Golden week Part 2 abbreviated and random ramblings of a gone crazy gaijin

Ahoy all!

It has again been a really long time since my last post and this is largely in part to extremely busy school days. But I`ve also been so unmotivated to write this post. I`m really excited about other random small things that have happened in my life, but I feel like my last post left me with an obligation to post a GW part 2. Grrr. I will note this in the future to not leave myself completely obligated to a follow- up blog. And so hence this post shall be an abbreviated telling of the second half of my Golden Week so it can be out of the way and more frequent random rants of a 20-something foreigner can continue. I really want to focus more of my posts about the daily stresses/struggles/and successes of living/teaching in rural Japan. Traveling is fun and interesting so I will still continue to post occasional travel/adventure posts but I really do want to amp up the sharing of the more seemingly mundane (but potentially more enlightening and maybe more overall LOL worthy mess-ups or whatever I get myself into) aspects of my life.

So without further ado, commitment, how annoying you can be: GW part 2: the abbreviated edition.

So last you heard of our travels, Ciaran, Jessica, Julianne, and I had just left Beppu/Oita for our next destination. I thought I had left it as a complete mystery as to where our next destination would lead, but idiotically forgot that I had placed a map with our driving route at the top of the post. So, dun duh duh dun, if you didn`t figure it out on your own, our next destination was Takachiho in Miyazaki prefecture! 

Takachiho is a really small town (see: village) in Miyazaki ken. Why would we venture some really far miles (and even more if we are reading it as kms?) to go to some po-hunk town? Well because it is GORGE-ous . seriously. It has this really amazing beautiful gorge. Takachiho is also really famous for Kagura dances done nightly at the nearby shrine. Unfortunately we didn`t get to see these because they are only done later in the evening and we had a pretty tight driving schedule to keep. I was told by many of my Japanese friends/co-workers/aquintances that Takachiho is a power spot. I`m not exactly sure what they meant, but it is a very important religious place in Japan, from what I can gather Takachiho is associated with the myths/legends of the founding of Japan as a nation (in religious terms, not political)
anyway: here are some photos maybe also some brief descriptions of photos in Takachiho

A pretty bridge along the trail around the gorge.

Takachiho! We wanted to rent a boat to paddle along the gorge, but we needed a reservation. Dont forget, Golden Week is one of the busiest travel times in Japan. 

The smallest car EVER! (maybe not, but still)

After spending the day at Takachiho we continued our adventures onward toward Kumamoto City in Kumamoto prefecture. Kumamoto is particularly famous for 3 things of many many more (seriously Kumamoto was pretty awesome, if only we had more time): 1) Mt. Aso, 2) Kumamoto castle, and 3) Kumamon! 

What is Mt. Aso?

A: Mt. Aso is Japan`s largest active volcano. It also has one of the largest calderas in the world.

Jessica, Keri, baby Cow, and Julianne at the top of Mt. Aso

And of course the day we decide to go the sulfur fumes are so strong it is near hard to breath and completely impossible to take a photo into the volcano. 

It looks a bit like what I imagine Mordor looks like (LOTR  geek in the housssse!)

An aerial shot from one of the helicopter tours on a less fume-y day.
P.C. of Pat Ribbons via The Oriental Caravan

One of the verdant slopes along Mt. Aso (so green from all the volcanic ash). Looks a bit like hobbiton, dont`cha think, just missing some hobbit holes.
Oh. and Kumamoto is also famous for raw horse meat, although those are cows pictured above, just some fyi.

Kumamoto Castle, a bit self-explanatory, but I will add-in that it is 1 of  the 3  premier castles in Japan. 

Jessica and I made an awesome warrior/ninja/guard friend. I don`t really get why there were so many ninja guys lurking around this castle, none of the online articles I`ve read have mentioned much about ninja/warrior/guard dudes. But they were cool anyhow.

The three ladies in front of Kumamoto castle. Dont ask why but it took about 10 photos for someone to finally get a photo of us with Kumamoto castle in the background. smh

What is a Kumamon?

A: The best thing EVER! So in Japan, nearly every prefecture (heck, Businesses, towns, etc.) have a mascot As this Japan Times article accurately and eloquently states: `Created by local governments and businesses to attract tourists and invigorate their communities, these characters, known as "yuru-kyara" (literally, "loose characters"), convey a rather unrefined and laid-back image.`. And Kumamoto`s mascot is aptly named Kumamon, a word play on so many levels. First of all I`m sure you can see the similarity of Kumamoto and Kumamon. Secondly, Kuma in Japanese means bear. And Kumamon is a fuzzy tubby rosy-red cheeked bear. I have no idea about the mon part of his name, but I always assumed it`s kind of like the mon in pokemon so maybe an abbreviation of monster (but he is not a monster!!) At the moment Kumamon is one of the most beloved `yuru-kyara` characters in Japan. He is based in Kumamoto but you can find them selling Kumamon products in tons of other cities not to mention he was also voted most popular character in an online survey.
Before going to Kumamoto I had thought Kumamon was highly overrated, but after 30 minutes in the city I was completely sold and had caught Kumamon fever.

And so without further ado, I give you Kumamon!

At Kuma-bar in Kumamoto having a kuma-cocktail with Kumamon.

And that is basically it for our trip. We had a hell of a time driving back, but since this is an abbreviated edition I am not going to waste a detailed account.

Until Next Time! (should be sooner than later)

I`m also thinking of introducing some vlogs on here. Only obstacle, I hear you need a video-camera or video recording device to make those. Maybe after next pay day. Also all my video editing software seemed to have been wiped when my hard drive crashed a few years ago. Ooops. It`ll be basic vlogs then until I can get some new software this summer.
Cheers!!!

Keri <3`s Kumamon