🎶 Ferry ‘cross the Mersey Ariake Sea 🎶

Riding toward the port on a small local road only the sound of the trickling spring water from the small canal bordering the road and houses … serenity! A lady watering greets us with ‘ohayōgozaimasu’ sadly I haven’t mastered it yet so I reply with ‘good morning’.

The port is very quiet we take the slow ferry 1hr – the fast ferry is 30mins – at the ticket counter – cash only – we are ushered with our bikes outside to the front of a carpark along with cars and a truck to return in half an hour to board.

Our bikes are on the bottom deck (there are 2) and we enjoy the journey in comfort with choices of airplane style seating or lounges.

Off the ferry and heading towards Kumamoto it’s very flat and full of hot houses – John is as happy as a pig in mud when he sees a patisserie – a quick bite – that’s lunch.

We go to the train station to the tourist office – wow … a whole shopping area and heaps of food outlets AND the toilets were amazing – we will talk toilets another time.

Too early to check in to the hotel so we visit the Kumomoto castle. As we enter the castle precinct we hear yelling coming from a stadium … further investigation needed … we park the bikes – all full loaded (they are safe here in Japan) and venture to the stadium … we sit in the grandstand and see the last exciting 15 minutes of a baseball game – an amazing experience – I hope we see more games.

Now to the castle, sadly it was damaged by an earthquake in 2016 and is in the process of being restored, there is no access, however, the grounds are open … families picnicking and lots of sakura (cherry blossoms) I can’t help myself to take pics.

A few drops of rain just as we get to the hotel – only a short shower then off to see some parks.

Our accommodation is a ‘small double’ umm … we will see how that goes tonight 🤣🤣

By popular request we went to a small cafe/restaurant and had okonomiyaki. The owner explained in reasonably good English that if we were to eat there he specializes in okonomiyaki- we said that is what we want. He said it’s pizza without the cheese! There in front of us he prepared and cooked the dish on his teppanyaki plate. It was delicious.

It’s Friday night and you have to love the covered arcades – within 2 minutes walk from our hotel – the place is buzzing – people everywhere all the shops are open – no partying for us – a long day instore tomorrow.

We’ve been to hell and back …

We mastered the bus system today … enter from back door take a ticket and exit from front door and pay at the end of the ride.

A 21km bus ride up to the Geothermal area on top of the mountain. We are in volcanic country. There was not much if no shoulder on the road for a bike … I first felt guilty but not now, a 787m climb which I tracked on my garmin. Unzen Jigoku or ‘hell’ – it was great to walk around seeing the boiling water and steam spewing out of the ground. A bit smelly of hydrogen sulfide. The area is full of walking/hiking tracks.

Outside the tourist centre a public foot bath … too hot for me.

The hotels in the area have thermal spa baths ‘onsens’ and there are 4 traditional public spa baths of which we indulged in one. Men to the left and women to the right. Strip and enter the bath area – wash first, sit on a small stool; basin and shower head to rinse. Enter the bath slowly – the water was 43°C believe it or not I was completely immersed to my neck in the cloudy water and loving it. That was total relaxation. Meanwhile John is having a similar experience on the other side of the wall with the men. I shared the bath with 3 other ladies. This experience cost us ¥200 (under $AUD3) I can’t wait for the next onsen.

Back down to town – a reconnaissance of the port from which the ferries leave.

The town’s natural spring water is seen through the housing community, open drains along the roads contain carp which lends the name of Town of the Swimming Carp.

Another icon is the Shimabara Castle proudly seated on a hill with views of the penninsula; lovely gardens and monuments.

On the move again – Komoot and Garmin at the ready – easy exit through the city – we were taken on some side roads that confused us. A good 10km climb to start then it would be smooth sailing.

The climb gave spectacular views then a great decent, we enjoyed it so much we missed a turn – never mind a slight detour then back on route.

