Kagoshima, Yakushima, and Kirishima-Yaku National Park

I arrive to Kagoshima with a very sunny day watched over by the looming bulk of Sakurajima! I walk around the city centre making time to meet Fiona (Uk) from Couchsurfing and like Cait, she is English teacher in the JET program (Japanese exchange Teachers) . We eat Vietnamese for dinner and we talk with a work college from United States.

Next day I take a ferry to Sakurajima where I do a trekking visiting a couple of volcan observatory, a park by the sea and finishing in a Feed Onsen! (Track)

When I go back home, Fiona is already preparing a curry for dinner! We went to buy some bread and rent a movie to end the day.

I get up early morning to be able to catch the 7 am Ferry to Yakushima (4 hours for 130 Km). The forests of Yakushima inspired Hayao Miyazaki to do the animation of Mononoke Princess.

Map of Yakushima

The Island is beautiful and extremely expensive, mainly the transport and accommodation. I stay in a very beautiful wood youth Hostel s with tatami floor rooms and a onsen bath (dorm for 3600 Yens). After unpack my backpack I go walking to an Onsen by the sea about 6 kilometers away.

When I get there, there is no one in the bath... I go in naked (is on the Lonely Planet!). An after a while a girl appears and say to me that I was in the girls side.. oio (is any difference?)
Later at the man side (but the same bath), starts to arrive locals to have a bath. It’s a place to get in touch with the neighbours, colleges of work, etc.

The way that they do the bath isn’t always the same, but the basic tips are: before getting to the bath wash yourself with soup, and when you’re clean, then get in to the bath and stay as long as you want.

It’s sunny, the water is lovely, and the girls talk and laughs, and my skin is getting Wrinkled. Is so beautiful!

Next day I’m going to Yaku-Sugi Land, and make some small trekking through the cedar’s forest and endemic ferns ... (Track)

I would love to do a longer trip, but there is no way to make it by local bus... Anyway at early afternoon start to rain, and didn’t stop.

When I got back to the YH I do a long bath and I join a Japanese group to watch Japan –Argentina...Japan wins!!!

In the morning still raining, I slept like a little boy with the sound of the rain, and I’m going to take the ferry back.

At the Yakushima ferry terminal I meet Fiona, she came to spend some days, and I give to her the bus ticket. 4 hours to Kagoshima... Time that I use to write those lines!

I do night in an internet coffee! You can rent a room with kind of sofa an PC for 2000 Yens for 10 hours with free drinks and a lot of manga’s dvds... Today the hostel that I wanted to go was full, and I really wanted to try the Internet coffee.

At 5:30 I go out from the Internet Coffee to catch a train to Kirishima Station where I left my backpack in the locker. And after a hour waiting, I take a bus to the beginning of the track I want to do. I’m lucky because the night before I bought some food for the trekking, at those tomes everything is closed.

There is another better option, sleep in a Youth Hostel named: Kirishima - Jingumae YH

The Kirishima National Park is a active volcanic area with a very impressive views and with lakes on the craters of the volcano’s.
The traditional route is closed because there is a very active volcano, so I do a alternative route. (Track)

I’m happy! Getting up early it’s been worth it! The weather is perfect and the views greats!

When I finish the trekking I did a feed onsen in Ebino-Kogen waiting for the bus... and to Kirishima Station.

From there I call Sally (Australia), a Couchsurfer from Hyuga that she was going to host me next day.. At the end I went to Hyuga the same day!
But 4 hours of local train...

Some Photos
2010-10-Kagoshima, Yakoshima i Kirishima (JP) https://photos.app.goo.gl/cNoYANk5SocA8yaW7

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Versió catalana