Another Kyushu self - driven - adventure.
Do you dare to try this like us,
vetured their highways self-driven on their cars over in
Kysuhu.
What MCE,SLE,KPE,TPE,ECP,CTE,SLE,KJE.
http://travelwithnewshan.blogspot.sg/2012/02/my-kyushu-self-drive-adventure.html
My Kyushu Self-Drive Adventure
>> 06 FEBRUARY 2012
When tourists
think of holidaying in Japan, they usually think of Honshu (Tokyo,
Osaka, Kyoto etc.), and Hokkaido. Few people would have heard of
Kyushu, let alone consider Kyushu. In recent times, I have heard so
much of Kyushu being an “Undiscovered Gem”. People who had been
there highly recommended Kyushu as a holiday destination and
regaled me with exciting adventures of self-drive trips. Therefore,
when the invitation came to embark on a self-drive trip to Kyushu,
I grabbed it with both hands.
Day 1. On 14 December 2011, I landed at
Fukuoka Airport at 11.35am. There, we were welcomed by our guides
and tourism authority officials. We were led to our three rented
cars. I was assigned a Toyota Wish for the first day. The friendly
rental company staff explained to us how to use the GPS set. All
the driver had to do was to key in either the map code or the phone
number of the destination. Our first stop was Beppu, a two-hour
drive away. Beppu is famous for its onsens.
We
visited Beppu
Umijigoku (“Beppu Hells”). You will see spectacular
hot springs that are more for viewing than for bathing, because the
water is boiling hot. Each hot spring has its peculiar features and
names, such as “Sea Hell” and “Blood Hell”. The latter is the most
visually arresting and scary, because the minerals in the water
make the water red.
Red hot springs at Beppu Hells
Day 2.
After a sumptuous breakfast of grilled salmon, mackerel, and an
assortment of fresh grilled fishes, we lined up the cars for a
photo shoot. My car on the first day, Toyota Wish, was the one on
the left. However, we were supposed to change cars and passengers
every day so that every driver could experience different cars and
there would be more interaction amongst different people, so I was
assigned the car on the extreme right.
Breakfast of fishes
Car rental for self-drive First stop of the day
was Kokonoe “Yume”
Suspension Bridge. At 390m long and 173m high, it is the
largest pedestrian suspension bridge in Japan. It hangs 777m above
sea level across the Kyusui Ravine. The bridge offers spectacular
views of the Shindo Falls, comprising o-daki (“male”) and me-daki
(“female”) waterfalls, of which the former has been chosen as one
of Japan’s top 100 waterfalls.
It was very windy when I crossed the
bridge. The bridge swayed a little, but it was built this way to
counter the windy conditions and it felt reliable and solid. With
the winds, it felt like below-zero temperature. Luckily, there were
friendly vending machines waiting at the both ends of the bridge,
where I bought a can of warm Pokka sweet red bean
drink!
Today’s drive
was especially therapeutic. We drove on the Yamanami Highway, a
scenic route that connects Aso with Beppu. The roads were very
wide. I felt like I was driving across continental Australia. On
the way to Mt. Aso, we enjoyed sweeping views of rolling hills,
great plains, snowy mountains, and the occasional deers and cows.
One important stop was the Daikanbo Peak. It is situated
on the caldera rim of the north of Aso Caldera. It is a vantage
point to look out to the Aso Valley, the Aso Five-Peaks, and all
the northern rims of Aso Caldera. The Aso Five-Peaks resembles a
sleeping Buddha and is admired by many.
The awesome views at Daikanbo Peak
Next
stop, El Rancho
Grande. It is a Western-style horse-riding ground where
you can rent a horse for 20 minutes or more for a ride around the
surrounding fields. I counted five horses on standby, of which some
were white and some were brown. All were very handsome horses. I
was assigned a white one, albeit the oldest among them. Two
Japanese cowboys taught us how to mount and control the horse. It
was all too easy: a soft foot-tap on the horse’s belly would be to
tell the horse to move forward; a left tug of the leash would be to
turn left, and a soft pulling back of the leash would be to slow
down or stop. The two cowboys led us on a ride of the countryside
and we admired the farms and nature. Initially, the horse was not
used to my riding style. After a while, we gelled! I felt like I
could gallop down the fields like a champion
jockey.
