24-26/9 – A volcano and a turtle…

SO, I’ll try and take it chronologically, although it’s gonna be hard.

24/9: Left my host family in Ono-machi in the morning, took the bus to Taketa. Here, I first spoke to Claudia, who actually offered me to stay with her, if I didn’t find another place. Very, very kind of her!
However, I also met my good friend, fruit-man (who’s name is Shinji). When I told him that I was planning to stay for a day or two (because I have wifi here), he too offered me to stay at his place, which I gratefully accepted.
His wife, whom I’ve also already met, showed me to the room I would be sleeping in. It is BEAUTIFUL! Shinji also made lunch for us: yaki udon (fried udon, which are thick wheat noodles). Very yummy!
Anyways, I helped out in their shop a little before heading to the onsen. I later had dinner with quite a few family members (many were home because they were celebrating their grandmother’s 90th birthday the day after).

25/9: One of the family members, Hidetoshi, took me and the grandmother, I’ll call her obaa-san, to Aso-san, which is a volcano in the middle of a huge crater. Took about an hour to get there, but it was incredibly beautiful!
Obaa-san is veyr senile, and asked me the same questions, said the same things over and over again, but she’s so sweet, and it reminded me of my own, now gone, grandmother. Also, chances are that I understand a little more each time I hear it, haha!

When we got home, one of the neighbouring shop keepers took me to one of THEIR friends’ house to eat dinner. The men got a little drunk, especially the one I sat next to (and who was with the women who had taken me there), and if there’s something I hate more than regularly drunk people, I have discovered, it’s drunk Japanese men who try to impress me with their lousy English and boring stories… also, I hate when they spit while talking. Yeah, there’s a reason (actually several) to why I don’t drink alchohol.
Anyways, I of course thanked them many times. We were home at around 10pm.
I had spoken with Shinji-san, and he would take me on a bus tour for all the shop keepers in town, to Miyazaki where we would go to see a few things. Departure time: 5AM!

26/9: Up at 4:40 (I managed to actually overhear my alarm. I did think it was strange why “Shiki no Uta” appeared in my dream, but then again, dreams are often quite mysterious…). Bus departed at 5.30, and we would arrive at the destination about 3-4 hours later. I won’t say it was a bad trip, but I don’t feel it’s something I would have missed out on; but it was so very nice of Shinji-san to take me along!
We were home around 5pm, and then I went to the hot spring for about an hour, got back, and then we all dined out.
Tonight’s menu was nabe; suppon nabe. I recognized the scenery with two big pots and two big plates of vegetables.
The waitress brought in two plates with meat that I didn’t really recognize, and I’ll tell you why: it was turtle. Yes, a kind of turtle. Did I ever think eating raw horse was exotic, I’ve by far surpassed that! I’ll name the menu:

• Raw turtle liver, dipped in a little salt and sesame oil
• Raw turtle meat eaten with a little soy sauce and ginger
• Turtle soup with boiled turtle meat
• Deep fried turtle
• Turtle blood mixed with some kind of alchohol
• Turtle eggs

I wonder if I forgot something… Anyways, I tried it all, ate what I was served, but had to pass on drinking all of the blood. I’d never in my life thought I’d eat turtle… Furthermore, they told me that it’s a very rare turtle. I looked it up, and it said: “Suppon: Chinese soft-shelled turtle”. Hidetoshi-san also told me it’s very dangerous.
I have no idea what the price was, but it most certainly can’t have been cheap!

During dinner, I spoke a lot to the family. They are extremely kind, and actually worry about my trip; so much that I have been offered to stay at different family members in different cities! I even get a ride to Oita tomorrow by Junko-mama (yes, she wants me to call her that ^^). So far, during these soon 4 weeks, I have paid for a meal TWICE… I’ve always received them from others, even though I’ve tried insisting on paying for myself.

Oh well, it’s kinda late, and I haven’t slept enough these last few days, so I’ll move on to the pictures now.

24/9: The free souvenirs I’ve collected so far.

Goodbye to otou-san and obaa-chan.

The room I’m currently residing in.
 

25/9: One of the mountains in the area: Kuju-san (I think… there were three, and I can’t really distinguish between them in photos).

Think this is Sobo-san.

Looks like Kuju-san.

Aso-san (mountain) in the back, and creatures called “cows” in the front, lol. It’s just because I haven’t really seen any cows during my trip, but that’s because I’ve mainly been residing in foresty areas. This place has a lot of wide open space. There are horses too! I later found out that Miyazaki prefecture (which we were in) is famous for its horse meat…

A part of Aso-san called Neko-dake, but more about that later.

I apologize for my rather groggy appearance, but I was encredibly tired from not sleeping enough. Also, by shirt looks a little awkward… oh well. Me with obaa-san.

My favourite amongst Japanese flowers: Higanbana. You will see moer of those.

The highest viewpoint on the outer rim of the crater which Aso-san lies in, “Daikanbo”.

Aso-san with its five peaks.

About Aso-san. Read for yourself…
 

Compare:

I managed to have closed eyes on all pictures taken that day… At “Aso no kusa senri” - “Aso’s thousand miles of grass”.

Natural sulfur. Can’t bring this on a plane… I’m sure my old chemistry teacher would have loved if I brought some.

I just thought it was interesting. Sesame ice cream.

An active part of the mountain. I forgot its name though. Sadly, the wind caused that we couldn’t go as high/close as you usually can :(

On our way back home, we passed this burial mound for some very important people… I don’t know who. It’s covered with higanbana!
 

Oh yeah, now is the best time to view higanbana. Now, and in late March. Hidetoshi-san told me something about the meaning of the flower’s name. Something about September and March 23rd, and how the flowers at this time had something in common. I’m sure you can look it up; these days are also national holidays.

26/9: The place I took the most pictures: at a street market! I love those things! :D
Bottled NHK rice? (NHK is a tv channel). They mentioned NHK at least… (Sorry about the finger blocking the lens…)

A cute horse, making commercial for… something I didn’t really know what was.
 

Today’s lunch: unagi (eel) rice! Was good! Treated to me by Shinji-san.

A little friend I made on my way.

It got preeeetty hot during the day, and I’m very happy I ain’t the one walking around in a balloon!

Huge ice blocks with items frozen inside were placed here and there…

Cutting of a huge tuna.

What I like less than hot green tea: cold green tea. Unfortunately, Japanese people take it for given that you like it. I almost finished the entire bottle…

DINNER! People just sitting down.
 
Raw turtle… served on its shell. Four people sharing this serving.

Suppon-blood drink.

The shell. That was put in the big pot with all the other contents.

Boiled suppon.

After finishing the main dish, rice was put in the broth along with chicken eggs and turtle eggs. The turtle eggs were like cooked chicken egg yolk; slightly grainy. I’ll have to admit though, that this was quite tasty. The yellow ball is an egg.

Phew! I’m done for! Goodnight!