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Hello!
Rounding off our first day in Kochi, we ventured on up to the castle!

Kochi Castle is one of only 12 remaining castles left in Japan. Most others over time have fallen to wars and fire.
It was first constructed between 1601 and 1611 – then rebuilt after a fire in 1748.

Lots of steps and a slightly confusing layout of more steps – I guess never make it easy to storm a castle!

Another neat stair trick…quite often they are of slightly differing heights – so you always have to keep and eye on your feet. Again… making it difficult to attack when you are in danger of tripping up steps!

Its quite the impressive walk up with the castle looming overhead

The castle used to be the seat of the Yamauchi lords, who ruled over the surrounding region, then known as Tosa, during the Edo Period (1603-1868). The castle buildings have since been designated “important cultural properties” and house local treasures and historical objects. (taken from Japan.com)

It was used as a residence as well as military post… which is unusual as the lords would normally live in palace grounds and not the castle keep.

It looks a lot smaller when you get to the ground level of the actual buildings. Clever situating it where it is. When you get inside and to the top, you are viewing 360 degrees of Kochi City!

Inside you get to walk around a route, view artifacts and learn some history.

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I really love Japanese buildings, sliding doors and tatami floors.

And wooden details

The slits in the walls are for archers. Easier to shoot out than in!

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Again, happily, we were not wall to wall with visitors so it was easy to slowly walk around, read information and enjoy the feel of this very old place.

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I like these models that we saw in quite a few places. It was easier to get an overall feel for the layout of the place.

And… the insanely narrow and steep stairways up to the top…

More like ladders. And not something you want to scamper up and down

Peeking out windows!

Getting great views of the stairway up!

So great looking over the area

Pretty wonderful views from the top!
You could go around the whole balcony at the top!

I really liked the textures and patterns looking down on the rooftops

Maybe not for those a bit nervous of heights?

Kochi City

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Time to go down… gulp.

Later that evening Rachel and I strolled back up to the castle to see it at night!
I only had my tablet, so the night shots were totally dodgy but it was fun to see!
xx

Hi.. Back to Japan we go. Still in Shikoku Prefecture, Kochi City.
Right next to the shrine from the last Japan post, is the Makino Botanical Gardens.

I seem to have failed to get some outside pictures of the amazing cafe and the full pic of the massive greenhouse.
Still… I will bombard you with photos of plants that were inside.
There was this cool tower entrance to the greenhouse too!

The garden is named in honor of the botanist, Dr Tomitaro Makino. (Known as the father of Japanese Botany)
It has over 3000 plant species – both indoor and out and features varieties discovered by Dr Makino.

The garden is about 8 hectares in size… we didn’t see even close to part of it.
We didn’t have time but we spent most of it in the greenhouse.

Through the spectacular entrance..

Then, so much colour and variety!
I’ll just pop in photos for you to enjoy without too much blather from me

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These are quite spectacular aren’t they?

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I am positive an incredible amount of work goes in to the maintenance of this place!

I especially loved the plants with the patterned leaves.

Not to mention the towering stands of bamboo

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I suppose I should show something for scale…

There is something… haha

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Lots of fun things hidden around

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These are pretty cool. No idea what they are… but I like them!

More cool leafy things

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Someone pointed out this hanging flower. I am still not sure what it is, but it must have been rare to see since they were keen to bring it to my attention!

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There was a neat feature that you could stand under and see the structure of the giant water lilies!

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Photo from up a level… you might have a small sense of the size of the place

It really was a wonderful place to wander through and admire.

Statue of Dr Makino

We didn’t spend a lot of time in the outside area. At the end of the season things were a little unkempt and we didn’t know what we were looking at most of the time, so we just enjoyed a bit of a stroll before heading back to catch a bus

We enjoyed the change of pace.
The coffee shop was nice for a rest and a drink.

They also had a lovely souvenir shop to wander through as well.
This was definitely worth an hour or two of our time!

xx

Well… We took a little drive up to Longford on Sunday and adopted these little ragamuffins!
Meet Jinx (Fluffier kitty) and Dot (Because she is just a little dot)

They were in foster care – their mum was a stray and I am unsure if they were born into foster care or all brought in as strays.
They weren’t thriving in their foster home… vary wary of people and they were not happy with the children. All a bit much for tiny kitties.
So the shelter took them back early and instead of refostering for a short time, offered them up for adoption.

They were hoping to get them adopted as a pair.
Jeff and I had talked about getting two anyway, so this seemed like a good idea. (I’ll let you know how good that idea was in a couple of months and if we have any curtains left!)

They are both girls.
Jinx is a bit more boisterous, but little Dot is the braver of the two when it comes to exploration.