Unfortunately we are travelling on a busy road skirting between the road and path – the path is not too reliable.

The road travels between light industry and small villages all melding into one – grain crops and vegetables are prevalent around the villages. Lots of school children on their bikes – we say hello and they respond likewise.

We look for somewhere to eat among the light industrial area and find a restaurant – we are welcomed in and choose from pictures on the menu – John had chicken katsu and I had spaghetti bolognese – not what I’d hope for but still very tasty.

We joined the coastline and had clear views across the bay to our left. The tide is out which exposes long black beaches a few small boats on their side waiting for the high tide. Poles with nets exposed – I guess they are fish traps.

On our right the mountains loom above – we are in the Unzen Volcanic Area Global Geopark. (to be discovered tomorrow)

Between us and the mountains, agriculture is at its best – rows upon rows of plastic covered hot houses as far as you could see. We pass by a small field of carrots being harvested … a problem with the harvester – we eagerly watch as the mechanic works on the plough-like rig which lifts the soil and loosens the mature carrots for picking.

A local restaurant tonight – an elderly couple dining and us. The menu is in Japanese we pick from the model plates in the shop window. Rice and finely shredded cabbage is a staple; John has prawns and beef pattie; I have fish with a bonus of miso soup, yum!

We’ve decided to stay an extra night and go up to the mountains tomorrow (on a bus!!!! – John doesn’t want to do a continous 20km climb)

Note to self and others – check your expiry date on cards well before you leave home …

After a bit of a worrying week coordinating our new Citibank cards – they were received this morning – kudos to Japan Post and Citibank helping with activation and our son for sending them on. We can now relax a little.

Our accommodation is at the northern end of town about 10km from the harbour … we found a huge department store (Seiyu) 300m away – I just love looking at all those things – ready prepackaged meals wrapped in plastic moulded containers – ready to eat or heated with microwave instructions. The store boulangerie was something else – supersized croissants and pastries coming hot out of the oven – I couldn’t resist … breakfast!!

John carries around a plastic bag to carry purchases, however the staff are only too willing to offer more plastic bags to us. We are somewhat proud that at home; Australia is contributing in cutting down on plastics with the ‘war on waste’ crusade.

Back down towards the harbour today what appeared to be a coal fired paddle steamer sailing boat.

Chinatown was very quaint it would be a sight to see at nighttime as the neon lights would be spectacular.

Back towards the hotel, we stumbled upon a local suburban hub with local street markets; way off the tourist radar – a ramen restaurant was good for lunch – John still asks for a fork – I don’t think I’ll win that battle.

Tomorrow back on our way …

Eat with the locals … like a local.

A stay at a Love Hotel again – lucky to cancel the second night. However, I have to be fair, the lady was so accommodating – she spent more than 30 mins on google translate to help us collect a document to arrive at the hotel (against policy) even took us to the PO at 7pm on a Sunday to talk/interpret to PO staff so we could collect from their office when it arrives. 2 more days at a different hotel, waiting for document. Hotel was not as elaborate as first love hotel … thank goodness! Comfortable bed and room.

The morning was spent at Peace Park and the Atomic Bomb Museum. A sombre reminder of days gone by; well presented … a must see!

Peace Park was a lovely garden environment with many monuments.

A gentleman was at a shrine and gave us a card …he was a lucky 14 year old when the bomb dropped. His story can be reached by a google search of his name.

A quick ride to the harbour – a small cruise ship is docked. There are gardens and a few kites flying – great conditions for kites. The wind is very chilly and 11°C – chill factor …???

Back up the long road to the other side of town to our new accommodation. A lovely hotel – it looks too regal for the special price offered on booking.com we book another night … yay!

Searching for a restaurant – we go to a cafe that is not doing meals – the lady takes us across a couple of roads to a small restaurant/bar. Our moment has arisen – no chairs just tables and cushions – off with the shoes and sitting on the cushions. Google translate at the ready for us and the staff … yakitori, rice, beer and complimentary green tea. What a hoot when we leave and tell them we are on bicycles.

