Japan Day Five: Not the Best of Times

After the ridiculously heavy dinner yesterday, I only had light breakfast during our fifth day in Japan.

bread and fishcakes

Before leaving Kirishima Kokusai Hotel, I made sure to buy the unflattering picture (read: flash photography) taken of me from when I first arrived at the hotel. Tourist trap alert!

From Kirishima, we had a long morning drive (4 hours and 30 minutes) to Beppu, the hot spring region of Japan. We knew we were almost there when we reached this foggy area...

We arrived at Beppu at around 1 p.m. and had late lunch at Beppu Kaisen Seafood Market.

Pickeled Something

Appetizers

Sushi

Sashimi

Seasoned Fish

Beef Noodle Soup

In Beppu, there are nine major geothermal hot springs or pools called the Nine Hells of Beppu. Each pool has its own unique color and character but we only visited two out of the nine pools.

First up was the most popular and the most photogenic of the the pools, Chinoike Jigoku or the Boiling Blood Pool. The pool got its name from the large amount of ferrous minerals found at the bottom, giving it a bright red color that could be easily mistaken for blood.

Here's a closer look:

Aside from observing red steam come out of the pool, one can also take a quick foot dip in the Boiling Blood Pool's hot spring. Just make sure to wear the appropriate footwear to avoid any inconvenience.

Next door from the Boiling Blood Pool was Tatsumaki Jigoku or the Dragon Whirlpool. The Dragon Whirlpool is a boiling geyser...

sprouting hot water 20 meters into the air, every 30 minutes. There was nothing spectacular about the geyser, to be honest, but it's still wort a visit if one is already in the area.

Our last stop at Beppu was Wakiya Shoukai. The straw thatched roof found at Wakiya Shoukai is where hot spring powder called yunohana is produced.

Yunohana, as explained by the man below is a natural product extracted from the hot spring water. Yunohana is said to have many medical benefits, effective in treating many skin diseases, muscle stiffness, rheumatism, etc.

Aside from selling yunohana, Wakiya Shoukai also has a small gift shop where cute Japanese items are available. Be warned though that we learned later that everything was overpriced.

Needing to kill time at Wakiya Shoukai before going on a cruise that will bring us to Kobe from Beppu, we took our sweet time eating these healthy snacks:

When it was finally dark, we embarked on the Sunflower Pearl. I looked forward to a night spent at sea.

My excitement, however, quickly turned to disappointment when I learned that the Sunflower Pearl is more of a cargo vessel than a cruise ship.

Needless to say, amenities were basic:

Game Area

Slot Machines

Vendos

Convenience Store

Massage Chairs

Our room was also very compact that I felt claustrophobic.

The main challenge though was the realization that we didn't have our own bathroom. It was not fun to share the bathing facilities with 50 other people.

For a supposedly more enjoyable experience, one can use the "scenic bathroom..."

Vanity

but one needs to be in his birthday suit; thus, it was unsurprising that nobody dared.

The "Scene" in the Scenic Bathroom

Dinner on the Sunflower Pearl was a sad buffet of Chinese and Japanese food.

Steamed Dumplings

Boiled Delicacies 

Spicy Shrimps

Mostly Fried

Salad

Noodles

Dessert

After the unsatisfying dinner, we went out the viewing deck where the eerie darkness of the sea greeted us. With nothing else to do, we took this as our cue to sleep.

Our fifth day in Japan admittedly was not the best of times. Save for the Boiling Blood Pool visit, I would not have minded if we skipped this day altogether.

Japan Day Two: Three Cities, One Day

I'm not a morning person but waking up to this beautiful view for our second day in Japan perked me up instantly. 

I had to rush breakfast but I still managed to grab a few plates...

The sausages were outstanding.

A Japanese breakfast isn't complete without fish cakes. 

My travel partner Murtle said that this cup of bean sprouts was the best she's ever had.

So thoughtful of the Hirado Kishotei staff to bid us goodbye. The gesture was much appreciated.

Our morning was first spent in the city of Sasebo to cruise the Kujishima Islands.

The Pearl Queen was our transportation of choice with the trip lasting 50 minutes.

One can opt to enjoy the views comfortably inside the ship.

But most braved the strong cold winds to get a better feel of the islands.

There are some 208 islands along the 25km coastline stretching from Sasebo to Hirado, but coming from the Philippines where beautiful islands are aplenty, the scenery was nothing new. What made the trip worthwhile were the fresh air and cold weather.

After cruising the Kujikushima Islands, we then traveled to Nagasaki City where we stopped at Sonoda Shinju Nagasaki for a simple lunch.

noodles,  soup, chicken curry, shrimp with chill, and fish with sweet and sour sauce

With lunch finished, we headed to the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum which was opened in 1996 as part of the 50th anniversary projects of the atomic bombing in Nagasaki. 

At 11:02 a.m. on August 9, 1945, an atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. Picture below is a clock that was found in a house near the Sanno Shrine, which was approximately 800 meters away from the center of the blast.

This is the life size model of the atomic bomb that was dropped on Nagasaki. When the atomic bomb exploded, its energy emission was equivalent to 21 kilotons of TNT.

The energy released from the explosion is said to have consisted of 50% blast, 35% heat rays, and 15% radiation. It inevitably caused serious destruction to the city and its people. 

When all was said and done, out of the 240,000 residents of Nagasaki, 73,884 were killed with another 74,909 injured.  It is such a reminder that war is never the answer.

The museum put us in a pensive mood but we didn't have much time to reflect because we rushed to our next destination. We had to climb a steep street,

and pass by Oura Cathedral, Japan's oldest gothic style cathedral,

to reach Glover Garden. Glover Garden, also known as the Madame Butterfly house, was built by Scottish entrepreneur Thomas Blake Glover in 1863. 

We were not given much time to explore the entire estate and these are the only pictures worth sharing:

Statue of Tamaki Miura

Dock House

Dining Area

The Glover Garden visit was a blur because we had to catch the last ferry out of Nagasaki. 

Travel time from Nagasaki to our next city Kumamoto was about 40 minutes, so we all got off the tour bus and made ourselves comfortable inside the ferry.

Inside, I watched sumo wrestlers fight.

Action was so captivating that time flew by so fast!

Upon reaching Kumamoto, we went straight to our hotel, Hotel Nikko Kumamoto where Christmas was already in the air.

A Real Fireplace

Dinner was at Hotel Nikko's Japanese restaurant Benkay where we had a traditional kaiseki meal.

Kaiseki is a multi-course Japanese dinner consisting of small and often artistically prepared dishes.

Appetizer 1: Vegetable with Roe

Appetizer 2:  Steamed Egg

Appetizer 3: Sashimi

Soup

Grilled Fish

Tempura Set

Sushi

Fresh Fruits

It was another heavy dinner, so we decided to walk the streets of Kumamoto in the hopes of burning a few calories.

We reached a shopping street near the hotel but most stores were already closed.

There was nothing else to do at Kumamoto so we retired to our room. 

Our second day in Japan was very productive with us visiting 3 cities in just 1 day. Little did I know that the multi-city hop would be the standard for the rest of the trip. I get exhausted just thinking about it!