Western-honshu 07/03-10/03

---

Dear family and friends, On the one hand time goes fast, but on the other hand i have seen so much that it looks like months i have been travelling. The last days I visited the western-honshu area and travelled along the coast line of the Japan sea (at the side of South-Korea). Although the local train wasn't so fast as the Shinkasen, the views where amazing. I visited three remote quite towns, hosting all one interesting attraction. Amanohashidate (means bridge to heaven) is the little town with a sand pit of 3,5 km long. From a higher view it gives an unusual image. I stayed at a beautiful youth hostel facing the view over the sand spit. In the morning i tried my first traditional japanese breakfast.....dried jump-fish (which is supposed to be eaten with head), tempeh, rice, sashimi, soup with oster, and some strange vegetables (most of them seaweed). You can image that my stomach didn't agree with this unusual breakfast. The next day i went to Tottori with its famous sanddunes and the third visit was Shimonoseki with its impressive view over the strait and its huge bridge connecting honshu with kyushu. Today i am in fukuoka and will head to Nagasaki, Beppu, Aso-san and Kagoshima where i will take the ferry to the southern islands. I met last days a few more travellers most of them japanese travellers. So I improve my japanese language, and taste a lot of strange food and beers....Kampai

---

Photos

imanahashidate
the 'bridge to heaven' a strip of 3,5 km covered with 8000 pine trees. If you　look between your legs it looks like the bridge is floating. (it looks!!..mmh)

imanahashidate
a look between my legs to the 'bridge to heaven'. of course the japanese have even desinged a spot for this, including a fence behind it for if you migth fall)

trainstation kanazawa
strange but interesting combination of modern and traditional architecture.

sanddunes at tottori
Huge sanddunes facing the blue and clear Japan sea

me and my bridge
in early morning heading to Fukuoka.

bridge over the kanmon straits
This bridge connects honshu with kyusu and has a span of almost 1 km. The hostel i stayed had an amzing view over the strait and over the bridge. At nigth i hearded the huge container ships passing by.

omnozi train
ok, last train picture...i love these train. We should import them to the Netherlands as well as the travelsystem. I allready travelled almost 6000 km without a minute delay...how perfect.