Showing posts with label Kagoshima. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kagoshima. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 05, 2011
Monday, October 03, 2011
Thursday, September 02, 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
Sunflower Kirishima: Bon Voyage!
For the first leg of the trip we took a few weeks ago we had to take a two-hour drive to Shibushi in Kagoshima in order to drive onto a car ferry (the Sunflower Kirishima) for an overnight trip to Osaka. It's actually possible to take a similar ferry ride from here in Miyazaki, but that ferry was booked solid when we (i.e. my wife) were planning the trip.
This was the part of the trip I was looking forward to the most. I really enjoy being out on the water, and this was my first overnight trip on a ship since crossing the Atlantic with my mother when I was about 2 or 3 years old (we were going to live in Germany for a few years). It's not possible for me to become bored while traveling on water. I wasn't bored this time.
The Sunflower Kirishima is a pretty big ship, and we had our own private room. Just like in Titanic! I joked to my wife. I wandered around for hours, smoking cigarettes and taking pictures. That's what I call "relaxing"!
Later in the evening I wandered down to a common area where there were vending machines and a smoking room. The vending machines served beer and shochu. (Have I ever mentioned what an absolutely civilized place Japan is?) I smoked some cigarettes and drank a couple of beers between my wanderings of the outside decks. Each time I came inside to get a beer I noticed a couple of older Japanese guys sitting by the vending machines drinking and talking. About when I had decided to get my last beer and make my last rounds of the ship, I returned to the vending machine area. After getting my beer, I glanced over at the two Japanese guys, who were still there drinking and talking. As soon as they noticed me looking in their direction they motioned for me to go over and join them. Now, normally I'm a bit reticent about getting into conversations with Japanese people I don't know, mainly because of the horrid state of my ability in the language. One of the wondrous properties of alcohol, however, is that it allows one to wax loquacious in pretty much any damned language you'd care to mention, so I went right over and plonked myself into a chair...
We must have talked for a while (about what, I don't actually remember), because the sun was coming up as I stumbled back to the room where my wife and daughter were sleeping. I vaguely recall (probably a dream?) some angry words from my wife. It seemed that I had no sooner put my head on the pillow when my daughter was shaking me, saying, "Wake up Daddy! We're in Osaka! Let's go have fun at Universal Studios!"
Yes, I thought to myself. Let's go have fun at Universal Studios...
This was the part of the trip I was looking forward to the most. I really enjoy being out on the water, and this was my first overnight trip on a ship since crossing the Atlantic with my mother when I was about 2 or 3 years old (we were going to live in Germany for a few years). It's not possible for me to become bored while traveling on water. I wasn't bored this time.
The Sunflower Kirishima is a pretty big ship, and we had our own private room. Just like in Titanic! I joked to my wife. I wandered around for hours, smoking cigarettes and taking pictures. That's what I call "relaxing"!
Later in the evening I wandered down to a common area where there were vending machines and a smoking room. The vending machines served beer and shochu. (Have I ever mentioned what an absolutely civilized place Japan is?) I smoked some cigarettes and drank a couple of beers between my wanderings of the outside decks. Each time I came inside to get a beer I noticed a couple of older Japanese guys sitting by the vending machines drinking and talking. About when I had decided to get my last beer and make my last rounds of the ship, I returned to the vending machine area. After getting my beer, I glanced over at the two Japanese guys, who were still there drinking and talking. As soon as they noticed me looking in their direction they motioned for me to go over and join them. Now, normally I'm a bit reticent about getting into conversations with Japanese people I don't know, mainly because of the horrid state of my ability in the language. One of the wondrous properties of alcohol, however, is that it allows one to wax loquacious in pretty much any damned language you'd care to mention, so I went right over and plonked myself into a chair...
We must have talked for a while (about what, I don't actually remember), because the sun was coming up as I stumbled back to the room where my wife and daughter were sleeping. I vaguely recall (probably a dream?) some angry words from my wife. It seemed that I had no sooner put my head on the pillow when my daughter was shaking me, saying, "Wake up Daddy! We're in Osaka! Let's go have fun at Universal Studios!"
