Photos of down South

Caught a flight with my temp flatmate to Miyazaki - SouthEast of Kyushu, Japan 2 weeks ago, and rented a car driving to Aoshima island...although the weather was HOT, burning through my slippers and all, we saw the horizontal rocks with little craters on them, formed by volcanic lava whatever you want to call it. I actually thought they were fake man-made cement stuff at first.

Drove the coastal Phoenix and Horikiri Pass...almost looked like some sort of place in America with the white souvenir shops and palm trees, blue skies...along to Nichinan.

Returned the car, caught a train to Kagoshima. It was prob more than a 3 hr train ride...I napped away happily with the occasional sleepy glance at the scenery through the train window. Then suddenly, my flatmate went "SHIT!"

I awoke with a start, and we realized that our last ferry is at 4 pm leaving Kagoshima port to Yakushima, and not 6.45 pm (the latter being the ARRIVAL time in Yakushima). Well, since we have missed it, we might as well enjoy Kagoshima and take the first ferry the next day instead.

YAKUSHIMA
One word - Awesome!

The skies so clear, the locals are so nice (i.e., our minshuku Habu-san made us tea and send us coffee in the morning despite us not having that need)... ahhhh we have the whole minshuku to ourselves since no one else were there. The local eatery (Hiro) which we somehow found, hidden in some corner serves the best Ikan Bakar I have ever eaten...

The cedar forest (Mononoke (?)) was so mossy and green, with creeks and waterfalls, wild deers and monkeys in families as well....we took the baby trek being 3 hr return, and I havent's sweat so much in the past month until now...

The beaches were so gorgeous!! Yups. In Japan. The water is so clear and the bead-like sand glistens in the sun....no wonder the turtles find Yakushima one of their spots to lay eggs. Too bad we didn't have more time on this fantastic island though.

Yakushima being the climax of our trip, the rest of it (driving north of Kagoshima to Takachiho Gorge) was kinda like... yeah.. whatever... hehehe. Dropped by at Marc Chagall cafe in Yufuin, drove round Beppu and Oita....Somehow, Yufuin, Beppu and Oita weren't as beautiful as when I visited them last year during fall with MdM and Nancy.

All in all, the highlight of the trip down South is definitely Yakushima.. HIGHLY recommended.

Peace out.

The continuation of my trip 2 weekends ago...

En route to MATSUE (the highlights) –

The coastal drive passing through many fishing villages, seeing the community gathered for BBQs, the waiting of the sunset in our rented car with MdM. Our sunset watch ended with both of us being interviewed by “Japanese media” with questions as below:

Q1: “Where are you from?”
A1: “New Zealand”

Q2: “What do you think of the sunset?”
A2: “It’s very beautiful. I have never seen something like that before”

Q3: “Would you come back again?”
A3: “Probably. If I have the time.”

Q4: “Why would you want to come back again?”
A4: “Cause erm...it is very beautiful??... erm.. yeah... it’s fantastic.”


HIROSHIMA (the highlights) –

Stopping the car with the intention to U-turn in order to find some accommodation back from where we drove from. However, we realised there was a dodgy hotel just next to where we have just stopped our car. Asked the rate, checked in, and crashed to bed.

The next morning, MdM and I drove round the Peace Memorial Park at least 3 times trying to find a park.

Round 1 – Here are some carparks.. but let’s see whether there are others.

Round 2 – Ok, I think these are the nearest carparks near the Peace Memorial...100 Yen for 20 mins? Let’s see whether they have cheaper ones further down...There’s no more la... I think they are all 100 yen.... (and just as MdM signalled and wanting to make a right turn into the last 100 Yen carpark along the road.... I yelled: “It’s 100 Yen for 15 mins! Previously was 100 Yen for 20 mins!”).....MdM stopped immediately from turning, and instead, head for our third round the block.

Round 3 – Parked our car in a 100 yen for 20 mins park. Didn’t really know how to work the parking machine... whatever.


SAYOCHI - the search for the sunflowers begins (the highlights) –

How to set the GPS? Hmmm dunno...as we try fiddling around to get onto the IC roads heading towards Okayama, then to Sayochi to find these infamous sunflower fields...

1 hr later, we were FINALLY on the IC roads. Reached Okayama, and changed into a country road to Sayochi....followed trucks after trucks in daytime traffic....Gawd....it was a long ride but at least I was the passenger. ThanX M for driving!

