Member Since: 02 Jun 2016
Location: Hertfordshire
Posts: 2154
That really is no way to treat SWMBO
She at least deserves a medium sized locker Uncle Ray's spare wheel protector
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20th May 2019 11:21 am
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 72787
Not at Y700!!!!!
21st May 2019 12:08 am
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 72787
Bit of a trip to the Sakurajima volcano today. Bit of a ferry ride across to the “island”, well it was an island until 1914 when a cheeky little lava flow reached the other side of the bay.
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To keep these tourists/visitors in line there was a JCG gunboat ready to strut its stuff.
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If that didn’t get enough respect there was a submarine waiting to pounce. Mind you it was making more smoke than the volcano.
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First stop is the free foot Onsen (hot spring bath), at least with this one I get to share it with SWMBO and, coz it’s only for feet, we get to keep our clothes on! We started at the hot end of the Onsen and had to head downstream as it was hot, seriously hot.
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These are pools in the lava flows, we didn’t go down there but they looked toastie as well.
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Another ferry and submarine pic when on the walk across the end of the lava flow. There are a lot of these ferries here, far more than would be normal, prob coz of the volcano so they are on standby for evacuations.
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Up to the main view point on the west flank of the volcano. The tour bus is on the lhs, this is the first “tour bus tour” we’ve done and it was great. It went all the way round the “island”, not just the west side like the hop on-hop off bus.
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We liked this sign. It’s 5.1km to the next shelter in the event of an eruption.
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5.1km to a shelter like this.
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When it’s raining volcanic bombs like this! That’s going to be a VERY long 5.1km!
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This was a gate to a temple that’s 3m high, well it was until it got buried in 2m of ash.
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Yellowfin tuna fish farming.
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Some more views of the N side of the volcano.
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And then things livened up a bit, unfortunately just as we were leaving a viewing area. I’ve never seen a tour guide usher her ducklings into the bus so quickly and the bus driver almost dived into the driver’s seat.
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That was fun, then back to the ferry and back to the mainland. Then it started again.
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A great end to a great time on Sakurajima, the tour bus took us to the station and then the Shinkansen to Kumamoto. Tomorrow we’re on a bus to Aso volcano, the train line is still cut after heavy rains a couple of years ago.
And if it looked pretty sunny in the above pics, it was. And I got a little fried. Not going to be cold tonight as I’ve got my own built in radiator.
21st May 2019 12:56 pm
ianm27
Member Since: 02 Jun 2016
Location: Hertfordshire
Posts: 2154
Great photos Del and great timing to catch pics of the volcano doing its thing - whilst everyone was still safe!
Have you timed yourself doing 5.1k??
I imagine the smell of sulphur was very thick in the air - obviously not any use as sunscreen Uncle Ray's spare wheel protector
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21st May 2019 1:01 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 72787
Sulphur wasn’t too bad, only noticed it once. And yes, I’d deffo get a PB for the 5.1km dash.
And yes, it was no good as sunscreen and I didn’t use and factor 50 stuff we carry. After 3 months in Vietnam in their heat & sun I was a bit silly thinking I was OK. But will be golden brown tomorrow.
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21st May 2019 1:05 pm
Down&Dirty
Member Since: 17 Aug 2012
Location: Somewhere out back
Posts: 1287
Me thinks you angered the gods to cause that activity
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21st May 2019 5:32 pm
kajtzu
Member Since: 11 Aug 2017
Location: Helsinki
Posts: 6570
I’d ask for my money back if I had to shelter at number 28.. doesn’t look very convincing or sheltering. I’ve seen bus stops built more robustly
21st May 2019 6:06 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 72787
Down&Dirty wrote:
Me thinks you angered the gods to cause that activity
If it got any more serious my secret, from SWMBO, plan called for a sacrifice. Carrying her up to the crater rim might have been a challenge.
Now I’m in trouble.
21st May 2019 11:44 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 72787
kajtzu wrote:
I’d ask for my money back if I had to shelter at number 28.. doesn’t look very convincing or sheltering. I’ve seen bus stops built more robustly
And not exactly large considering the number of peeps around.
21st May 2019 11:53 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 72787
PS And a gorgeous day out there for the bus ride to Aso volcano. Gratuitous mini pano from hotel room of Kumamoto.
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21st May 2019 11:59 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 72787
And another day of buses, volcano then trains, this time Aso Crater. According to the blurb that I can read it’s one of the largest caldera complexes (collapsed craters) in the world so was an ideal break crossing Kyushu from Kumamoto to Beppu.
