Kyushu
June 2012
Thursday &
Friday, June 28 & 29:
You’d think that after all of our traveling, everything
would go so smoothly and we wouldn’t forget anything, especially when we each
have an itemized travel list. As soon as
we got on the plane to Fukuoka,
I realized that I forgot our air cushions.
Fortunately, the aircraft was a Boeing and not an Airbus. The flight was over 9 hours long. It went quite quickly as long as they had a
movie on. They featured two Japanese
movies, with subtitles that were hard to read as the screens were small and not
bright enough..
We quickly went through immigration and customs. We then exchanged our travelers checks into
Yen. The rate is really bad, about 78 Y
to a dollar.
The hotel is quite nice, very near to the train
station. The have a very sophisticated
key system. Apparently, the have a RFID
embedded in the plastic card key. You
need to pass it over a reader to go up in the elevator and just touch the
reader with the key to enter the room.
It sure beats swiping or inserting the card method used at other hotels.
We ate dinner at an old fashioned curry place. It was a bit too sweet for my taste but was
ok. JJ had a Katsu Don bowl. I think she enjoyed the free Rankyo
more. Watching the lady cook was very entertaining.
In addition to forgetting the air cushions, I found that I
also forgot my film canisters to hold my coins.
I do this to separate the many different denominations of Yen coins to
make paying for items easier. Oh well,
back to the right pocket –left pocket system.
Using our home wireless network at the hotel is working out
quite well. I did this as JJ’s Ipad does
not have an Ethernet port. Plus, the
wifi is secured.
Saturday:
I got up at about 4:30 a.m. Japan time. This is great as it is 9:30 a.m. in Hawaii.
We enjoyed a Japanese buffet breakfast at the hotel (Hotel
Green Annex 2). The hotel staff helped
us to forward our suitcases to Kumamoto. We then walked to Post Office to mail a box
to our friends in Kii Katsuura (BTW, what would cost about $50.00+ dollars to
ship from Hawaii cost only about 1100 Yen to ship from Japan) then walked to
the Yanagibashi Rego Market. I thought
it would be a short walk but it took us about ½ hour. Got some dried Ika and caught a cab back so
we could check out on time.
I’m surprised that people talk to me in Japanese. I am obviously dressed like a tourist,
wearing slacks, a pullover type Aloha shirt, and a golf type cap that looks as
though it were made of straw. How you
figgah?
We then caught the Shinkansen to Kumamoto.
We ate lunch soon after arriving, then caught a bus to our hotel. The bus system here is complex. I thought that all busses that pass the
Kumamoto Train station, which is more on the outskirts of the city, would go
through the Bus Center, which is in downtown
Kumumoto. But when we asked which bus we
had to catch to our hotel, the lady said to wait near her and she would tell us
which bus to catch.
They wouldn’t let us check in early so we walked around,
looking for omiyage.
After checking in, I told JJ that it feels that we were here
a long time, instead of only one full day.
It just seems that we’ve done so much.
As I’m writing this, I can see Kumamoto Castle
out the window. It’s such a beautiful
building.
JJ is up at the Onsen.
I’m on my third Asahi. Great
stuff……The Asahi.
We ate dinner at an Izakaya.
Thanks to miscommunication, it came out to only 1330 Yen. Our waiter canceled one of our dishes when we
added a third dish. But, the portions
were so large that only two dishes was enough.
I should have realized we had a communication problem as when we
entered, I asked the waiter if they had an English menu and he replied, “just a
little”.
I am really exhausted right now. It’s 12:26 a.m. in Hawaii
(7:26 p.m. in Japan). Good night.
Sunday:
It looks like rain today.
We got caught in a short squall yesterday but it wasn’t too bad. We ate breakfast at the Hotel. It seemed a little pricey but turned out to
be pretty good. They had a wide variety
of food and the only things that would make it perfect was if they had fresh
brewed coffee by the cup and bacon.
After we got back to our room, JJ tells me that she wants to
a festival in Ukiha but doesn’t know if there is local transportation to the
falls. She tells me that she will check
with the front desk if they have any information. I quickly look up the train schedule in
Hyperdia and see that the ideal train leaves in 40 minutes. So I tell her that if she wants to go, let’s
just take a chance and go. If worse
comes to worse, we can just catch the train back as we have a rail pass.
To save time, we catch a taxi to the JR Station. We catch the Shinkansen to Kurume (oh how I love the speed), then a
local train to Ukiha. We ask the station
agent if there is a bus to the festival.