We finally reached Sayochi, asked for directions to the sunflower fields... after 3 tries; we got the accurate directions from the petrol station dudes whom laughed at us.... we wondered why....upon arriving to the fields, we realised why...there were no sunflowers in bloom!!! We were one week early, and only the buds stared at us in their closed, almost mocking faces.

Oh well....the buds were cute anyway. Self-comfort with vivid imagination of the beautiful countryside filled with sunflowers...I have no doubt it would be amazing.

my NEW hair!

I have always wanted to cut my hair before I go back to NZ. The other day, I was walking past this hair school whereby people can get their hair cut for JPY700 (approx. NZ$8.65) by students.

Since I am in my last leg residing in Japan, and traveling quite a bit, I am tight in money and decided it is a good try. I mean how hard is cutting fringes right?

As i entered into the school with a friend (HH), 18 students and 3 senseis crowded around us, eager to chop our hair into pieces as they experiment and learn on us guinea pigs. As we signed away the "liability/disclaimer" forms, me and HH sold our hair to them.

Firstly - shampoo...turned out as a "not so good" standard (and by that I mean Japanese standard which is very high in the service industry).

Secondly - he sat me down in my seat, dropped his comb.. uh...ok...by now, I wasn't sure whether I should jus flee when I still have the chance.. but my trainee hairdresser gave me his 19 year old look, and I said, heck, hair can be sacrificed.. his experience is worth more... (man, felt so self-sacrificial). However, I couldn't help noticing that the "customers" there were mostly old ladies going for a trim.

Thirdly - HH and I tried to communicate in our broken Japanese and our respective trainees' broken English to indicate what hairstyle we want...Fortunately, I brought a pic of Nelly Furtado in her "Say it Right" videoclip and merely pointed at her fringe.

Fourthly - the scissors went snipping. Half an hour later, some fringes appeared on me, and he started blowdrying my hair which took like 1 and 1/2 hours...and something went into my eye and I started tear-ing. He got nervous and kept asking whether I was all right, and rushed for the tissue box.

Anyway, I parted with my JPY700 happily and even took a pic with my hairdresser. As HH and I leave the place, all the students and the senseis bowed at us, walked us to the door and shook our hands, and bow some more.

All in all, I didn't manage to look like a sexy Canadian Nelly, but turned very Jap doll instead. Who am I to kid with my Asian features huh? :)

Tottori Beach Party & the Coastal Dr.

What a fantastic weekend it was!

Friday night, we rented a car with MdM driving us (us being LC, MM, me and T) to Tottori.

We reached there near midnight, chucked the guys and LC on the beach while me and MdM checked into our Golf Course Lodge.. whoppie!! It was such a spacious lodge with air-cond, CLEAN TOILET and BATH (emphasis added). Mind you, when I saw the toilet by the beach, I was kinda glad I took the lodge instead of doing the whole beach party real deal by camping on the beach itself for the weekend.

Met some Japanese dudes, Americans, Jamaicans, Aussies and best of all, Kiwis! Basically, I would say it is a gaijin party. The music was good, atmosphere was great for dancing....and when we sat by the wooden "balcony" area overlooking the beach, the 1/4 moon with the islands' silhouette, the flickering of candles on the beach, the breeze, the people, the laughter....man, I felt so relaxed just sitting there.

RC, one of the Kiwi dude I met lived a few streets away from me in Christchurch, near Captain Ben's. And the most surprising thing I've heard that weekend was "nyamuk" coming out from his mouth when I talked about mosquitoes...as I then found out that he does have some link to/in Malaysia, specifically Kuching. Wow. Talk about the world being small. Of all places, we met in Tottori, Japan!

The other highlight in Tottori was the coastal drive MdM, me, MM, T and R took on Saturday. I have to say, every coast has its own unique beauty despite it being "just another coastal drive"....We found a secluded "cove" and went dipping into the clear torquoise water. MM and R had a great time jumping off rocks into the water, while I made it exceptionally clear that no one is to flick sea water into my eyes while I went for a quick dip. Hehe.. contact lenses.

MdM sat there enjoying the sun and looking pretty.
T just stayed in the shade in his pretty pink shirt and hat. Very British indeed.

Anyway, the beach party ended on Sunday morning. Then it was just me and MdM taking a slow drive back to Osaka, BUT FIRST, to Matsue where MdM and I were interviewed by the Japanese media, Hiroshima to see some piece of history, and Sayochi for the search of the sunflowers. I will post those the next time. Adios!