The sakura bloomed early this year, seemingly overnight.
Bringing promises of still-elusive warm spring air..... and vacation!
March 24, Nagasaki – Mt. Inasa.
The cable car is smooth and modern, leaping hours of climbing in a mere few minutes.
Lights stream from the mountains , merging to form a river that ehoes the curves of its natural counterpart, which is moving silently through the dark, carrying the scent of ocean.
I arrived yesterday around 3pm, after 2 shinkansens and an express train, and immediately headed to seek out a hillside park covered with blooming sakura… and it did not disappoint. Hanami parties were scattered around under the trees, and I wandered, taking pictures. One path was overarched with branches and provided a lovely walk.
Bus schedules are always tricky on the way back down, so I headed down the first set of steps I could find - the houses are built into the hills, and long sets of steps provide a more direct path down than the twisting road.
I checked into my lovely hostel before heading out for an evening wander. There is a beautiful stream running through the city that is lined with sidewalks above and rocky paths next to the water, crossed by beautiful stone bridges. The city center had the usual shopping arcade, a pedestrian street lined with shops that were, at this hour, mostly closed, and streets lined with izkayas, bars and restaurants that were starting to come to life, plus Chinatown to keep things interesting.
Sunday morning dawned cool and cloudy, but this was perfect for a wander down the river and then down the ‘temple street’, lined with temple after temple which I popped into at will, enjoying the morning stillness and calm. The cemeteries at these temples rose into the hill behind, a jumble of new shiny marble and old mossy stone, and I climbed into one, finding the top levels swallowed by jungle and full of old headstones, the stairs zig-zagging in various stages of disrepair.
After a stop at starbucks to wait out a passing shower, I headed up the hill through another cemetery with the goal of reaching Kazagashira park, as the sun came out and warmed things up considerably… and when I reached the top, I was rewarded with sakura and sunshine, a grassy knoll providing a great spot to sit, and an overlook of the city. The park was slowly filling with picknickers laying out their blue tarps, the blossoms at their peak; petals starting to drift down and begin the change from magic to just an ordinary tree.
Back down to the city, I did a walk-through of Deijima, the island where the Dutch people sequestered themselves back in the day, then headed towards the water. There is a great park on the waterfront, and a pier area with restaurants and cafes – perfect spot to park it for a few hours with a book.. if it was sunny. Sadly, it was now back to cloudy, and with a chilling breeze to boot, so I headed back to the hotel for some grading (yes, grading) before heading back out to experience the night views from Inasa.
March 25 – Shinkansen (again) - Kagoshima bound.
The express from Nagasaki was the reverse of the one I rode in on, and I opted for a non-reserved seat, so I could stand by the large window and just watch the scenery pass by. The nice conductor even tried to give me a seat, but I was enjoying my spot, first peering through the mist for a glimpse of volcanoes on the Shimbara peninsula, then watching the water sparkling, then the green of rice fields bright between clusters of old-school houses.
And, of course, bright splashes of sakura everywhere.
Now, we keep going through tunnels, but what I see in the brief glimpses between them is stunning – forested slopes, valleys with homes and terraced fields, sakura in bright splashes everywhere. For once I wish this train didn’t fly quite so fast.
I arrive in the breezy sunshine of Kagoshima, and once I realize my hotel is located high on a hill overlooking the city, I hop in a cab and we wind up the road. I kill my pre-checkin hour at the nearby overlook, checking out the city views and the focal point of it all, Sakurajima volcano, steaming across the water.
After meeting up with Karena, Amanda, and Cathy, we head back down towards the water for some wandering in the chilly sun, gazing at the volcano, which eventually rewards us with a sizable burp of ash as the full moon rises over the crater rim.
(Pardon the quality)
A river wander under cherry blossoms, an izakaya dinner, and a soak in the hotel onsen with city views ended the day in splendid fashion.
Waking Tuesday morning to a cool and cloudy day, we headed to the ferry to explore Sakurajima. 15 minutes of surprisingly cold wind and we arrived and concocted a plan. Which, for the first time travelling here, ended up being hard to execute... but we smushed on the tour buses eventually, me on one and the trio on the other, and for the first time in ages I was surrounded by gaijin voices, all laughing about our smushy situation.
We made a few stops at various overlooks, the crater continuing to steam placidly even though we were hoping for a bit more of a show.
After a soak in the public footbath, we took a walk along the lava fields on the coast, and after several impressive plumes of smoke we headed back to the ferry.
The next morning was rainy, so Cathy and I checked out the aquariuam, and I’m amazed by the aquatic life I see there… rays with snouty bat faces and one giant whale shark circling, brightly colored little guys and some bizarre swimming styles… eels poking up out of the sand, jellyfish glowing. The dolphin show is educational… I think. I couldn’t understand it, of course - but the dolpins did flips and tricks and were adorable.
Thursday, March 28th. Climbing Kaimon-dake.
The 10:01 pulls out of the station, diesel engine with old-school cars; ocean stretching to the left, fields and forest to the right, hills mottled green with evergreen cedars and the iridescent growth of spring. By the time Ibusuki passes the train has emptied, and Kaimon station is a platform covered in sakura petals… and not much else. A quick stop for onigiri and a bathroom, and I head up the road towards the volcano.
I reach the trail after 20 minutes of relative solitude and falling cherry petals, pass a few people resting at the bottom, and head up the trail. It’s humid, and jungle-esque, and though trees block my view I can tell I am climbing. The trail is a fairly gradual circle around the cone, and the intial portions are an uphill slog in a recessed trail, but the last few stages are a bit more fun – first a string of large rocks hugging the edge, with views back to land and out to sea, birds soaring below. Then some excellent boulders for picking my way over, with a few ropes and ladders to make me feel tough, and a few more clearings with impressive views. The final stage is one last hard climb, 400 meters taking impossibly long, but reaching the summit (as always) was rewarding for the chance to rest and survey the view I’d just earned. It wasn’t the 360 I was hoping for, but there was a nice view over the farmland and waves breaking along the coast, and a certain sense of satisfaction at climbing a volcano on one of the southern-most points of Japan.
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