He tells us that he thinks that the festival is canceled and shows us
the bus schedule. The busses are few and
far between. He tells us that a taxi
will cost about 2500 Yen, one way, and
doesn’t know if they will wait for us. He
tells us that there is a bus terminal close by.
We thank him and decide to just walk around town, then catch the train
back. I told JJ that this is one of the
things I wanted to do in Kyoto. Just catch a train to a small town and
explore it. And, I added that everything
happens for a reason.
We start walking, looking for a place to eat. There are no people walking around, few cars
driving around, and no place open for lunch.
It’s almost like walking through old, Hawi, Kohala, on a Sunday. We see the bus stop that the agent told us
about and ask a driver about the schedule to the falls. He verifies that the buses are few and far
between.
So we again start walking, looking for a place to eat. We come across a store that sells snacks and
beer. We buy a beer for me, juice for JJ
and ask the clerk if I can drink the beer outside, on the bench fronting their
shop. He tells us that I can drink the
beer just around the corner. As his English
is as good as our Japanese, one of his customers explains to us what he is
trying to say.
So we go around the corner, and there is a bar with people
in it. So we’re a little confused as I
did not buy the beer from them so it’s hard just to in and drink my beer. Then the lady who was translating for us
comes in through a door that joins the two places and explains to the lady
behind the counter that we were told to drink my beer there. So as we’re sitting, drinking our cold ones,
two of the guys there tries to start up a conversation. We try but are not too successful. Then the same guy from next door comes in and
explains that we are from Hawaii and his
grandmother was born in Hawaii and moved to Japan. So they all start talking about how we came
to see the festival at the falls and that we couldn’t find transportation. So they start talking about driving us
up. I’m a little leery as I thought one
of the guys drinking was going to take us up.
Turns out that the guy who sold us our drinks owns the place and he is
the one who will take us. We try to say
no as we know that it is really an inconvenience for him and he also has to
watch his store. But the lady tells us
that he would feel really good if we let him take us. How could we say “:no”?
We get into his car and he tells us that it’s about a 20
minute drive. When we reach the falls,
he asks some guys at the festival if anyone speaks English as we came from Hawaii. One guy says that he speaks a little and will
act as our guide. He take us up to the
falls, which is not very big but is really beautiful, and calming. He then takes us to a place where they are
serving local somen, as part of the festival.
We order for us and try and tell him that we would like to order for him
as well as Mr. S-----, the man who graciously brought us there. He tells us no, just order for
ourselves. So we place our order and go
to the place where we are to eat it. We
are seated around a circular basin, with water flowing around. He tells us that when we get the somen
noodles, we are to put it in the swirling water, then pick it up. When the noodles are delivered, the lady
brings some condiments of green onions, wasabi and yuzu paste, that we are to
put in the sauce. Wow, it was delicious. It was the kind of flavor I love. Simple, clean, pure. I was a little worried about Mr. S-----
having to wait for us but did not want to leave any of the somen left over as I
didn’t want them to look down on us……not to mention the fantastic flavors. So I ate it all.
On the drive back to town, he took us through some groves
with grapes and persimmons. At his shop,
he reluctantly gave us his address and said that we don’t have to write him. We declined his offer to drive us back to the
train station. As we walked toward a
tower that I thought was the station, we realized that we had overshot the
little alley that led to it, as I forgot the first rule of walking in a strange
place, take pictures of the intersections so we can find our way back.
We see a little shop that seems open and no one is
there. So I shout “hello”. A grumpy lady yells what we want (I think)
and I tell that we are looking for the JR station. Well, at least she points us in the right
direction. We end up turning before we
were supposed to and end up on the other side of the track and station. So now we have to walk all around until we
come to a roadway that gets us back to the station.
Now I don’t know what the lesson is (remember I said to JJ
that everything happens for a reason), but I am truly awed with the fact that over
the years, two different people in Japan went out of their way to be nice to us,
strangers from another country. How
lucky can we be?
Well, lucky in some ways.
The auto focus on my primary lens, the 16-85 zoom, quit working. It may have something to do with the two
times I dropped my camera with it on when our grandsons and cousin Jean were
visiting us, a few months ago. Oh well, I
used to have to manual focus before.
We went to the same Izakaya for dinner. This time we had fried chicken and fried
Tako. It came to only 1250 Yen, with a
large beer! While sitting, we can see a
sliver of a view of the street. It’s a
really great place to girl people watch.
Many people dress really casually, compared to Osaka
or Kyoto….or
Kii Katsuura for that matter. We see
many in jeans or shorts. Some of the
girls are really tall.
