Pre-summer update 2

Indeed we did make quite a few outdoor trips 

this pre-summer of 2018.

And boy, did we take heaps of photos.

A lot of them are of course dedicated to 

Drive N See

Check it out if you like to rent a camper.

And for birds, flowers and insects, 

please see Marijke's Blog.

This is a picture update of some of the outdoor places we visited.

                                        

Like the sea, the mountains are calling us:
Come, please come!!

My favourite hike in Fukuoka: Mt Raizan.

This all stone jinja is almost at the top.

A special mood it is vibrating.

The trail is superb at all seasons and has lots of variety in nature, path and scenery. It's easy to get to by car, and from our location, it's even doable by bicycle.

Mt Raizan.

Today there is nobody else around, 
just 
The top, this flowering beauty, my backpack and me.

A few weeks later an outing was to Mt Aso area, Kumamoto.

Rolling green hills next to smoking wild volcanos.

If you know where to look, 

you can see Mt Unsen near Nagasaki.

Peak to the right is Mt Aso, active volcano.

(yes, at moment of writing you can access the rim).

To the left is Mt Nekko ...

nekko as in cat, as the peaks look like cat's ears.

Mt Aso has it all. Even rolling plains.

Birds and evening flowers nearby,

rain and thunder clouds far away.

Oops, oh hello Mr Anaguma.
You are so cute.

We shared a trail with this fellow. At one stage he passed us through the high grass as close as 2 meters away.

Also a trip to Oita prefecture was made.

Always fun to explore new countryside.

We stopped for a couple of hours enjoying the 

koi-nobori, flying carp flags.

at Tsuetate Town.

Next stop was:

Nabegataki Waterfall in Kumamoto.

Things to see around this Nabegataki Waterfall.

Honesty Stall.

Take what you like, drop the money in the coin locker.

This is Japan.

Then it was time for a hike at Mt Kuju while the tsutsuji (azalea) was flowering.

Know your Way....

The hot spring/ryokan hotel in the center of
 Kuju National Park.

The only way to get here is..... on foot.

Last year i hiked these peaks when the tsutsuji was at 98%.

This day it was maybe at 60%.

Still awesome.

Not all is pink.

Some is active volcano at Mt Kuju 

and hikers are warned not to linger too much at this spot.

Down there...Marijke is waiting ;-)

Waiting? 

There is always a bird, a flower or an insect to be photographed.

Driving home we passed some neat looking

& just planted rice paddies.

Magic countryside indeed.

More to follow.

Salute.

Pre-summer update 3, trip to Iki Island.

Sailing yacht RESOLUTION 

was built in Holland, close-by my old hometown

Maassluis.

Which is, on paper, Alishan's homeport.

Small world..

This year sy RESOLUTION has Fukuoka as base 

while owner Dave 

is doing the $$ dance back home in the USA.

In the meantime i have the honor to look after Resolution,

do the odd jobs here and there.

And join her for a surprise sail to Iki Island, 

located about 30 miles to the west of Fukuoka.

It was a 4 days trip, iso of the planned 5, as departure was delayed due to a typhoon, which btw gave us no problems while in Odo Marina.

Day 1 was a day of post typhoon weather: Overcast, no wind drizzle, no working autopilot. But the crossing to Iki Island was done in a zooommm.

Day 2 we got hit by tremendous downpour that almost washed all of Japan into the sea. 

Great for sight seeing at Iki Island though.

Followed by a day 3 of too much wind, so we stayed put in Yunomoto Port and managed to fix the autopilot.

Yeah.

Day 4 was perfect sailing, by times a bit rough.

Within a few hours we were back at Fukuoka.

Yunomoto Port at Iki Island.

Kappa san.

Read more, see link at the bottom of this post.

Iki Island is famous for almost anything.

But most of all: Monkey Rock.

Being an island, loads of shrines are dedicated to The Sea.

From pure white sand beaches to unfriendly coast lines....

Dave always wanted to have a nice framed picture of Resolution.

Here you go...

BTW, that building behind Resolution is one of the many hot springs in town.

Going back to Fukuoka, the first part was in the lee of the island...

These days, navigation is done on your smart-phone.

Boy have we come from far....since we left Holland in 1984.

No more paper stuff, up to the second position updates.

Speed, depth, currents and weather all under the thumb.

Yes it was a bit rough once we got around the corner.

Resolution luffed it.

Back "home" at Odo Marina, Fukuoka.
Getting prepped for her next year's adventure to Alaska.

link to  Kappa

Salute