11/11/04: Sasebo and Aso
Hi all,
I can't believe we are well into November. Time is flying!
The local hills are covered with citrus trees, most growing a small, thin-skinned, seedless orange called mikan. They are a lot like the Spanish clementines. Roadside stands here sell about 5 pounds of mikan for 100 yen ~ $1.
We've had some beautiful weather. It's snowing in northern Japan, but it's still t-shirt weather here. Been doing lots of biking and hiking. A few weeks ago we drove northwest to Sasebo and rented a sail boat and sailed around Omura Bay's Kujukushima area --translation: 99-islands. The area is actually home to 208 islands, must be something with the metric system?? There was a strong wind, so we whipped along, weaving around the islands.
Kujukushima is famous for pearl cultivation. The oysters are strung up in floating raft platforms that reminded me of the lobster traps along the Maine coast, only these were in neat, orderly rows -- a contrast to the hodge podge of Maine.
Later in the day we visited a pearl museum where the kids got to select an oyster, open it and extract the pearl. We learned how the pearl industry was able to consistently achieve round pearls and that the oysters remain in the water for two or more years to grow the pearl to the desired size. The industry really takes a hit when pollution or typhoons damage their coastal waters.
Last weekend we headed southeast and visited Aso, home of the world's largest volcanic crater. The crater was formed when the volcano collapsed thousands of years ago. It has a 15-mile diameter and is now home to fertile farmland, the town of Aso and a rail line. You don't realize you're in a crater until you stop and look around and note that you are completely surrounded by mountain walls. We stayed at another traditional ryokan inn that had hot spring baths. This inn served us a five-course dinner in our room and breakfast in the dining room. We could lounge in our provided yakata robes while eating.
We hiked off the extra calories by visiting mountains along the rim of the crater and an active volcano. Looking over the volcano's edge, all we could see was steam rising from green water. I guess I pictured bubbly red lava, but when you're that close, green water is just fine. There are concrete pill box shelters peppered along the volcano's side in case of an eruption. I don't know how much it really buys you to hide out in one of them.
We leave on the 20th for ten days in Thailand -- spending a few days in Bangkok and the rest of the time at a beach in Krabi on the Andaman coast. I don't think we'll find any turkey for our Thanksgiving, but we should be able to find something memorable.
More photos at http://photos.yahoo.com/~iverlink
-barbara
I can't believe we are well into November. Time is flying!
The local hills are covered with citrus trees, most growing a small, thin-skinned, seedless orange called mikan. They are a lot like the Spanish clementines. Roadside stands here sell about 5 pounds of mikan for 100 yen ~ $1.
We've had some beautiful weather. It's snowing in northern Japan, but it's still t-shirt weather here. Been doing lots of biking and hiking. A few weeks ago we drove northwest to Sasebo and rented a sail boat and sailed around Omura Bay's Kujukushima area --translation: 99-islands. The area is actually home to 208 islands, must be something with the metric system?? There was a strong wind, so we whipped along, weaving around the islands.
Kujukushima is famous for pearl cultivation. The oysters are strung up in floating raft platforms that reminded me of the lobster traps along the Maine coast, only these were in neat, orderly rows -- a contrast to the hodge podge of Maine.
Later in the day we visited a pearl museum where the kids got to select an oyster, open it and extract the pearl. We learned how the pearl industry was able to consistently achieve round pearls and that the oysters remain in the water for two or more years to grow the pearl to the desired size. The industry really takes a hit when pollution or typhoons damage their coastal waters.
Last weekend we headed southeast and visited Aso, home of the world's largest volcanic crater. The crater was formed when the volcano collapsed thousands of years ago. It has a 15-mile diameter and is now home to fertile farmland, the town of Aso and a rail line. You don't realize you're in a crater until you stop and look around and note that you are completely surrounded by mountain walls. We stayed at another traditional ryokan inn that had hot spring baths. This inn served us a five-course dinner in our room and breakfast in the dining room. We could lounge in our provided yakata robes while eating.
We hiked off the extra calories by visiting mountains along the rim of the crater and an active volcano. Looking over the volcano's edge, all we could see was steam rising from green water. I guess I pictured bubbly red lava, but when you're that close, green water is just fine. There are concrete pill box shelters peppered along the volcano's side in case of an eruption. I don't know how much it really buys you to hide out in one of them.
We leave on the 20th for ten days in Thailand -- spending a few days in Bangkok and the rest of the time at a beach in Krabi on the Andaman coast. I don't think we'll find any turkey for our Thanksgiving, but we should be able to find something memorable.
More photos at http://photos.yahoo.com/~iverlink
-barbara
posted by Barbara Meehan Iverson at 3:48 AM
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