Kirishima
05 Nov 2005
Our Dutch visitors have just left, but there is no time to rest. The first weekend in November is a long weekend, due to "culture day". We're happy, it gives us another chance to explore Kyushu.
First we visit the Preustings, catch up on the latest news. When we wake up the next morning, it is raining cats and dogs. But, we're positive, all the rain that falls now, will not fall later...
We loaded everybody in the cars, heading outside the city for a walk. On the way we stop to buy food. When we get to our destination, it actually stopped raining. We go for a nice walk along a river in a gorge. We even find a dry spot for our picknick. Afterwards the Preustings head home and we travel on to Kirishima.
Except for a big shrine, there's not much to do in Kirishima. Visitors come for the hot baths or Kirishima National Park, an impressive vulcano landscape. Fall has started and the forrests have great colors.
We adapted a two day hike, mentioned in the Lonely Planet Hiking Guide, to fit our needs. We didn't feel like camping and rather sleep in a hotel. The landscape is very rugged and changing. The walk is great, but also difficult. We do feel that we're getting older...
The choices of restaurants is very limited, we found only one that was open. They are very frinedly, and find our struggle with the menu very hilarious. But, we're not doing bad, what we get served is exactly what we ordered.
We're back in the hotel, it is still early. The idea was to read for a while, but the futon (Japanese bed) is winking at us, and before long we're asleep.
The next day it is not too bad with the muscle ache. It's another beautiful day, no sweater needed, a t-shirt will be enough. The hike starts with a tough climb. Carlos is walking very carefully over the middle of the path, with his vertigo, this is not a path he favours. Lenette has her tongue hanging on her shoes, climbing is not her strong suit.
But again, the views are stunning and worth the pain. We want to continue going down from the opposite site of the crater. A Japanese lady tells is that side is "no good". We don't understand why that side wouldn't be good. Whenever there is a dangerous situation, the Japanese are very fast in closing roads and walking trails, and it didn't look like that. She keeps insisting that is is no good, and asks us to wait. After a few minutes she comes back with two other hikers. They explain that it is a long walk if you continue down that path. When we explain that we have done a 7 hour walk yesterday, they agree that is it okay for us to go down that path. We continue and are treated on great vistas and changing landscapes.
The hike ends about 20 km outside the village we stay overnight. Since we'd just hiked 7 hours, we intend to arrange a taxi to drive us back to the hotel. On the parking lot, there is a phone booth. This is handy, since our mobile phones have no signal here. Armed with the phone book, we flag a passing car. A friendly couple, who absolutely don't speak one word of English. With hands and feet we explain what we want. They understand but for some reason don't find the necessary information in the phone book. They offer to drive us back to the hotel. That is very friendly, especially since they came from that direction and it means that they have to drive back...
First we visit the Preustings, catch up on the latest news. When we wake up the next morning, it is raining cats and dogs. But, we're positive, all the rain that falls now, will not fall later...
We loaded everybody in the cars, heading outside the city for a walk. On the way we stop to buy food. When we get to our destination, it actually stopped raining. We go for a nice walk along a river in a gorge. We even find a dry spot for our picknick. Afterwards the Preustings head home and we travel on to Kirishima.
Except for a big shrine, there's not much to do in Kirishima. Visitors come for the hot baths or Kirishima National Park, an impressive vulcano landscape. Fall has started and the forrests have great colors.
We adapted a two day hike, mentioned in the Lonely Planet Hiking Guide, to fit our needs. We didn't feel like camping and rather sleep in a hotel. The landscape is very rugged and changing. The walk is great, but also difficult. We do feel that we're getting older...
The choices of restaurants is very limited, we found only one that was open. They are very frinedly, and find our struggle with the menu very hilarious. But, we're not doing bad, what we get served is exactly what we ordered.
We're back in the hotel, it is still early. The idea was to read for a while, but the futon (Japanese bed) is winking at us, and before long we're asleep.
The next day it is not too bad with the muscle ache. It's another beautiful day, no sweater needed, a t-shirt will be enough. The hike starts with a tough climb. Carlos is walking very carefully over the middle of the path, with his vertigo, this is not a path he favours. Lenette has her tongue hanging on her shoes, climbing is not her strong suit.
But again, the views are stunning and worth the pain. We want to continue going down from the opposite site of the crater. A Japanese lady tells is that side is "no good". We don't understand why that side wouldn't be good. Whenever there is a dangerous situation, the Japanese are very fast in closing roads and walking trails, and it didn't look like that. She keeps insisting that is is no good, and asks us to wait. After a few minutes she comes back with two other hikers. They explain that it is a long walk if you continue down that path. When we explain that we have done a 7 hour walk yesterday, they agree that is it okay for us to go down that path. We continue and are treated on great vistas and changing landscapes.
The hike ends about 20 km outside the village we stay overnight. Since we'd just hiked 7 hours, we intend to arrange a taxi to drive us back to the hotel. On the parking lot, there is a phone booth. This is handy, since our mobile phones have no signal here. Armed with the phone book, we flag a passing car. A friendly couple, who absolutely don't speak one word of English. With hands and feet we explain what we want. They understand but for some reason don't find the necessary information in the phone book. They offer to drive us back to the hotel. That is very friendly, especially since they came from that direction and it means that they have to drive back...