On the way out, we see the cook grilling some chicken wings
and a musubi. Well, we know what’s for
dinner tomorrow night.
The hotel offers a free “happy noodle” at night. In the poster, it looks like Ramen but
unfortunately, we are already sleeping when they start serving. Ah, the beginning burdens of old age.
Monday:
I need to buy some snacks to eat while waiting for JJ to get
up and to have with my Asahi when JJ is at the Onsen upstairs. I’ve been up for several hours, doing my
morning routine of reading the Honolulu Start Advertiser and the Hawaii Trib
on-line and checking emails….and working on my journal.
The weather has been pretty good so far. We were warned of the summer heat and
humidity by I am not bothered by it as it seems to me a lot like Hilo. JJ on the other hand is slightly bothered by
the humidity. I brought walking shorts
but doubt that I’m going to wear them.
They must have heard about my comment regarding fresh brewed
coffee by the cup and bacon. Well, at
least they had the bacon. I think I can
eat there one more time before my taste buds get bored.
We spent the day looking around some covered shopping
arcades. It was an adventure just looking
for a place to eat lunch. We ate Ramen
at a shop that had only one kind, Koteri Ramen.
I thought that the noodles had a poor texture and was a bit salty. The broth however, was good.
We ate dinner at the same Izakaya. This time, we tried the chicken wings and
grilled musubi as well as the grilled tako.
The wings sure looked better last night as we were leaving. They were a delicious looking golden and
crispy looking. Ours tonight was just
brownish/grayish. The musubi was dipped
in a strong shoyu based sauce and was too over seasoned for me. I don’t know if I can handle another meal
there. The food for the most part is
good, well seasoned but same ole, same ole.
Bought some Pistachio Nuts from 7-11. They were quite good so I bought a bigger bag
after dinner. They rival the really
fresh stuff we used to buy at the L.A. Farmers Market.
Tuesday:
The plan today is to get up early so we can catch the train
to Mount Aso.
Even JJ got up at 6:00. I first
got up at 12:00, thinking is was 5:00 a.m. here. After I accidentally woke JJ up with the
noise I was making, she told me what time it was. Oops!
Luckily, I could go back to sleep.
After breakfast, we caught the train to Mt. Aso. On the way there, the train starts reversing
after a stop at a station. While we were
a bit worried, we didn’t panic as the conductor had asked us where we were
headed. After a short while, the train
then proceeds to go back in the same direction.
I t seems as though they had to change tracks.
From the Aso train station, we caught a bus to the top. At first, there was light rain. As we got about half way up, clouds severely
limited visibility. I expected to break
out of the clouds and see bright sunshine at any moment. I even got my camera in movie mode so I could
capture the moment that we broke through.
I could tell we were getting closer as the fare display was getting
closer to 540 Yen, which was the fare to the top. Finally, we reached the summit and all we saw
was fog!
So we did a little shopping, ate a snack, and caught the bus
down. We decided to salvage the day by
stopping at Musashizuka train station and walk to the Musashizuka Park. JJ got the directions from Trip Advisor and
boy was the directions off. Good thing
we stopped and asked for directions as we weren’t too far off course yet.
The park was very tranquil, although I could feel the hair
on my neck rise when we were on the outside, just before entering the
park. After walking around, we stopped
by a little souvenir shop and restaurant.
They didn’t have an English menu and a Japanese couple was trying to
interpret for us. We ended up getting
what they were eating, a “Musashi Udon”.
It was pretty good but JJ’s highlight was eating two blueberry yogurt
cones.
JJ is at the Onsen as I write this. I’m now on my third Asahi. We ate a very late lunch so we may just skip
dinner and eat some peaches that we bought yesterday. And maybe an Asahi or two….or three.
We skipped dinner and instead ate the fresh peaches that JJ
bought. Even with Kosher salt on it, it
was too sweet and juicy for me. JJ
Enjoyed it, though. For some reason, I
wasn’t sleepy. As I’m getting ready for
bed at about 9:15, JJ tells me that I might as well stay up and try the
“Singing Noodles” that the offers hotel offers free to their guests from 9:30
to 11:00 pm. It was the best Ramen that
I’ve eaten in Japan. The noodles were cooked perfectly and were
tasty. If I were a night owl, I’d go
back just before they close. I asked JJ
to wake me up tomorrow night if I’m sleeping.
Wednesday:
I got up at my usual time of about 3:30 a.m. Listened to my audio book for 3 ea., ½ hour
increments. Finally decided to just get
up.
