With knowledge that Takachiho Gorge (Takachiho-kyo) is a natural wonder, hubby decided at the last minute to visit this place before heading out to Mount Aso.
The weather remained hot as we drove towards our destination. As we neared Takachiho, we noticed quite a number of tour buses and private cars stopping at a small area where a couple of simple shops offering souvenirs and beverages were housed. It seemed that Takachiho drew tons of Japanese tourists but few foreigners. This was apparent since we were the only two foreigners amongst the sea of locals.
We decided to park alongside with the tour buses and walked downhill towards the gorge. The path was narrow and trailed along the edge of the gorge. Sheer grey cliffs with dense green foliage in some areas greeted us as we slowly paved our way along the path.
Partway along the gorge was the 17 meter high Minainotaki waterfall cascading downwards to the river below the gorge. The flowing water cooled the surroundings and provided a magnificent view that caught our breath away. Right below the waterfall, we were pleasantly surprised to see people rowing tiny boats near the waterfall. Apparently, the ride was a very pleasant one and provided one with a chance to view the grandeur of the waterfall from another perspective.
The gorge has a 600-meter long walking trail of which was decorated with varying flowers, maple trees etc. It would have been quite a sight to behold during the deeper autumn but we were equally enthralled by the nature's beauty throughout the walk.
As time was running short, we had to bid Takachiho farewell and quickly detoured to Takachiho Shrine. This was the first time I have ever stepped into a Japanese Shrine. As I walked up the stone stairs and heading towards the shrine, what strike me was the simple and e unpainted buildings that seemed to blend in naturally with the surrounding trees. And any natural light that filtered through the trees brought with it an air of calm and peaceful reverence. Both WY and I respectfully paid our respect prior to making our way to Mount Aso.
The drive was long and winding, slowly lurely me to slumberland... It wasn't until WY reached the top of Mt Aso that I became fully awake. *shy*
WY took a few quick shots before heading downwards again so that we could reach the farm in time for check in. It took us a while to find our way because the parking area for the farm stay was in reality two separate areas. We had to park our car, unload the stuff and literally carried the luggage through a trail of about 10-15 minutes walk prior to reaching the hotel.
The accommodation was uniquely designed in half-moon shaped, built in varying stone shapes and provided a clean and comfortable environment. It was almost like the fairy tales where little gnomes stayed in a community of stoned houses along the mountain slopes.
The night was cool and certainly a welcoming change to the perpetual hot weather. We had a simple dinner, rested and headed to try out the suana facilities. The offering was amazing with about 10-12 different kinds of saunas to cater for one's needs - medicinal or herbal types, different stones from amethyts to jade and even elements such as gold. I could not take the dry heat and was out within 10 minutes. Hubby was sturdy and literally went from one into another including the ice cold sauna for a try.
It certainly was a different experience and with this, we slept like babies till dawn. The morning saw us taking a dip into the hot bath prior to checking out.
The Aso Farmland essentially featured different products using the natural ingredients or produce from its farm such as milk, vegetables and fruits.
We did not linger too long at the farm and headed to Mt Aso. This is the largest active volcano in Japan and is among the largest in the world. Aso has one of the largestcaldera in the world (25 km north-south and 18 km east-west). The caldera has a circumference of around 120 km (75 mi), although sources vary on the exact distance.
Although the sulphur smell was quite difficult to bear, I remained excited as I walked towards the steaming crater. The peripheral of the crater saw only lava rocks without any greenery. The crater was 600 meters wide and 130 meters deep. The temperature of lava inside the crater was 1,000 to 1,200 degrees Celsius. The emerald green volcanic lake was quite a sight to behold and I was amazed that I actually thought that the lake looked like an inviting bath tub to all for an enjoyable soak.
There were quite a few shelters being built around the mountain area for emergency use, that is, in the event of an explosion or sudden spews of volcanic ashes visitors could take shelter in these stone huts. The active volcano, rugged landscape provided a different kind of world altogether and once again, I was in awe of the nature's beauty and power.
Having spent more time than expected on top of Mt Aso, we had to start heading out to another place - Kuju Flower Park.
I was suffering from massive headache because of the heat but when I saw the flowers at Kuju Flower Park, all the lethargy and pain melted away naturally. This park features all the four seasons of flowers throughout the year and regardless of when is your visit, you are greeted by the beauty of the seasonal floral arrangements. The 200,000m2 park area was simply covered in a bed of vibrantly coloured flowers with the Aso Kuju Mountains as the backdrop. And for the first time, we got to see in person the blossoming sunflowers as well! And housed amongst the vivid colours of the flowers, we found facilities such as the aromatherapy, dried flowers and ice-cream shop and restaurants, as well as the souvenir shops. We enjoyed ourselves tremendously and this was certainly a very charming flower park to visit before we head off to our next destination - Kurokawa Ryokan.
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