If you don’t trust me; trust Komoot!!

A lovely stay at Ne doco? A great Guesthouse and host Mysa.

A very chilly start today max 11°C and it was 9°C and a very cold wind. I am thankful for my new Uniqlo rain jacket – it did a great job to stop the wind.

Komoot synced to my Garmin 820 has been a god send – getting on our way through the towns and our destination. I am a big fan!!

Stops at 7/11; Lawsons and Family Mart are great for a snack lunch and the cleanest of toilets and free wifi.

On the road through the town of Imari viewing the hills; farming and light industry. John got a flat – glass … easily fixed and off we go. Hills were prevalent but manageable. Traffic full of Sunday drivers out and about enjoying the many visas of cherry blossoms with their picnics.

At times traffic wardens were at the ready directing traffic in popular viewing areas and parks.

We stopped at Saikaibashi Park along with many others for a pic or two.

We hugged the coast with amazing views of the nearby islands and mainland as we swept past inlets and fishing villages.

The hills are terraced and heading towards Nagasaki we cycle through orange groves and large green houses growing strawberries.

Not all the locals were picnicking – we saw a couple of baseball and softball games being played.

There were too many amazing pics today. I just love the houses with the gloss roof tiles and trees manicured to mimic bonsai.

It was a great day – the temperature stayed around 9-11°C.

Still very cold outside our ramen noodles hit and warmed the spot for our dinner.

No no – you can’t go out to a restaurant – you can’t leave until you check out 🤷‍♀️

A lovely ride today – do we go the direct short way (30km) or around the coastline … coastline got the thumbs up despite a 30% chance of rain.

We had a good night’s sleep … John was happy in a proper bed with mattress. However, he had booked us into a ‘Love Hotel’ I don’t know who got the biggest shock – us or the ladies showing us the room. They were laughing at how many bags we had … then we asked where a restaurant was … haha they said you can’t leave here until you check out in the morning … ummm they had food we could to order in the room.

For us the room was 2 levels and we couldn’t go up the stairs they said … we had to go via the circular/rotating bed … haha. Mirrors adorned the walls and ceiling, the decor was lavish, a bath big enough for 2+. Everything provided that can be imagined for 2 people while awake in bed, or rented on request.

Oh well that was a little more Japanese culture – google ‘Love Hotels Youtube’ a lot of Japanese live with the family and the walls are very thin – it apparently is common to spend a night for privacy in a ‘Love Hotel’ sadly John has booked 2 more nights in one (before we knew what they are) … haha.

Back to our ride today … leaving Karatsu and heading to the coastal road Route 204 – spectacular scenery of the coast and nearby islands. The cherry blossoms are just part of the landscape now all in full bloom.

Lovely little fishing villages are prevalent, we have a few climbs – well worth it for the views.

We veer from the coast for a while and do a bit of climbing – farming land with green houses and plastic covered ploughed rows with what looks like lettuce or something similar sprouting up, onions are a popular crop. A lot of the hills are terraced and ploughed ready for crop planting.

After the climbing we head back to the coast – pass the bridge to Fukushima and hug the coast to Imari. Our accommodation is a traditional guesthouse – thin mattresses on the floor – John is very thankful for the normal pillow not rice.

A nice restaurant for dinner recommended by our host washed down with a beer. It was 4.2km of which we rode and thankful for our lights as it was dark on our return. Also thankful for our puffer jackets as it gets quite cold in the late afternoon/evening.

We did not get any rain today … yay!!

Lovely acts of kindness today …

Off to a rocky start – nice breakfast at Veloce – western style cafe – bacon/egg bun and good coffee. Komoot at the ready but somehow we were heading east not west. I think I added a pin on the map or something … oh well … overhead in front of us a huge highway … oops underneath a cycleway then a deadend. Stopping to ask 3 young teens … one said he would run and we follow to get on track …he said he likes to run. 3km later we are directed on track – Komoot is happy = we are happy. The young teen hasn’t broken a sweet. We had done a circuit of the harbour.