We plan to catch the train to Shimonoseki,
which is in Honshu. It was a little tricky planning it on
Hyperdia but I’m pretty confident that I got it right, the reason being that
our rail pass is only good for Kyushu.
There are thunderstorms today. Hope the weather is better up north.
I thought I had the train system all figured out, using
Hyperdia. Unfortunately, I forgot to
check out the red print on the rules governing the rail pass. It expressly forbids the use of it for the
Shinkansen between Hakata and Kokura. So
we ended up paying about 4000 Yen more for the two of us.
The real bummer was that the market that JJ wanted to go to
was closed today. They are normally open
7 days a week. We ended up shopping at a
market close by that also featured products by the area vendors. Overall, we much prefer to shop at Nishiki
Market in Kyoto.
This is the first time that I’ve met an uncaring taxi driver
in Japan. When we got to the market, it obviously
looked closed but he just wanted to get on his way. At first, I thought that he had dropped us
off at the wrong place. We had to walk
in the rain to the other market so it was a good thing that we had our rain
gear (UH logo, of course).
All the restaurants featured either Fugu or Shrimp. I was a bit disappointed as I really wanted
to eat crab. We ended up skipping lunch.
JJ decided to make another round of shopping. I guess after all of the hassles in getting
there, she was determined to buy something.
I decided to sit, wait and listen to my book. After more than an hour, I figured that
something was wrong so I decided to go look for her. I see her at the next “alley” down, looking
around. When I get there, she asked me
where I was. I told her, “waiting for
you, where we agreed to meet”. She was
waiting at the wrong place! Well,
everything happens for a reason, but I wonder what the reason was?
After we got back, we went to the underground plaza that JJ
heard about. We were surprised at the
quantity and quality and low prices of the food there, as well as the size of
the complex, all under the Kotsu Bus Terminal.
We bought fresh fruits and a quick lunch. The grapes are so huge. They even seem to have a wine like
flavor, including the alcohol.
Time is really flying.
Hard to believe that we’ll be leaving in 3 days. So far, it’s been ok but not as good as our
trips to Kii Katsuura, Kyoto and Osaka. Given a choice, I’d rather pay more for airfare
and fly to the Kansai area. I really
don’t care to return to either Kyushu or
Hokaido.
I decided to take a nap at 6:30 p.m. while JJ is at the
Onsen. She woke me up at about 9:30 and we
went downstairs to eat “Singing (I call it Happy) Noodles” again. It is very aptly named as when you leave,
there is a big smile on your face!
Thursday:
Amazingly, I managed to get back to sleep after eating the
Singing Noodles. Got up at my usual 5:30
a.m.
A couple of nights ago, I dreamt of my father. The interesting thing is that for that
moment, I felt so young, not like the old man I’m now. Aren’t dreams wonderful?
This is our last full day in Kumamoto.
The plan was to get an all day bus pass and go to Shimada Museum
where they have Musashi artifacts. When
we got there, the museum was closed as they were changing the exhibit. Very disappointing. We wonder, if the backbone of the museum is
Musashi, why would they close down the whole museum to change the exhibit. I’m sure that the Musashi portion is always
the same.
So we caught the bus back to Kumamoto
Castle and went to a place that
replicated the streets of the Edo period. We found quite a few things to buy there. We caught
the Kumamoto Castle Loop Bus to go to the Castle itself. It turns out that the bus was on a return
trip. So we figure, oh well, it’ll just
take us longer. Ha! When it reaches the Kumamoto Train Station,
the driver tells us that it’s the end of the line and we have to get out. Loop? How you figgah?
My summary of this trip is that meeting Mr. S---- and
going to the Matsuri at the falls was the highlight. Everything else is pretty much a
disappointment, primarily because this island is not tourist friendly. Even having a bus route map in English would
be a BIG, BIG improvement. The food too,
for the most part, has been disappointing.
I even bought some sashimi at a market today and it was so bad, I didn’t
even finish it.
It would take a miracle for me to come back here.
Tomorrow, we hope to redo Mt. Aso,
weather permitting.
Friday:
After breakfast, I checked with the front desk on the
weather at Mt. Aso.
I was told that its rainy. At
first I had my doubts as to the accuracy as there were spots of blue that I
could see. However, when I checked my
compass so I could look in the general vicinity of Aso, it was indeed overcast.
So we decided to go to Kumamoto Castle. As soon as we got there, it started raining
so we had to wait it out.
The ambience of the Castle is much better than the last time
we saw it. They have Samurai and Ninja
in costume. Some of them are really
animated and they are all very friendly.
One of them even had a grandmother who came from Hawaii.
