Blogs from Kumamoto, Kumamoto, Japan, Asia - page 2

8th Feb: Onto the bus at 11 (at night) in Seoul and we were off on the long drivedown to Busan. Hoping that the traffic wouldn't be too bad, even though it'sSeolnal (Lunar New Year) and they had extended the bus only lanes for a few more hours. 9th Feb: Well we made it to Busan around four, half four ish. The traffic wasn't that bad, a lot better than it had been at Chuseok. The bus was freezing though, which made it difficult to sleep. We dropped off the people, who were staying in Busan for the holiday at their hotel and then drove to the port. We parked up in the carpark and slept until about 6 or 7. When I woke up the bus was like a sauna. It's was bloody lovely, after ... read more

Our next destination is Kumamoto. You may know that there is a big ramen franchise called Ajisen Ramen. They have 2 stores in Sydney CBD. Ajisen Ramen is actually based in Kumamoto. The author of the anime Natsume Yuujinchou is also from Kumamoto. I've always been a fan of ghosts and spirits so I was really looking forward to the trip. I took a Kyushu Express train to Kumamoto. Unlike most other countries, trains in Japan have individual characters and they even have names. The most famous one in Kyushu is called Yufu no Mori. It won some kind of best design award. I didn't know this kind of awards exist for trains! The Kyushu Express train we took was awesome. The ride was so pleasant I bought a beer to go with my bento. I ... read more

Mt. Aso (http://www.japanwelcomesyou.com/cssweb/display.cfm?sid=1254) is located almost in the middle of Kyusyu Island and famous for the largest caldera it forms in the world. It’s also famous as the largest active volcano in the country and, more importantly, famous for its breathtaking scenic landscape. There are a lot of onsen spots around the mountain as well.... read more

I bought my plane ticket back home the other day. I'm leaving the dorm on the 29th of July, spending the rest of that day and that night in Fukuoka, then flying out of that airport at around noon on the 30th. Then to Narita in Tokyo, then to Seattle. From there, I have about a seven hour wait until I get on a plane to Helena. My parents and I were playing around with the idea of them driving from Montana to pick me up, but in the end we got a cheap flight, which will save them 20 hours in the car, me 10 hours in the car and I'll get home that much quicker, so I can unpack, see everyone and eat American food quickly. I've been writing up a to-do list since ... read more

I've been on Spring Break since about the 19th of last month, and I don't start school until April 8th. The last few weeks have been ages coming and going, a big difference between the seemingly speedy passage of the days of school last semester. I haven't been doing much lately at all...staying up really late, becoming nocturnal, partying less than during the semester, playing a lot more video games (I love Diablo II) and reading quite a bit. I've also been exploring vigorously on my bike, riding for two or more hours in one direction starting from my dorm and seeing what I can find. I've seen some amazing places - a secluded, dilapidated shrine built before WWII in the middle of an upper-class residential district; a mountaintop flattened for use in agriculture, on top ... read more