Ours was an early flight via SQ to Fukuoka (福岡市), which is the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture and is situated on the northern shore of the island of Kyushu in Japan. Voted number 14 in 2010's poll of the World's Most Livable Cities, Fukuoka is praised for its green spaces in a metropolitan setting.
Upon reaching the International airport, we had to hop onto the bus transport that ply between the International and Domestic airport, which took about 10 minutes ride. First impression of the Japanese was their ease in giving way to others and the driver's calm and friendly repetition of urging everyone to be careful, thanking passengers for taking his service etc.
Our budget car rental office was housed just outside the domestic airport. The staff was friendly and helpful though our communication was a little challenged and we managed to get our little rented car quite speedily . Most of cars in Kyushu seem to be small in size and honestly it was the first time we got such a small car to drive around. I wondered if it could serve us well.. In any case, we did not spare any time resting and headed direct to the Kumamoto Castle.
Kumamoto Castle (熊本城 Kumamoto-jō) is a hilltop Japanese castle located in Kumamoto in Kumamoto Prefecture. It was a large and extremely well fortified castle built during the old Edo period, which was about 400 years ago but it suffered severe damage in the civil war. Only a few of the current smaller buildings are original. The main castle building and some of the towers were such as the castle keep (天守閣 tenshukaku) were reconstructed in 1960 but several ancillary wooden buildings remain intact of the original castle. Kumamoto Castle is considered one of the three premier castles in Japan, along with Himeji Castle and Matsumoto Castle.
This was certainly a popular tourist attraction as this became the only place where we got to meet tourists from Malaysia, Taiwan and China. Groups thronged the place with enthusiasm but the weather did not help. I was quite surprised at the unusually hot weather (considering it was now autumn) and unfortunately this hot and dry temperature followed us throughout the entire trip.
It was not a very pleasant experience to have to climb up the stairs (5 storeys in total) in this weather with minimal cooling ventilation. Each level showcased a different array of images of fearless warriors and exhibits of scrolls, samurai weapons and armours etc. The top floor however, commanded quite an excellent view of the city.
After the visit, we drove around the town to look for a suitable place for lunch. We did not manage to try the specialty - cheese cake because for some unknown reason, the GPS just could not help us locate that specific cafe for us. We ended up at a small local eatery for bowl of fried rice and a bowl of “太平燕”. Turned out to be quite satisfactory and the noodles was surprisingly Chinese style with clear chicken broth, loads of cabbage, bean sprouts, carrots and some slices of meat.
As we were running short of time, we did not explore the open mall any further but to start heading out to Kagoshima.
The ride was quite smooth and slowly we got used to the works of the GPS. By the time we reached and checked into the hotel, it was already late evening. We were certainly beat but the majestic view from our room window on Sakurajima and the sea was both calming and perplexing. Sakurajima, remains an active volcano and the ash that it spews can be quite frequent and at an alarming volume.
The evening ended with dinner at a chosen local eatery but this time, it turned out mediocre. Nonetheless, we looked forward to our further exploration the next couple of days.
No comments:
Post a Comment