They are slowly getting more confident with us. Its hard taking things slow as we are dying for cuddles.

Jinx is a motor when it comes to purring. We pick them up now at the end of their naps so we can have a cuddle and she doesn’t waste any time getting that purr happening

Dot takes a little more convincing but she will be happy to stay longer for the cuddle.

She’s so tiny!
They are so funny to watch and massive time wasters. We are getting… not a lot done around here!

We started them off in the lounge room on their first afternoon as it was so windy – the noise out in the laundry and slate room of debris hitting the roof was a bit loud for them. They did have a wonderful time running about once they got brave. It was trickier to catch them again though! A lot of baby-hissing was involved!

After that we confined them to the laundry. Nice small room. We sat in with them a lot. They’ve adopted a shelf inside the cupboard as their sleeping spot… despite providing other options.

They will outgrow this space but for now… its nice and cosy and safe. (I added a blanket)

We have tried to child proof the slate room and they now love running about in there. We’ve rolled the carpet so they have a ramp and something to scratch on.
They just get into everything!

This is Jinx eating my ankle! Ow… sharp little claws!

Jeff getting a sneaky pat without Dot running off…

Admittedly there have been a lot of tears.
There is still a massive Pip sized hole in our hearts. (Its ok… I have therapy!)
But it was time to open our home and hearts to a couple of little cats who needed it.
They make us laugh and there are lots of ‘Nawwww’ moments.

I love Dots tiny face and ginger markings!

And Jinx… she just looks like she is up to mischief!

The last two photos were with my Nikon… perhaps I’ll be getting that out more often now.
Soon we have to get into gear and child proof the rest of the living space so we can introduce them to the main living space… without too many disasters!

I am sure there will be a million more photos coming.
(And I promise I will get back to the Japan adventures!!)
xxx

Hello!
Well, we’ve made it home. I’ve slept a fair bit and we’ve rested mostly.
And unpacked!
So no excuses now to get on and share the rest of the stories. (And yes, its lovely and almost surreal to be back home after our six week adventure!)

So here we are in Kochi, Shikoku.
Shikoku has a famous pilgrimage where you can walk, cycle, drive, or however you decide around the entire island to visit 88 temples. Its a 1,400km journey and Chikurin Ji is the 31st stop – if you are doing it in order.

This temple was thought to have been established in 724.
Originally I wanted to spend our time in Shikoku by doing part of the pilgrimage but in the end it was just a bit hard to organise – but the thought is there for a dedicated trip in the (far) future.

Again, we enjoyed the peacefulness of being in a place that a billion tourists have yet to discover.

Still no Autumn leaves

We love these bells! Someone rang it while we were there. It rumbles in your soul.

As usual there are a couple of awesome guardians in the entry gate

You can actually do a tour to have a small taste the pilgrim walk … you get dressed in the appropriate clothing and get taken about by a monk and can learn about the ways of the Buddhists and the temples. We saw a group arrive when we were there, presumably on this tour… not the lone man doing the actual pilgrimage in the first photo.
It was all in Japanese, so not for us, but it would have been a fascinating day.

The walk up to the temple was really lovely

Lots of side paths and shrines

And walls…

Boggles my mind to know so much of this has been here for over a thousand years!

And up we go to the main area…lovely steps!

The main figure enshrined there is Monju Bosatsu. (The bodhisattva of wisdom)
This means that a lot of students make their way up here at exam time!

A smaller temple faces the main one

And a pagoda towers over from above

The 31.2-meter-tall pagoda dates from the early Kamakura period (1185-1333). It was rebuilt in 1980. It is made of Japanese cypress, and is the only five-storied pagoda in the prefecture. (Copied from the Tourism Shikoku Web Page)

As with all areas like this, there is a lot of things to see if you can take the time. Seems something different was around each corner.

You see a lot of these around shrines and temples. They are called ‘Ema’
You buy one, write a wish on the back and hang them up and hope the Gods take notice.

Sweet paths wound around ponds and trees

I am no stranger to seeing these kinds of statues with their bibs.
But… I was puzzled by the almost cartoonish cat.

It did make sense when I got around to reading an information board!

That might be hard to read so I’ll type it out:
“Long ago, a cat lover family in Kochi City, Kitamura, raised a cat that had the family name ‘Kita’ appearing on its stomach. Ever since, the Kitamura family has been blessed with prosperity. This fortune cat (the statue) is dedicated to the faithfulness of the Kitamura cat that brought the family good luck”

We all had a really nice time wandering around the temple site

Listening to the chanting monks and enjoying the surrounds

I hope everyone is well!
xx

Hi… Sitting in the airport in Hong Kong. Flight a little delayed. Figured I’d write something here while killing time!!

