Yo! Typhoon!

On the way to KAPIC I picked up two lovely ladies from Kagoshima City, Kiri and Riley; we took the scenic route around Kinko bay to our destination. Our main stop was on Mount Sakurajima for a little walk about some lava fields.

Our plan was to meet and follow the bus carrying ALTs to KAPIC from the ferry terminal parking lot. After missing a turn we almost ended up ON the ferry, heading back to where we just drove from. After many sumimasens (excuse us!), gomen nasais (sorry!) and trying hard to ignore the ferry man waving his arms and yelling at us in a very aggravated manner, we found our way all right. Mr. Bus Driver was another thing entirely; he careened around the mountain road corners and blatantly ignored traffic rules. For no practical reason, as it was just one road straight to KAPIC after getting into the mountains, I was hell bent on not loosing the bus. Don’t tell my parents I drive like that for fun.

After the lovely week frolicking about the lake and museum, Kiri, Riley and I had decided to explore Miyazaki Prefecture (to the east of Kagoshima). Unfortunately, a typhoon cut our long weekend plans down to one WILD NIGHT in Kanoya. Actually it wasn’t wild at all, however, it most certainly was night. We had a rockin’ start to the road trip with a little surprise friend coming along from KAPIC. We quickly pulled over and removed our little hitchhiker spider, who wasn’t so little, before heading on our way. Right around the corner we almost ran over a gaggle of monkeys crossing the road! (What is it, a gang? a group? I don’t know. A LOT!) They were pouring across in groups of 7 or so, and we saw around 20 total. Monkeys crossing our path at the beginning of our trip! What a great omen! Or something! Short story cut shorter, we ate delicious Indian food in Kanoya and partied with foreigners at some tiny bar that played Madonna videos all night. All. night. The next day I dropped the girls off in Kagoshima City and made it home before the typhoon hit. My bicycles, plants and myself safe inside, I curled up to the sound of wind pounding through and around my little box of a house.

Mount Sakurajima and the little ferry.

Extremely large diakons grow here because of the volcanic ash. I have never been so happy to see a daikon.

A beach along Kinko Bay, beautifully framed by concrete that unfortunately adorns most beaches here. Damn volcanic soil.

Playing in the Bay