I’m writing this blog entry from the banks of the river Kumagowa which is just outside Hitoyoshi on the island of Kyushu Japan, we have just caught three fish and have grilled them lovely, we are here to go rafting tomorrow, we are told that this is the best rafting area in Japan and with all the rain from the last Typhoon it should be good.

The last few day’s have been a roller coaster of travel i’ve climbed up to the active crater of Mount Aso with stunning views all around of the national park, then headed east out to the surfing town called Hyuga, I’m not really into surfing as i can’t stand on the damn things, i tried it in Durban South Africa in 1991. We stayed their a day then drove on south to lovely beach’s down in the south east near Nango were we have been swimming in really dramatic waves that blow you off your feet they are so powerful, great fun and good for keeping fit. next was a visit to a sacred Shrine in a cave on the south coast before driving to park up for the evening at the Mount Sabo Volcano, Ulysses and i didn’t have the energy the next day to climb this one but we cheated and drove up to the view point about 1000 m up and camped, i stayed in my roof tent in the car park and to my amusement Ulysses slept under the canopy of the visitor center, so in the morning when whoever came to work they found a foreign lad sleeping rough, goodness knows what they now think of us westerners now, he really doesn’t care where he sleeps and i have to admire him for that.

heading north again missing Kagoshima but seeing the city from the mountain we head up to the Kirishima-Yaku national park and start to climb this mountain, half way up we stayed at a spa village with natural hot springs we walked around boiling mud and hot steaming rocks stinking of sulfur, we are told that this water is really good for you and i think my skin seems in good order so maybe it is i’ll have to check it out in more detail.

That brings us to the last leg which is to drive up to Hitoyoshi where we are now.