Yes, I thought to myself. Let's go have fun at Universal Studios...
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Big Cats
It's been very hot and humid here lately. I've been very busy. In the meantime, nothing but photos from me.
These were taken in the same park as the pics in the previous two posts.
These were taken in the same park as the pics in the previous two posts.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
When Dinosaurs Roamed... Wherever
Yesterday we took a drive down to Kagoshima and checked out a few of the sights around Sakurajima. One place we visited was the somewhat misleadingly named Sakurajima Nature Dinosaur Park (there doesn't appear to be any official site in English or Japanese). This place is essentially a big playground with several "life size" dinosaur replicas acting as slides and other stuff for kids to play on. It's quite a nice park for kids, but not especially educational.
Of course, with all these dinosaurs wandering around you can't expect to leave without incident. Thanks to the fierce struggles of my little girl I was barely able to escape the hungry jaws of this horrible beast.
Soon afterward, however, the foul beast devoured both my daughter and my dog!
As torn by grief as we are, my wife and I did enjoy the relative quiet last night and this morning...
Monday, January 12, 2009
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Caged
The bears from a couple of posts ago (and one still to come) at least had the option of pacing around a bit. These unfortunate cats don't.
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Parrots
To preempt any smarty-pants-types out there: these are parrots (i.e.Psittacidae) whether they are or aren't called "parrots" by smarty-pants-types. So there.
These were taken at the Cape Nagasaki-bana Parking Garden mentioned in the previous post.
These were taken at the Cape Nagasaki-bana Parking Garden mentioned in the previous post.
Ibusuki/Mt. Kaimon
While in Kagoshima last week we stayed one night in Ibusiki, at a rather posh hotel where we got to experience the "medically proven" effects of an Ibusuki sand bath.
Image Source
I don't know if I'm any healthier due to the sand bath, but it was relaxing (a bit less intense than a sauna). The best part for my daughter and I was breaking out of the sand when we were done and pretending we were zombies beginning our march to the mall.
Ibusuki is also known for (among other things) Mt. Kaimon. I took the shots below while we were visiting the "Parking Garden" (I have no idea why it's called that) of Cape Nagasaki-bana.
This Sand Bath in Ibusuki is very unusual throughout the entire world. Bury yourself in the sand comfortably, and have some snooze with a sound of the sea.... After burried in the sand, you can take a bath in big bathhouse, wash off the sand and refresh like... a baby!
I don't know if I'm any healthier due to the sand bath, but it was relaxing (a bit less intense than a sauna). The best part for my daughter and I was breaking out of the sand when we were done and pretending we were zombies beginning our march to the mall.
Ibusuki is also known for (among other things) Mt. Kaimon. I took the shots below while we were visiting the "Parking Garden" (I have no idea why it's called that) of Cape Nagasaki-bana.
Monday, January 05, 2009
Bears (2)
A minute and a half of a bear pacing around his enclosure at Hirakawa Zoo in Kagoshima.
You'll never see me marching with the PETA crowd, and I believe that zoos are generally more a good than a bad thing. Sometimes, though...
You'll never see me marching with the PETA crowd, and I believe that zoos are generally more a good than a bad thing. Sometimes, though...
Sunday, January 04, 2009
Crossing Kagoshima Harbor
On a ferry crossing Kagoshima Harbor on the way to Mt. Sakurajima.
I apologize if these little video clips I sometimes post seem a bit boring. Right now I'm more interested in the mechanics of making a video, and the process of editing and getting it online. It's actually quite a pain in the ass, and clearly I need a bit more practice. I should probably be honest and say, however, that even if I manage get a lot better at it, the most you can expect from me is a very well-done scene of a ferry crossing a harbor or of some guys jumping from an airplane. That's what interests me visually.
I apologize if these little video clips I sometimes post seem a bit boring. Right now I'm more interested in the mechanics of making a video, and the process of editing and getting it online. It's actually quite a pain in the ass, and clearly I need a bit more practice. I should probably be honest and say, however, that even if I manage get a lot better at it, the most you can expect from me is a very well-done scene of a ferry crossing a harbor or of some guys jumping from an airplane. That's what interests me visually.
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