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aso views
a bit hazy, pre wet season! After an interesting day and night chasing my lost yoofuku and strange men about the Aso Youth Hostel, a group of us decided to get physical and hike around Aso national park. This area is at elevation 1200-1600m, actvely volcanic, and very prone to closures due to gas vapours, much like say White island in NZ, or the case where Ruapehu erupted.
Someone I met, Marcelle, a brazilian who was travelling with Donelo his partner, is making this a research trip for his journalism work in Brazil, writing of adventure tourism. Part of this involved interviewing Shinotani san the elderly owner, with a japanese guy from yokohama to help. A question was posed about does she mind living under a volcano - not a problem, as it is very common in Japan! Makes for some rich onsen areas, and obviously tourism, but the danger as we see it is there.
The onsen at this hostel was basic but a nice reintroduction into life the japanese way. I recall having grave doubts as a 16 yr old about sharing my privacy with others, but it is different now with hindsight and experiences thaf remove those inhibitions. They are single gender only,
although some are mixed. In this case, the times were distinct (women go later) so there was no chance of running in to opposite sex even if you tried.
Walks around Aso are very dependent on several things - japanese miscomunication, unexplained closures of gates, and gases. Once at the top we unanimously decided that we would wald Ebooshi dake, then maybe return to Aso crater by cable way another route or the same rought should it reopen. It is very tempermental, and so I later learnt, 20 mins after leaving in the scorching 10am 26C sun, the ropeway opened and the views evidently were incredible! With all these japanese waiting in their cars and dressed to the nines, it really could not be too long a wait nor too much hardword. Enter some scruffy travellers in shorts, shirts and backpacks, of course very practical dress, and we attracted some attention! The GAIJIN is still rare in these parts, and I am starting think japan overall. The biggest secret is that prices are not excessive and the people so generous and kind, there is NO problem getting help as long as you try a little language!
Altogether we
post fall grub
I got severly koborimashita nee! got to see Ebooshi dake and some stunning views of crater, and to the west and south of Aso area. The mossies and march flies were intense at the summit, and got some excitement by falling A over T on the soft soil as wed descended. Marcelle did too. It was nice to have good tramping conversations and learn a little more languiage from Kenzo san, the taxi driver of 5 yrs fromNara that ibecame recently jobless. So too did Triphine from France, the international skin care saleswomen extraodinaire, recently redundant and left her husband......there is a trend, vibe here I think? Eventually the heat forced me to give up and give my skin a rest, not too mention my increasingly painful left knee. It appaers a case of backpack syndrome allover again, but am tending to it in my own way. Got to keep moving on , right!!
Kagoshima, free foot spas, and Kirishima jingu coming up!
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