Back from Kyushu

Fresh produce of Kyushu at Yanagibashi Market

JS and Notti Monkey touched down last nite feeling enlightened, refreshed, recharged and more motivated in life. Esp more motivated to work now...earn more $$$$ for more destinations...hohohohoho.

Never in my life, we would travel to Kyushu island. Not this soon. Heard of the place, spoke of it but never in my dreams we would go...:)))))) Kyushu is the 3rd largest island of Japan after Honshu and Hokkaido. There are about 6,852 islands in the archipelago of Japan.

Kyushu is famous for their pottery, the delicate Saga beef, the amazing Amaou strawberries and the other variation is the world most expensive strawberry. Which is WHITE in color. It's a new breed apparently...but let's just stick to Amaou strawberries.

Due to its extremely active volcanic activities in Kyushu island....the land here is really fertile with pitch black soil. So watever u grow here are ULTIMATE!!!

Nagasaki Atomi Bomb Peace Park

From Fukuoka the largest city of Kyushu, we head down to Nagasaki. The city which was destroyed during WW2 with the second atomic bomb being dropped down here in 1945. Visited the memorial park and ground zero, it's really a heart-wrenching place. The museum was very educative with remains and pics of wat happened on that day.


watched a very beautiful sunset at the top of Nagasaki - Mount Inasa

Nagasaki is really beautiful, it's one of my favourite destination and the only free port when Japan shut herself off the entire world - closed door policy. It is also the city which has the very FIRST of everything in Japan from tennis court to brewery, to technology and industry. Thanks to the Portuguese and other European influences.

At the peak of coal mining in the late 19th century, Hashima island or sometimes known as Gunkanjima was the world's most populated place. It is now abandoned and I will prepare a separate posting on our journey here.

JS enjoying his early morning hot spring bath. And it was snowing. -_-"

Those were not oranges but very fragrant citrus - Yuzu. We can't even buy these in Msia for cooking and usually cost a bomb in Singapore's Isetan...but here it's abundance and it's used to infuse your bath...just poke a hole underneath it.

We stayed at this beautiful ryokan Takefue in Kurokawa Onsen in the middle of Kyushu surrounded by volcanic mountains.


Takefue served such splendid meals. This pic was only the appetizer. We will return to this ryokan again :))))


Visited the largest Caldera in the world...

JS took this amazing pic at the right time. He had the driver to stop by the cliff. Even our driver was WAH-WAH-WAH-ing!!!! hahahahaha. It's like the SKY has opened up to us.


On the way to Mount Aso there were so many horses. Mount Aso was burping hot ashes and we couldn't go near any much nearer. Helicopter service was also halted, we will come back again to see the crater of Mount Aso.


That's Monkey all wrapped up like a polar bear visiting Kumamoto Castle the top 3 great castles of Japan. Kumamoto is really a quaint town and I'm glad we came here.

Kumamoto is famous for horse meat sashimi, Amou strawberries and tomatoes!!!! Ate like a tray each nite hohohohohoho.

The beautiful Suizenji Garden. Having tea and a piece of dessert enjoying such beautiful view is a must in Japan.

becoz Notti Monkey is such a menace all the time, we were penalised and JS had to do some community servive...hahaha just joking...he was experiencing some "working" culture here in Japan and it ain't easy even though it's just sweeping some sand and stone. The bending part is painful.

Hey u missed so many spots there!!! there's still a lot of white sands and stones over there!!!!

Enjoyed so many perfectly seared Saga Beef with garlic chips. Oh yummmsssssss.


on the way home to Malaysia, we managed to catch a beautiful sunset over the Straits of Malacca. Life is beautiful :))))

 It was only a 9-days trip so think we did OK as compared to our previous trip. Oh yums yums yums...

Now time to plan the next destination :))))
Please await more posting on this trip soon :)))
Happy Monday folks