A handsome horse at El Rancho Grande
Enjoying the horse ride
We hit the Yamanami Highway again to set off
for Mt.
Aso crater. To get to the smoking crater of Nakadake,
one has to take the Mt. Aso Ropeway to the top. Nakadake is an
active crater with turquoise-green water at 60 degrees Celsius at
times of moderate activity. The water turns grey as its temperature
rises. I saw many emergency shelters made of solid rock, and they
served to protect visitors from the volcanic rocks that might
suddenly fly out from the crater during unexpected volcanic
activity. There were many sensors and alarms installed around the
crater to warn visitors of an increase in volcanic activity. The
area was filled with sulphuric fumes and the crater lake was
incessantly bubbling.
Mt Aso Ropeway
Active Nakadake crater lake
The ‘Mysterious
Road’ phenomenon does not only appear in known places
such as Korea and Shenyang. It also appeared along the Yamanami
Highway! As I was driving, the tour guide suddenly told me to stop
the car and asked me if I could detect a phenomenon. To my
surprise, our vehicle appeared to climb uphill in the neutral gear!
Drivers of many vehicles around ours were also testing out the
phenomenon. If you were to be on the opposite side, your vehicle
would apparently be rolling backwards even though the down slope
was in front of you! Mysterious indeed.
At nightfall, we arrived at Kumamoto City, a beautiful city known
for its Kumamoto
Castle. After returning our car at the rental shop, we
took a tram to our dinner place, which offered a fantastic view of
Kumamoto Castle. Kumamoto Castle is a major landmark of
Kumamoto City, and is regarded as one of the most impressive
castles in Japan, together with the white-walled Hijemi Castle and
the black-walled Matsumoto Castle. In addition, Kumamoto Castle is
considered a most impregnable fortress even until today. Its main
defensive features include very high stone walls with wooden
overhangs (originally designed as protection against the ninja),
and a wide moat. There are many escape passageways within the
castle. At night, the castle is illuminated and the view
breathtaking.
Kumamoto Castle
Day 3. We drove our cars to Kumamoto Port
to take an express
ferry to Shimabara Port enroute to Nagasaki. We drove
into the ferry, parked and went onto the ferry deck to feed the
seagulls! It was an exhilarating experience. You hold up the bread
crumbs, and the nearest or fastest seagull would grab the crumbs
within the next few seconds without hurting your fingers! I was
hesitant of being bitten initially, but after seeing my fellow
traveller use his lips to hold the crumbs up and a seagull swooping
in for the kill with nary any injury, my fear dissipated. The view
of Shimabara Bay was fantastic. We reached the opposite shore in
half an hour, and drove off the ferry.
Driving
into the ferry at Kumamoto Port
Feeding
seagulls on the ferry deck
We
drove up the mountain to Nita Pass (1,080m above
sea level), where we took a ropeway to the summit of Mt. Myoken. On
a clear day, one can enjoy a commanding view of Shimabara Peninsula
and Bay. However, it was snowing that day and the summit was
fogged. At the Nita Pass, we could see the lava dome of Heisei
Shinzan. It had been newly created in 1990 when Mt. Fugen
erupted.
Nita Pass
Summit of Mt. Myoken
Next stop was Unzen Hell. There were many
pools of bubbling springs dotted around the area, and the whole
area was covered with white clay. The white clay is called
‘solfataric clay’. The clay had been altered and decolourised by
fumarolic gas, hot spring heat and acidic water. The energy source
is assumed to be the magma reservoir under the seabed of the
Tachibana Bay. The highest temperature of the fumarolic gas, blown
out with hissing noises, can be 120°C. White and light yellow sinter
deposits were attached on the ground around the fumaroles. We
bought hard-boiled eggs cooked by the bubbling water and ate them
with a dash of salt. More delicious than
usual!
Unzen Hell
We drove on to Nagasaki.