Anpanman Train!! Love how some of the trains here are totally decked out in cartoon characters! All the serious business people getting on and being shouted at by a cartoon super hero!

Anyway, we said goodbye to Beppu and the hot springs, got on another train and headed down to Kochi in Shikoku. Our plan worked well as Rachel hopped on the train at Hiroshima, so we were all connected back up again.

It was pretty spectacular going over the massive bridges.

All the structures seem impossibly huge!

Here is a little tip for those planning a trip to Japan. The JR Rail Pass is no longer quite the deal it used to be. So research carefully before spending the money.

The tickets went up by a significant amount. A week’s ticket used to be about $300 .. it’s now $500. The two week ticket jumped from $500 to $800.

You are yet to see the full extent of our travels, but we did get the 2 week JR pass and it was barely better value than just buying tickets as we went. (I’m talking only $40 cheaper) But it did make it more convenient… Plus we did do a couple of small side trips with it too.

The JR West web page is brilliant. You can just plug in the places you want to go from and to (I used random dates at first just to get an idea on times and prices). It will give you 3 different travel options, exact prices and times and station changes etc etc. that way you can do the math and work out if it’s better with a pass or not.

Train travel is really easy, convenient and insanely punctual.

Its also relaxing to sit back and enjoy the scenery

Overall places like Shikoku and Kyushu are much better explored at leisure with a vehicle, but that’s not how we decided to go.

Anyway, I’ll go upload a few more pics and see if I can pop another post up before boarding. Next leg will be around 9 hours.

xx

Hi!! Well… Currently we are in Nara. It was our last sightseeing day. We’ve packed up and tomorrow we are heading back to Osaka so we can be near the airport. Six amazing weeks… Apologies for not keeping up with the stories. It’s been… A lot!!!

When we were in Beppu, we took a walk over to a local shrine. Hachiman Asami Shrine.

The street up was pretty quiet, although we met a random guy outside his curry shop who had apparently spent time in Byron Bay Australia, surfing. Then he took us over to his big ceramic pots that were full of water and plants and called up his tiny pet fish to pat!!! I am so sorry I did not get a photo!! It was one of those bizzare awesome puzzling golden encounters!

I eventually noticed that there were a number of picturesque tiles within the pavement

There are always so many small details to notice in Japan if you take your time.

Loved the entrance with the cedar trees

The shrine was constructed in 1196and has a thousand year old camphor tree!!

I am thinking this might be the tree…

Behind the horse… Of course.

it was massive and the photo does not do justice.

Anyway, back to the entrance…

It was all very beautiful

The cedar trees were so grand.

And to my delight… A garden, pond… And koi!

I find it hard to tear myself away from koi. They are so beautiful to watch.

Maybe one day I’ll sort out getting some…altho that might be a no no in Tasmania!!

It was quiet up here and easy to wander around and enjoy the tranquility

It was after this that we joined the crowds at the Hells!

The next morning we took a bus and… with a bit of miss navigation, we got to the bamboo weaving museum.

It was a great space with some absolutely jaw dropping pieces on display. Sadly most of the old pieces I was not allowed to take pictures of…

But you can get the idea from these few snaps

They did have a class going while we were there. It was nice to take a peek at what they were doing.

This kind of thing gives me unrealistic ideas for the future.

I better get some shut eye…

Hopefully I’ll get another post done before we have to get on that plane! Xxx

Not far from Beppu is Usuki, a small town with castle ruins and old edo period samurai streets!

we decided to use our rail passes and jump on a train to go check it out.

I think everyone goes to Yufuin, which is a more popular tourist town with lots more hot springs. Usuki was peaceful, quaint and interesting.

Actually one of the main attractions here are the carved stone Buddhas, but we didn’t go to see them as that required bus trips and more time. We were keen to just be random wanderers.

The moat, stone walls and bridges were pretty impressive still.

Through the gates into the grounds where a few buildings and lanterns remain.

We should have brought our lunch up!

Then we made our way over to the quaint old streets.

Narrow and winding

And very appealing

we enjoyed this part of town.

Jeff… For scale 😂

there is always something interesting to see.

I’ve been trying to remember to take snaps of the manhole covers in each town. Mini works of art

So cool.

We enjoyed the peace of this town and it’s friendly people.

Of course, it’s not a day out without ice cream!! And the best signage to take the picture under lol

Back to the train for us!

Hello! I am not keeping up at all with posting! We continue travelling around the country and are currently in Nagano. Hiked in snow today!

a bit different from today’s post from three of the seven Hell’s in Beppu!!

