Since the amazing Yakushima, we’ve been cruising slowly, enjoying stops on the way back, feeling the upcoming end of this trip to Kyushu.

The ferry back from Yakushima was faster than on the way there. Only 6 hours vs. 13 hours, the stop on Tanegashima being much shorter. Everything was fine until disembarking, when the car started to act weirdly. The driving becoming uncomfortable, we stopped at a garage pit for checking. That’s when the mix between the language barrier and Japanese processes gets “interesting”… We barely managed to explain the problem to the mechanics, and called the rental agency. The English line is managed by a foreigner, with little Japanese apparently, who had us called back by one of the Japanese staff members. Yep… Already 3 different people to talk to. Long story short, after some wait and many calls with us/agency/mechanics we were told that everything was fine and that we could continue. So we did, very much sceptical.

Sand bath at Ibusuki

We drove down south to Ibusuki, a town reknowned for its natural sand baths. It is a really fun experience indeed! You go to the beach only covered with a yukata, and you are asked to lay down in the dark grey volcanic sand. Your body is buried in the sand, with the exception of the head, like when you were a child playing at the beach. Then time to relax.

It is recommended to stay for 10 minutes. It was so hot and heavy on my legs that I cheated and got out a bit earlier. But Eff enjoyed til the end, a relaxed and content smile on his face. After this sand bath, you go and enjoy a traditional onsen. Not sure it is worth going there just for it, but if you are in the area, it is really nice to give it a try.

Our little detour came to an end, and with it, the drive back north started. Days were counted, and we started feeling the vibes. Vibes were also in the car. Our engine problem got worse, having continuous vibrations and no power whatsoever going uphill. No question to drive another thousand kilometres like this!! Back to the same garage, and back to the multi-parties phone calls. It was a good call, as an ignition coil had to be replaced. After 3 hours of wait, and 5 people calling us back to explain the same thing all over again, we were able to continue our journey safely! It demonstrated once again how frustrating it can be when you don’t speak the language… And this time my skills at pretending could not help at all.

Kumamoto

We drove until Izumi, where the biggest population of Japanese cranes can be seen during the migration. Must be very nice except that migration is between December and January. So in April there is nothing to see. How good travel planners we are!! So straight to next stop: Kumamoto, to visit its main garden and its castle.

Suizenji Jojuen garden is a beautiful garden. Its very specific characteristic is its shaped landscaped around the large pond. It looks like vivid green bonzai mountains, one being called Fuji, due to its perfect cone shape, similar to its namesake. The morning visit was very peaceful, with only handful of locals enjoying the views and the relaxing moment before the invasion of tourist buses.

Kumamoto is also famous for its magnificent castle. Unfortunately it was severely destroyed during the earthquake which devastated the region in 2016. We could walk around, witnessing the damages of the walls, and checking the status of the reconstruction work. The main tower ground is expected to be accessible again in October 2019, while visiting it will have to wait another 2 years. And it will take 20 years or more to rebuild the rest of the site.

The work done is incredible. All original stones have been inventoried and numbered. It is now a giant jigsaw puzzle game to be done. Very difficult one though.

The weather being a bit temperamental, we spent only few hours in Kumamoto. In addition, being in open areas was way more attractive than cities for us. We hopped on a ferry, direction Shimabara in Nagasaki prefecture, to visit Unzen, another geopark of the region.

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