Hello Kitty

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Arrived on the flight from Osaka, fairly quick transfer, and managed to phone home to let them know I had arrived (seemed to take forever this time)
Note to Self; Investigate direct flight costs for next year.
Fukuoka was busy considering it is such a small airport.
I had no map, but new the hotel was roughly about 15 minutes away from the main Hakata station, spent the next 40 minutes trying to find it, gave up, and got a taxi. So much for having a good sense of direction, it was 20 minutes in the opposite direction ( I memorised the route for future ref).
すみません 予約しました リーです はじめまして ah my first chance to use Japanese.
I was still on daytime, so checked in to my room and decided to head out to Nakasu Island for a drink and a bite to eat. I had read that this was where the many Yatai stalls were serving ramen to the masses at all hours of the day and night.
It was true, there were many dotted around the streets off Canal City and all along the Naka Gawa.
I decided the river location was the best as these were not as busy, and parked up on a long bench under a canopy of steam.
The ramen was exellent, and was served by a man of around eighty years old, thoughts crossed my mind that it was the ramen that gave him such longevity, I had a second bowl.
Fact: Okinawa has more centarians than anywhere else in the world, many people implying that the diet is the reason behind the statistic. Maybe ramen man was from Okinawa?
Note to Self; Must make an appointment to see the dentist when I get back (Okinawa man had better teeth than me).
Wandered around Nakasu for an hour or so, Nakasu Island (The entertainment district) was busy, full of salarymen enjoying a glass or two.
Strolled through Canal city, a Fukuokan redevelopment project of an old canal, it was deserted (as it would be at 2am)
It was all decked out with pumpkins and skeletons ready for Halloween.
Not to Self: Will come back here in the daytime, many shops, maybe a good place to pick up some presents for the boys.
2.20am, decided to head back to the hotel and get some sleep.
First impressions of Fukuoka, clean, nothing like Nagoya, people seemed friendly enough, and exellent Ramen. Cant get that song by The Brilliant Green out of my head (Stand By Me), the tune just seems to be up there all the time, went to sleep aroud 3.15.
Tommorrow, some sightseeing.

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