Back on Board

Those were the days in Holland.

Two weeks full of Sad, Difficult, Happy, "Gezellige", Tasty and  Fun times.

It was good to be with our sisters and bro's, 

but Home is in Fukuoka.

So we loaded the suitcases, including some 7 kg of Good Cheese, took a deep breath, climbed on board a plane or two 

and "did" some 23 hours of uncomfy "air-travel". 

Hmm, why do we have nasty translations for airline abbreviations.???

Flying into Fukuoka. 

(i know, i know about those electronic toys etc...)

Right is the Japan Sea, middle is Uminonaka, at the the top the entrance to Hakata Bay (left).

Red arrow is pointing to where Fu Kyo is on the hard stand.

Just before landing at Fukuoka Airport.

Alishan is somewhere in right-top part of the city. 

Only 30 minutes away by subway.

Nori...Wakame...we are almost there!!!

Pffff.

And then, after 1 week at home...(wow what a jet lag),

Nori messed up his ear.

And had to go back to Marina Animal Hospital for some serious stitch work.

Thanx for the Good Care!!

But happily, after only 1 night stay he was allowed to come on board again....

But No Walkies Ashore, of course,

So 2 more weeks of using the toilet box..

miauwwwwgrgr.

Who's not yet ready to come "home"...

is Fu Kyo's ONAN generator.

See here at the service station's workshop.

And indeed they found the cause of the SMOKE

But were not able to explain to me why it had smoked,

And were indeed able to tell that ordering parts from the ONAN USA would take 2 months!

(how long did it take them to go to the moon and back?) 

See red arrow where the ONAN started its own smoke-oven...

Well, back to Fukuoka FunRun Facts.

The extra soft padding i gained in Holland had to come down...

so i joined my running-buddies.

They all were 99% prepped for the Itoshima  58 K or 100 K marathon the week after this 20K practice run.

Ouch, that was little fun and tuff going for me after all those stroopwafels and bruintjes kaas...;-) 

But happy to have been out There with You.

And this is the start of that 100 K Itoshima Marathon , AM 5,

Sunday Sept 16th. The day before a big T-bag was gonna hit Kyushu..

.......And at 11 AM, the start of the 58K.

By now it's raining and will do so for most of the next 48 hours.

At one stage the 2 groups would join the same trail, notable at Itoshima's own beer factory....where many-a-runner downed one...

Marijke and i were helping out with taxi service, "traffic contole", aid stations and runners-on-the-go support.

The Red Rocket is ready-to-go!

The first 5 of the 58K.

Solid rain, ideal temp and as you can see Good Spirits.

The runners have just done that hill you are looking at...

Ha, and there is one more climb to follow...

Even for the Red Rocket that next one was tuff to make it a non-stopper-to-the-top.
(but did it 3 times)

Note the weather; It wasn't perfect for a sunny day at the beach....

But the surfers out there were having a ...wave of a time.

And this is Mrs T-bag named Sanba, Monday AM.

She is passing us to the West, making it a direct hit for 

South  Korea...that is 3 in a row in 1 month!

Fukuoka is more or less in the middle of this map.
Mrs Sanba's giving us strong (30-40 knots) southerly winds. Not the best of directions as Alishan is on a lee-shore. But both anchors are holding. So far only blown-out stitches of some canvas work and some lost nerves...Oh-yes, those T-bag do effect you. Well at least it aint cold..

Salute.