Nagasaki, capital of Nagasaki Prefecture and the
fifth largest city in Kyushu, is an important port city with more
than four centuries of history. It prospered as Japan’s sole
“window” to Western culture during its 300 years of national
isolation. Nagasaki has thriving shipbuilding and fisheries
industries and is especially noted for its marine products, such as
cultured pearls, tortoiseshell and coral works. To the world, it
was also known the second city in Japan, after Hiroshima, to
experience an atomic explosion during the Second World
War.
We
headed for the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb
Museum and Peace
Park. The
Atomic Bomb Museum was built to show the world the horror of the
1945 atomic bombing of Nagasaki and the need to eliminate all
nuclear weapons. The Peace Statue in the Peace Park was constructed
in 1955 by donations from all over the world, and is highly
symbolic. The right hand pointing skyward warns about the threat of
the atomic bomb. The left hand stretching out horizontally
symbolizes world peace. The gently-closed eyes represent a prayer
for the repose of the souls of all atomic bomb victims. At the
Hypocenter Park, a memorial monolith marks the exact spot below the
center of the atomic bomb explosion, which occurred at 11.02am,
August 9, 1945. Looking at the exhibits, I could not help but felt
stunned by the horrific nature of wars and was deeply saddened by
the plight of the innocent victims.
Pictures showing the horrors of an atomic
explosion
The right hand pointing skyward warns about the threat of the
atomic bomb. The left hand stretching out horizontally symbolizes
world peace. The gently-closed eyes represent a prayer for the
repose of the souls of all atomic bomb victims.
Next, we headed for Mt. Inasa to enjoy the
night view of Nagasaki City, the spot proclaimed to be “One of the
top three night views of Japan”. We took the Nagasaki Ropeway, an
all-transparent gondola, to the summit of Mt. Inasa (333m above
ground). The journey up was spectacular. The sweeping views from
Mt. Inasa Lookout were even better. I could see why it lived up to
its name; the amazing glittering lights of Nagasaki City that is
situated on undulating mountain slopes. At the Lookout, you would
see many triangles lit up on the ground, and amongst the hundreds
of triangles, there was a love-shaped symbol. According to a
popular saying, one would find love if one could find the symbol. I
found it in 3 minutes. A good sign indeed!
Night view of Nagasaki atop Mt. Inasa
Day 4. After breakfast, we headed back to
Fukuoka. It was going to be a two-hour drive. Our first stop
was Dazaifu
Tenman-gu Shrine. Dazaifu Tenman-gu Shrine enshrines
Sugawara Michizane (845-903) as the god of academic achievement.
Before the entrance examination each year, young people from all
parts of Japan come to the shrine to pray for success in the
examination. The approach to the shrine is lined with teahouses
selling 'umegae-mochi,' a local specialty rice-cake that is
believed to ward off illness. There are many shops selling food. We
went to a particular shop famous for its red bean desserts and
mocha. The venerable boss was at the shop front busy making red
bean cakes. His dedication to perfection was there for all to see.
At the shrine, there was a blessing session going on. The devotees
were immaculately dressed in suits or kimonos. A newborn baby was
being blessed by the priest. Good luck charms were sold at the
stalls. For lunch, our tour guide led us to a secluded path off the
main thoroughfare into a small residential neighbourhood. Suddenly,
she turned into a huge compound that looked like a residence, only
to discover that it was actually a Japanese restaurant nestled in a
Japanese garden setting. This restaurant specializes in serving
many variants of tofu dishes. We sat tatami-style and were fussed
about by a kimono-clad waitress, whilst enjoying the Japanese
garden setting and delicious food.
Dazaifu
Shrine
Chef making red bean cakes
Authentic mocha with red bean dessert
We headed to Hakata
Machiya Folk Museum. Formerly, Hakata was an independent
city. From Heian period (AD 794-1185) to Azuchi-Momoyama period (AD
1568–1600), Hakata's merchants traded with Chinese, Korean, and
other overseas merchants. The life and culture of Hakata, mainly of
the Meiji and Taisho eras (AD 1868–1926), are introduced from
various perspectives at this
Museum.
