Kyushu August - August 2006
Hi all!
Hope you are having a wonderful summer.
We’ve been trying to keep cool and find water since I’ve done nothing but whine about the heat. One Saturday we took a train to Nagasaki, a ferry to an island, and then a short bus ride later ~voila~ there was beautiful Iojima Beach. The sea was lovely and there was an open air shade building where we could eat our lunch and keep our stuff. We had a grand swim and a relaxing onsen bath before heading home.
The following weekend we went to the big city of Fukuoka which is a major port and the largest city on our island of Kyushu. It has all the stuff that cities have and it’s a manageable size, on the water, with lots to see. We went to a great museum, wandered the neon-lit streets at night and spent the next day at a baseball stadium watching the Fukuoka Hawks play the Osaka Orix. Then for the big highlight of the day -- on our way home we hit one of five Costco stores in all of Japan. It was amazingly the same as every Costco I’ve ever been in. Now, if I only had US freezer and pantry space. - We still managed to make room for the essentials.
Due east of Fukuoka is Kokura, the city that was the atom bomb target on August 9, 1945. (But the skies weren't clear, so the pilot headed for Nagasaki instead). The ceremonies commemorating that day were profoundly sad. Sigh.
A few days later was Obon, a national and family-time holiday, with members gathering to honor their ancestors. On the first Obon following the death of a family member, the soul of the deceased is placed in a boat in order to send it on a voyage to paradise. Most places in Japan quietly parade their boats through the streets, but Nagasaki’s spirit boat procession incorporates firecrackers. Despite the noise, the families were quite solemn. They also carry a gong, striking it every few moments. Well, I think they did; I was wearing earplugs.
We’re pulling off a last minute trip to China next week. Cousins Yuan and Helen are going to be in Shanghai visiting Yuan’s parents. We couldn’t pass on their kind invitation to join them! We’re also going to take a train to Beijing and see the sites there. So the heck with learning Japanese, I’ve gotta work on Mandarin!
More soon,
Pictures at http://photos.yahoo.com/~iverlink called 2006-August.
Hope you are having a wonderful summer.
We’ve been trying to keep cool and find water since I’ve done nothing but whine about the heat. One Saturday we took a train to Nagasaki, a ferry to an island, and then a short bus ride later ~voila~ there was beautiful Iojima Beach. The sea was lovely and there was an open air shade building where we could eat our lunch and keep our stuff. We had a grand swim and a relaxing onsen bath before heading home.
The following weekend we went to the big city of Fukuoka which is a major port and the largest city on our island of Kyushu. It has all the stuff that cities have and it’s a manageable size, on the water, with lots to see. We went to a great museum, wandered the neon-lit streets at night and spent the next day at a baseball stadium watching the Fukuoka Hawks play the Osaka Orix. Then for the big highlight of the day -- on our way home we hit one of five Costco stores in all of Japan. It was amazingly the same as every Costco I’ve ever been in. Now, if I only had US freezer and pantry space. - We still managed to make room for the essentials.
Due east of Fukuoka is Kokura, the city that was the atom bomb target on August 9, 1945. (But the skies weren't clear, so the pilot headed for Nagasaki instead). The ceremonies commemorating that day were profoundly sad. Sigh.
A few days later was Obon, a national and family-time holiday, with members gathering to honor their ancestors. On the first Obon following the death of a family member, the soul of the deceased is placed in a boat in order to send it on a voyage to paradise. Most places in Japan quietly parade their boats through the streets, but Nagasaki’s spirit boat procession incorporates firecrackers. Despite the noise, the families were quite solemn. They also carry a gong, striking it every few moments. Well, I think they did; I was wearing earplugs.
We’re pulling off a last minute trip to China next week. Cousins Yuan and Helen are going to be in Shanghai visiting Yuan’s parents. We couldn’t pass on their kind invitation to join them! We’re also going to take a train to Beijing and see the sites there. So the heck with learning Japanese, I’ve gotta work on Mandarin!
More soon,
Pictures at http://photos.yahoo.com/~iverlink called 2006-August.
posted by Barbara Meehan Iverson at 12:04 AM
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