Aso Craters look pretty spectacular from the bus as it descends into the large outer ring of the caldera. There were a couple of steam vents visible but prob don’t show up on the pic.
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Then got to the railway station, had an hour long wait until the next bus up so sorted out lunch. Couldn’t resist a tray of these bad, obviously sharing with SWMBO. Deeeeeeeeeelish, deffo got 5 a day today. We think that’s 1.5kgs, just right for lunch. Along with a couple of rolls each.
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Then up to the crater area. A few pics from the museum, first bus stop up there. The volcano was puffing away quite happily. Second active volcano visited in less than 24 hours.
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Curry and Nan looked tempting but no room after all those strawberries.
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And a spindle bomb at the museum, note boot for scale, gotta have a scale and didn’t have my old trusty geology hammer. No shelters around here, only a very faded evacuation plan that I didn’t even look at.
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And up as far as we could get. The actual crater ropeway and foot access closed in April due to high gas levels. The place deffo looked down at heel with a lot of demolition work going on.
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And then back on the bus, normal service bus, down to Aso station and wait for the train on to Beppu.
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I love the name, reminds me of Carry On films. It was a really scenic trip across the centre of Kyushu, with a good view of the crater area.
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And a nice place to enjoy a bento box, strawberries were a distant memory.
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Now tucked up in hotel in Beppu with a nice glass of cheap VC. We’re visiting the Hells of Beppu tomorrow, all 7 of them. Or 8 if you count the interloper.
Del.
Are you planning on visiting the UK as part of your world tour
SydIn Spain - 2018 F Pace - Down and out's Velar
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22nd May 2019 12:57 pm
galwaygreen
Member Since: 30 Oct 2011
Location: plymouth
Posts: 6525
I was wondering that syd….is he ever coming home ????
22nd May 2019 1:11 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 72787
Syd wrote:
Del.
Are you planning on visiting the UK as part of your world tour
Syd
Might be but not quite yet.
Actually heading back to Blighty on Sunday for a funeral next Wednesday but somehow managed to book a return from Osaka so normal service will be resumed from start of June. It’s a big world out here.
22nd May 2019 1:15 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
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And good morning all in Blighty, and elsewhere. Hope it’s not too chilly there, it’s gorgious weather all across Japan and especially gorgious here in Hiroshima.
Yesterday’s travels all went to Hells and back. Well all 7 Hells and back to the hotel in a bus, not a handcart. Beppu is famous for its geothermal gushings that feed a lot of the Onsens (bath houses) and the Hells. Luckily we went to the tourist info desk at the train station and the wifey there sorted us out, tickets & day’s bus pass - tick. And best things to see in the best order - tick.
Firstly off on the bus to the ropeway/cable car up to the top of a nearby mountain to partake of the views.
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Unfortunately screwed the pooch timing-wise and watched the bus we wanted to catch back to Beppu arrive and depart as we were a few minutes from the base station. But it meant we had time to look at the retail opportunities, this cute bear featured heavily and he’s obvious it a 007 fan.
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Then off to Hell on the 16 bus. So here’s a few pics of the various Hells, in no particular order. They are hot & steamy, smelling of S but not too bad.
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In the greenhouse, biiiiig bananas or plantains.
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Peeps soaking their weary feet in the foot onsens.
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That’s were we got the Hell steamed nibbles, the egg was esp scrummy.
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Cute butterfly.
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This one is a geyser but it wasn’t doing it’s thing because we were off to get the bus. We could have waited 45 minutes but we were jiggered.
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Now Beppu is one of the places where the Aussies, Kiwis, Canadians & the Welsh will be for the Rugbŷ World Cup. They should really enjoy the place, it’s a nice large town/small city, just not sure the locals know what’s going to hit them. Looks like a fan has arrived early, just not saying which nationality.
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Finally for Beppu, one of the Hells was also a croc farm so part of the “attraction”. Now we normally don’t do such things but had a look. However we saw this sign so had to update our, well my, escape protocol, which normally involved our running or tripping up SWMBO.
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However with this beastie I’m sure it would ignore the starter, SWMBO, & head straight for the main course, moi!
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And finally, for Beppu, a pic of a commercial Onsen with the steam venting. These are everywhere inn Beppu and range from small onsens, small house size, to hotels. But they are everywhere.
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