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Japan

March - May 2024
  • Uncle Woully
And off the beaten track first time exploration of a completely new to me culture. Read more
  • Uncle Woully

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Backpacking, Nature, Photography, Self discovery, Sightseeing, Solo travel, Spirituality, Wilderness
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  • Uncle WoullyTravelerJapan

    To Kagoshima

    April 10, 2024 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

    A delicious and decadent breakfast of pistachio chocolate covered croissants. It's really sunny today but cold, 37 overnight.

    The Shinkansen takes just over 3 hours to get me all the way to Kagoshima. I rest a little in the park buy some food items for dinner and check in. It's time for early rest I am very pooped from yesterday's effort.Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerJapan

    Ferry to Yakushima

    April 11, 2024 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    It is an absolutely awesome pleasure to be on a boat again. It just makes me feel so alive. The wind, the water, the waves, far away horizons. I love it.

    Yakushima appears in a shroud of clouds. There are only just over a hundred sunny days on this island it rains almost all the time if it isn't cloudy. But it has incredible flora and that's why people come here to hike. The volcanic origin of this islands is obvious in the steep slopes and the highest point at just under 2,000 m. Everything is green obviously.

    The tourist information centers are very useful and they're very good with their tourists here.

    All my stuff is moist without even getting wet or any rain. People mull about in the hostel without too much communication, just a little bit of conversation with the Frenchman and the Korean in my room. Maybe it's the rainy weather.

    Early to bed tonight.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerJapan

    Big Surprise

    April 12, 2024 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Incredible hike into the center of the island on a well established track. This place is wet and moss is everywhere, some 600 species are on this island. The cedar trees here grow slowly and have tight rings and high resin content so they are resistant to rot and insects. They grow large and old. Jomonsugi is estimated between 2700 and 7000, it's 16m circumference is impressive.Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerJapan

    Rest day Onsen

    April 13, 2024 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    I go to an Onsen after a leisurely wake up and go soak in a sulfur water warm bath right by the ocean. Cool spot.

    In the afternoon I find a deserted beach, volcanic rock and at low tide a nice spot to do an excursion.

    The Israeli guy, Philip and I are discussing how to learn Japanese. I have absolutely no clue with my two words but they have done a few months of study and are a wealth of information on the topic. It's more involved than I realized.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerJapan

    Shiratani Unsuikyo Ravine

    April 14, 2024 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Up at a reasonable 7:00 a.m. Ran into my Japanese friend again, third day in a row. My Israeli friend is going too. It's a nice three and a half hour walk in moss covered forest with some rain, great conditions to be in such a forest. Absolutely awe inspiring again.Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerJapan

    Onsen rest day again

    April 15, 2024 in Japan ⋅ 🌧 21 °C

    There was really no choice. Today is a rain day and in sub tropical Yakushima that means hard rain. Went to the waterfall while it was still dry and reached the Onsen right on the ocean just as the heavens let loose. Stayed in the water for 3 good hours having an animated conversation with a young Japanese touring cyclist and an Italian from Milano named Luca.Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerJapan

    Discovery & Ferry

    April 16, 2024 in Japan ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Finally a sunny day. So I scheduled for the last ferry at 16:10 and made the most of my day by getting up early and going hiking right behind the hostel. That would allow me a nice shower before getting on the hydrofoil ferry and the bullet train to Kumamoto.

    The hike was exhilarating, it was so great to be completely off the beaten path, a place where no tourist goes, and for some of the spots I wouldn't be surprised if I was the first Westerner ever there, it was so far in the back. And it was all about the ferns, one of my favorite plants.

    The ferry is an amazing boat as a hydrofoil it is incredibly smooth and you can't even tell when it gets up on the foils or when it sinks in. After that I'm on the shinkansen and it's another marvel of speed and efficiency. I feel immense gratitude to be able to travel like this. Kagoshima has a nice feel to it.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerJapan

    Kumamoto

    April 17, 2024 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    I spend the day in Kumamoto to get a feel for this city. The weather is great and the hotel with the huge fish tank has a rental bike so that sealed the deal. I cruised around some local neighborhoods and by the river, towards the park. Bought some low carb bread from a small cute shop, yummy. I'm listening too the book Shogun. Mellow day but still riding. Overall this city is a bit more spread out and less inspiring.

    By the end of the day I catch the bus to Minamiaso. I walk up to the pension in the dark. This will be one of my nicer places to stay.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerJapan

    Volcano

    April 18, 2024 in Japan ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    This was a 'day of days'. That's how I like to call it when everything is superlative. Mr Kawasaki, my host takes me to a bicycle rental place, an ebike is going to be the best way to get to the volcano hiking trailheads. It will be a workout. Of course I get lost, end up on a small farmers road, hop a fence, and find my way again.

    The volcano is smoldering and access is not allowed within 1km due to the sulfuric gases. The trail I want to climb is on the other side, so it's up this side and down the swooping curves in the other side back down to the valley floor and back up to the trailhead. The path up is almost a steep scramble. I'm feeling good and I'm motivated.

    There are a few people up here, their silhouettes standing out on the stark ridges of this volcanic wasteland. The smell of sulphur wafts in and out, even from so far away you can feel warmth from the crater. I loop back down a different path, grab the bike, swoop down again and in Aso grab a bite. I still have energy and decide for the long way home around the entire volcanic dome complex in the center of one of the largest calderas in the world. At the end is the hot bath in an Onsen. It just doesn't get any better than these scenic, weather perfect, days.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerJapan

    Helicopter volcano

    April 19, 2024 in Japan ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    I get up early and dash out on the bicycle with a 75% battery to catch the helicopter as early as I can. It's a good ride up and it uses up about 40% of that battery so I made a plan to go back down and get a 100% battery after the helicopter ride and do more biking today instead of hiking.

    The helicopter ride was fantastic and made me realize just how much I miss flying my own plane. Seeing the crater from above was something else, it is truly a bath of sulfuric liquid down there just boiling away.

    Riding back down the curvy road to the valley floor I get a new battery and a taller seat post. I'm enjoying the mid-70s warm weather almost summer like conditions on the terrace eating some Takoyaki. Then I set off for a monster ride all around the caldera. Nice phone call with Oliver, first time talking since I got to Japan, it was about time.

    Again I catch an onsen at the end of the day in a nice mineral pool. These are the days! Carpe Diem.    Read more

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