she had a good time. After the "walk" was all over, Jason told her that we call those kinds of walks Hikes. We hope she'll enjoy more hikes in the future. Cassie, of course, loved the whole thing.Many of the pictures that I took didn't turn out the way that I wanted. Just as we were getting to the falls, it started to rain on us, and I was hesitant to take the camera out much. So here are a few pictures, and I guess we'll have to take another hike to Hiji Falls in the future so I can show you the beautiful greenery along the trail.
This is a little fall right at the beginning of the hike. It was nice, because it got the kids' attention before they started to get bored.
Jason carried Carston in the kid pack.
Carston really wanted to get down and walk, but he would've taken forever on the stairs.Along the path:
The Falls:
Cassie and Jessie up ahead on the way back. The trail wasn't all up and then all down- there were steps up and steps down along the path to the falls and back.
When we got back to the paved path where the steps end, we let Carston down to join his sisters. He ran until he caught up with them, and they all walked back hand in hand. I love these kids. They really are so happy to be together. The best part of being here in Okinawa has been the friendship that has developed between the three of them.
Cassie and Jessie up ahead on the way back. The trail wasn't all up and then all down- there were steps up and steps down along the path to the falls and back. 
When we got back to the paved path where the steps end, we let Carston down to join his sisters. He ran until he caught up with them, and they all walked back hand in hand. I love these kids. They really are so happy to be together. The best part of being here in Okinawa has been the friendship that has developed between the three of them.