I don’t have my notes or maps in front of me so we are just going to have to wing it here. Basically there are 7 super hot springs boiling away that you can visit. Definitely not for bathing.

I think the first one we visited was the prettiest. The gardens and grounds were gorgeous.

Actually there were some spots you could have a foot bath. We didn’t though.

Amazing water colour here! Definitely hell like!

Yet on the other side of the building was another pool… Of this superb colour! Hissing and spitting away!!

On the end of the pole I suspect they were cooking a crate of eggs! It was all the rage to eat an egg cooked in the hot springs!

The smell was a bit whiffy ….

I am going to be lazy and just whack in the photos with minimum blather as I still need a shower and get to bed as there is another full day to do tomorrow!

We moved on to another Hell that was famous for the smooth bubbling clay.

It was only mildly bubbling.

Again, they set things out very aesthetically

Another footbath

Steamy rocks

And on the the third hell where they had bubbling mud and pretty pools!!

Well, there you have it! Some of the very cool natural hot springs of Beppu!

Time for bed for me!!

Hello… We’ve travelled a lot since I was last here. We left Kyushu, went to Shikoku and as of yesterday, we are in Nikko… North of Tokyo!! I am seriously going to need to sleep for a week when we get home.

until then… The adventures continue.

So, Rachel trotted off to Hiroshima and Jeff and I went to Beppu, a town renowned for its numerous hot springs!

Dunno who the guy is but… He is outside the station. Speaking of the train station… Cracked me up every time we got to the station. The town is pronounced ‘Be’ (short vowel as in bed) then ‘poo’

but the train platform announcement did it in a hilarious way… The ‘poo’ was done at a much higher pitch. I wish I had a recording.

Anyway, we found our hotel and settled in. (Which in our case means…. Made a big mess of the room)

Before mess.

We booked in to a private bath, popped on our provided yukatas, toddled over the road and scrubbed up!

The first night we had the mosaic bath

There is a spot for your clothes etc

Then there is the spot for you to sit and soap up and wash

Then there you hope in the scalding hot volcano heated waters and relax!!

It flows out of the corner here.

Jeff did well to stay in as long as he did. I cope with the hot water better. But I do jump out and get under the cold shower and go back in again.

The second night we went to the cedar bath tub

Washing spot had two showers…

Nice but seemed hotter than the first one!

Then on the last night I went off down the street with my bath bag…

Posting pic again because I love it…

To the oldest bath house in Beppu

Takegawara Onsen.

and damn that water is HOT!! It was such a fabulous building. But I was pink by the time I got out!!!

Hotel view

Local street view. Er… We might have been in a red light district. There were some… Interesting sights 😂😂

And we found Tengu down one of the arcades!

ok… Better sleep. Hiking plans tomorrow!

xxx

Hostel, Aso Base had the best view!!!

Leaving Nagasaki was a bit rushed and I felt I didn’t give Noz enough hugs before we went through the gates. She was an absolute champion helping us secure our tickets for the next few sections of travel. After a few fancy xxpants Shinkansen trains, we ended up on an Agatha Christie esque train that meandered through the countryside at a bit of an amble.

It gave us time to take snaps and as the train had barely any people, we could all jump from seat to seat to admire the views

Everyday farm and country town scenes

Its was really relaxing

It was exciting to see the mountain ranges appear

Love seeing the rivers

When we got to Aso, we has a few hours to kill before we could check in, so we wandered all over the place.

Thanks to Rachel for this and the following pics. All mine are on the Nikon.

I’d always wanted to visit Mt Aso… Back in my days of living in Japan, I used to collect phone cards… They had lots of cool pictures and designs. One of my favs were the Mt Aso photos.

Basically there is a big ring of mountains and the area is collectively known as Mt Aso

It was pretty easy to take the bus up to the crater on the first day. Amazing seeing the venting steam billowing out.

BTW last eruption was 2021 I think.

Rugged and beautiful scenery!!

We opted out of doing the big climb on the first day… We knew it was going to take time and we’d spent so much time oggling the steam and surrounds, we felt safer to come back on a dedicated climbing mission,

So we found another smaller hike behind the museum and shops to do… And it was lovely… Quiet with gorgeous views

We were super lucky with the weather too

Spectacular!

Time to head back and indulge in the hot springs..

I can’t show you pictures of Rachel And I in the bathhouse… You’re welcome lol… But it was amazing to bathe in water heated by a volcano!

And I have the perfect onsen bag… Kitty in the bath haha

Anyway, I need to bug Rachel for photos of our climb the next day.

we just got into Kochi in Shikoku this afternoon!! We are all done for the day and in bed… Like it’s not even 8pm haha. So sad.

xxx