Our yearly trip Down South to Ibusuki, Kagoshima.

Once the New Year was On the Roll,

it's time for us to make that Drive Down South again.

As always, the second Sunday in January: 

Ibusuki Nanohana Marathon 

and this year it was # 6 for me.

But first things first and that was a few days of bird-watching and enjoying the scenery of Kagoshima.

Bird-watching was of course here, 

there and everywhere, 

but mainly at Izumi.

Picture Stop # 163 (or so):

 This is Kyushu's most SW point. 

Wow, is it already 6 years since we sailed down there

 on board of Alishan ??

The town & port of Makurazaki,

with Mt Kaimon popping out of the haze.

Good Old Esther is still moving and sleeping us around.

This is one beauty of Japan: 

You can park & camp almost anywhere!! 

And like here, very very convenient at a sports park. 

Nice & quiet 
and toilets...CLEAN & nearby.

Next morning we had to drive a whooping 2 minutes to stop again at...a hot-spring...for a good long soak.

An other beauty of (traveling in) Japan.

 Awesome Sunrise Sky.

Mt Kaimon with a Hat.

Yes, it was raining later in the day.

As mentioned, this was my 6th Ibusuki Marathon, 

but for the hardcore of my running friends it was the 10th anniversary.

Hence this New Outfit for our team.

The 4 hours before the start of the race,

it had been raining and thundering...

but really, just 10 minutes to the start it stopped spattering.

And it stayed dry All the Way.

Yeah.

Somehow, these marathon officials keep on stretching those miles....

This year it felt we had to run 47K, 

hence the extra time needed to finish.

But happy and proud to have done an other Full M.

Anyway, a good running mantra is:

Take One Step More.

(notice found at the gent's standing toilet...)

And then the next Saturday...it was

All Hands Clean Ship!!

As the following day, on Sunday, all day long we had a Tokyo TV station on board recording our " funny way of living ".

Starting at the Asaichi, fish-market, of course,  @ 5 AM

And topping off with a meal cooked by Marijke, @ 5 PM.

Maybe by now, we are getting good at it...

this talking to the TV ;-)

News from the Job Front...

don't forget to take a Look & Like my new 

Adventure

See Marijke's blog for the Izumi bird pictures HERE 

Have you watched the Ibusuki Marathon Youtube 

I made 2 years ago?

 It's HERE

Salute.