The road from Minamata to Kumamoto is the only part in Japan that is completely flat. It was a real treat after riding up mountains on a daily basis. Although there were many cars on the road, it was a easy ride.
Japan is big on bentos(lunch boxes). Everything was going great here with the amazing view of the ocean in a nice quiet park until i chewed on the rice which was hard as rick and the chicken katsu was cold and tasteless. On top of it few couples walked by and saw me having this poor meal and i couldnt help feeling a bit sorry for myself. Whether you are in the battlefield or just traveling, food is always a big factor in your morale.
In Yunoko hot springs, I decided to camp for a night and visit an onsen. This man is a mini store owner who I got permission from to pitch my tent near his shop in a small park. After I washed up at an onsen in front of his shop I came into the shop to pick up a beer. Then he invited me to have a drink with him. We ended up killing about four big bottles of asahis and enjoyed talking about korea. Turns out that he has been to korea over fifty times. He was a big fan of the country and had visited all over korea. He even spoke a bit of korean. He and his wife was very generous and refused to take a yen for the food and drinks.
This is a sample of japanese roads. Perfection amd immaculate may ne the appropriate words. Only downside is that they are narrow.
As I was cruising around in the kumamoto shopping arcade two guys on bikes showed interest in my bike and I noticed that they were foreigners that spoke english. I stopped to chat with them for a bit and one did enjoy touring himself. They were english teachers living here. I asked them for a good restaurant nearby and we said our goodbyes and exchanged contacts. As i was waiting for my food one of the guys who was half japanese and half latin american, came into the restaurant and gave me this bag full of goodies. He wanted to show welcoming generosity for his country and all I could do is thank him. In Japan I realized that showing hospitality and generosity is a form of patriotism. Like Immortal Technique says, “rockin a flag dont make you a hero.”
The Kumamoto castle. It did live up to its hype.
I was very impressed of the architecture and the supposed impenetrable walls due to its angle made it a challenge for invaders.
Suizenji Koen, a Japanese style garden in Kumamoto. This is a must see sight in kumamoto after the castle. By far the best garden In Japan, I believe it is considered one of the best in the country. Japanese style garden at its finest.
The garden also has a nice temple with spring water and women in kimonos if you are lucky.
There are also many oversized Koi fish in the pond.
This is a guest blog post by Dae Choi Wednesday November 6, 2013 2013/11/04-06: Minamata to Kumamoto: The Kumamoto Castle