Kushida
Shrine was just across the road.
Kushida Shrine has a long history as the village shrine in Fukuoka
City. Shrines for each of Shinto’s three gods (Amaterasu Omikami,
Ohatanushi no-Omikami, and Susano no-Omikami) were built in 757 AD
and 941 AD. The shrine is fervently revered as “Okushida-sama” or
“God of Immortality and Success in Business”. It is also the
starting point of Fukuoka’s most famous festival, “Hakata Gion
Yamakasa”, which is held on 1st to 15th of July. You will see
tens of men carrying a float or “Oi-Yama” weighing as heavy as one
ton racing down the roads in the early hours of the morning on the
15th day.
Next stop is the Canal City Hakata. Most
ladies will like this place. Other than the Tenjin shopping area,
Canal City Hakata is the place to be for food, shopping and
entertainment. On the fifth storey, you can find cinemas and many
restaurants. There is a Ramen stadium on the sixth storey serving
different types of Ramen from all parts of Japan. At the basement,
you can find open areas to relax and admire the musical fountain as
the water sways to the music. The recently-opened annex contains a
huge Uniqlo store and several international brands. I find the
quaint cafes especially interesting. One can literally spend a
whole day in Canal City. After shopping, you may walk along the
Naka River situated just beside Canal City and enjoy the romantic
scenery. You can even try the “Yatai”, which are standalone sheds
dotted along the riverside and serving authentic Fukuoka
cuisine.
Canal
City Hakata
A “Yatai” serving authentic Fukuoka cuisine by the Naka River, the
main river of Fukuoka.
After wrapping up our shopping at Canal City Hakata, we took
the Velotaxis, a form of
human-peddled modern trishaw, for a tour around the city. Many
shoppers were amused by our mode of transportation and waved at and
posed with us. It was thirty-minute ride and we alighted at the
Tenjin shopping area.
Velotaxi
Day 5 to 7. I extended my trip by another 3 days
to take in more sights of Kyushu and to visit and relax at some of
the best onsens in Japan. No more driving from now on. However, I
did miss all the driving because it felt so therapeutic to drive on
such wide roads and be accompanied by wonderful sights, not to
mention the utmost courtesy and driving etiquettes displayed by
Japanese drivers.
I visited Yufuin, one of the best-known
onsen towns in Japan. From Tenjin station, I took a two-hour bus
ride to eastern Kyushu. I have heard so much about this place from
the locals. Yufuin is a quiet little town situated in a valley and
blessed with numerous onsens. The main thoroughfare is located five
minutes away from the bus terminal and is lined with many shops
selling food, gifts, local produce and drinks. If you are tired, a
café is never more than a stone’s throw away. I asked the Tourist
Information Centre to recommend an onsen, and they recommended one
that required a fifteen-minute walk. The onsen has two pools, and
both overlook a mountain. The outdoor temperature was ten degrees
Celsius and the skies were clear, perfect conditions to relax in an
open-air onsen. I had both the pools to myself. Water in one pool
was really hot, and water in the other was more acceptable to a
less-seasoned onsen goer like me. After thirty minutes of soaking
and enjoying the mountain scenery, I felt thoroughly
detoxified. With renewed appetite, I headed down to the main
thoroughfare in search of food and desserts. Along the way, I
experienced “Japan Hour” - picturesque mountains surrounding me;
crystal-clear fresh water gushing down the stream on my left;
refreshing mountain air oxygenating my mind; living in my own
world. Surreal.
To me, visiting Japan means going to
onsens, eat, and going to more onsens, so I visited another the
following day. A friend recommended this onsen
called清渑,
located in the suburbs of Fukuoka. There is a complimentary hourly
shuttle bus that picks you up in the city near Tenjin Station. The
ride took fifty minutes, and you would probably sit next to an
obasan (‘auntie’ in Japanese) or ojisan (‘uncle’ in Japanese).
Elderly Japanese and retirees are probably the most frequent
visitors to onsens. Upon reaching the destination, it gave me
another “Japan Hour” experience. 清渑 is loc