This is the second person this trip who told us that. How you figgah?
Oh, and all of the Samurai were “Endo Samurai”. One time, Laura (Judy's mom) was bragging to me that the
Endo’s (her family) were Samurai. So I
told her that I didn’t know that there was such a thing as “Midget Samurai” (as
everyone in her family is small). She
didn’t think it was funny. HYF?
We ate lunch at the train station and it was really
good. JJ said that it was the best meal
of the trip because of the Shave Ice that she had for dessert.
After a fast trip on the Shinkansen, oh how I love that
speed, we managed to check in early at our hotel. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get the internet to
work. We ended up changing rooms but
this room is substantially smaller that the first one. And, the air conditioning is not as
cold. But, as far as I’m concerned, it’s
worth it. It’s a good thing we forwarded
our big luggage directly to the airport.
We have only one small carry-on and we can’t find a place to keep it out
of the way.
We ate an early dinner at the JR station. The prices of the food was really
reasonable. But, like most Japanese
Steaks, the meat is so rich due to the marbling and my taste buds get
overwhelmed. Another thing is that they
give a dipping sauce but do not season the meat with salt, so the flavor is not
as satisfying.
While logging in our expenses, I noticed a charge from the
Dormy Inn. I remember JJ paying for it
when we checked in so we double checked it.
We were charged an extra 3980 Yen for something, we don’t know what. Hopefully we can clear this up with
Japanican,the website that JJ booked our room through. Good lesson though, Check charges before you
leave.
Speaking of which, we learned another thing too late. In Kumamoto,
we were catching a cab to the train station to save time. Today, we found out that the bus to the train
station was so close to us and the waits are pretty short. We could have saved at least 3000 Yen by catching the bus. Between that and the unknown charge at the
Dormy Inn, it’s almost $100.00 U.S.
I was telling JJ over dinner that this trip is not really
satisfying for me because I don’t have a sense of accomplishment. I am as ignorant about getting around in Kumamoto as the day we
got there. What’s interesting about this
is that I HATE SCHOOL, which is where we are supposed to learn things. How you figgah? I guess I love to learn but not from
others. Must be the genes, huh?
JJ figured out what the charge was for. We got charged twice for forwarding our
baggage as I paid cash for the service.
Good thing I got a receipt.
Interesting observations:
- There are a lot of BIG PEOPLE here in Kyushu. More than any other place we’ve seen in Japan. Must be because of the port that allowed foreigners from Europe, China, Korea, etc.
- We were warned about the heat and humidity during the summer months in Japan. But, I find both conditions tolerable. Funny thing is, although neither the heat nor the humidity bothers me, I sweat like a pig…do pigs sweat? Anyway, I do sweat a lot when we’re outside walking, especially climbing stairs, but I do not feel uncomfortable. Maybe the bald head helps to dissipate the heat.
- Lack of English Maps, menus, etc. You would think that sister city pacts would benefit each other by making it easier for each city’s members to visit each other. And using each other’s resources to interpret maps, directions to key tourist areas and places, etc. Too simple? Why is it that no one has thought of this? The reason is probably that when our elected officials visit their Sister City, they do not have to get around on their own. They are ferried around as the VIP’s that they are. They simply cannot relate to problems their constituents face when traveling. HYF?
Saturday:
Today is our last day in Japan. How quickly the time has gone by. The plan is to go to the Asahi Beer Factory,
then to Minishima Market Street
(aka the kitchen of Fukuoka),
then to Yanagibashi Market where we found dried Ika when we first got here.
When we got to the Asahi factory, we found out that we would
have to wait about 3 hours for a tour.
We don’t really know whether it was that’s when an English tour would
begin or because the earlier tours were fully booked. As JJ said, three strikes and it’s really the
last trip to Fukuoka.
We did a combination of taxi, bus and walking to finish up
our errands. Had a pretty decent lunch
at the train station. We got to the
airport extra early as we had nothing else to do. We will have about a 5 hour wait. It’s not too bad as hopefully, the last 3
hours will be in the A.N.A. lounge.
My summary of this trip is it was not as good as our best
guided tours, but better or equal to than any other guided tour that we’ve been
on. However, if I include a cost factor,
it’s better than any guided tour that we have been on.
If this were the first trip to Japan on our own, we’d probably
never do it again. It’s fortunate that
we know better.
The lounge here at Fukuoka
Airport is almost as bad as the one in
Hawaii. At least they have beer. But no food.
The food on the plane is going to taste very good. Or we may end up eating some of the Omiyage that
JJ bought.
Until our next trip.
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