Still quite busy as we leave Fukuoka we pass high rise apartments and office buildings then out in the suburbs. Cherry Blossom trees adorn the streetscapes. Hey a bike shop a quick stop to check we are going in the right direction … John has a nature break and the shop owner proceeds to inflate our tyres and a photo of us – lovely man.

We are hugging the coastline – clarity is good and many islands to see. Rocky outcrops and very large sandy beaches is our vista today. At times we go inland through agriculture areas … I smell onions. A small field of canola … I see tourists with cameras in the field as we pass by.

We stop by the beach to see croquet being played and a lone road cyclist stopped for a chat. Turned out he was headed in the same direction .. follow me, he said the rest is history – we said we can do up to 25km/hr and he sat in front all the way to Karatsu. We enjoyed a coffee with him – more culture – learning to operate the coffee machine at a 7-11 store. Before Karatsu we rode through a very old pine forest – very shady as the trees all met above the road.

We parted with our cyclist, Suzuki, after 40km.

Karatsu Castle was worth the visit with panoramic views, again adorned with cherry blossoms at full bloom.

Another bloomin’ day in Fukuoka

John didn’t think he would be in Japan on his 65th birthday I’ll bet.

Another fine day – no better than a leisurely bike ride. I am so proud that I mapped a route on Komoot, successfully synced it to my Garmin and followed the route to Nishi Park. Better still I think John was impressed and felt a little less anxious about the days ahead – he was quietly worried about my mapping skills. Ahha … I said perhaps you can learn how to do it … an old dog new tricks … ummm.

Nishi Park is another focal point for cherry blossoms on a hill overlooking the harbour.

What a difference a day makes, the trees were in full bloom and breathtaking – the park was popular with locals picnicking.

A nice lunch at a cafe along the way … not noodles … we pick from the picture on the menu – very nice and a cost of approx A$15.

A ride to Maizuru Park – the most popular bloom spotting by far … lots of food outlets – I mean 100+ and people everywhere and picnickers. Most trees were full bloom or a day away … people including me snapping away with mobiles and cameras for that perfect shot.

A lot of admin was done today; booking accommodation to get us to Nagasaki; mapping out the routes to avoid too many big climbs.

We stumbled across a great restaurant for dinner on our way back to Maizuru Park. John had a grilled curry and I had octopus and mushrooms in garlic.

Onto the park to see the blooms by night – 100’s of trees lit up with changing colours – food outlets doing a great trade.

Tomorrow we leave to Karatsu – I feel there is no wifi in the hotel so the blog may not go out.

Oodles of noodles …

The thin mattresses and rice pillows proved comfortable. I just love the kimono to lounge around in.

We had a city bike tour booked today. The morning was spent with Mayumi from Travelinsight Japan on a city bike ride. We visited many interesting places; Shrines and temples – the largest sitting wooden Buddha in Japan … very impressive. More culture, how to enter these places correctly.

A short stop at a local confectionery shop for some homemade dessert and tea. Very nice.

More cherry blossoms however a few days from full bloom, the tourists are out and about taking pics among the trees. It is common to see picnickers under the trees with a bottle of Sake – something of a tradition from long ago.

http://www.hakutsuru.co.jp/english/enjoy/yomoyama/story02.html

Lovely fine day, fog/haze stopped the opportunity for great views of the nearby islands. We rode along the seaside and the fishing boat harbour and a lunch stop at a very local Ramen outlet, lovely experience and great ramen.

It was a bike great tour thanks to our knowledgeable guide Mayumi.

Further walking around our surrounds and discovering even more shopping centres.

Dinner at a restaurant that makes their own soba noodles. When you’re on a good thing ….