Hello,
This month I went to Japan for a long weekend with a Korean friend and I had my first hiking trip in Korea.

Japan was just as nice as the 1st time I went there. On this occasion I went to a small touristic village called Yufuin. The highlights of my journey were the Ryokan and the hot spring (spa). The Ryokan is a traditional Ja...

Today was the climb of Yufu Dake, the nearby mountain. Fortunately, the rain finally cleared to allow our ascent- I really wouldn't have fancied doing it in the rain, and it was muddy enough as it was. The climb was pretty hard work (I'm not exactly one of nature's hikers), with slopes of steep, slate-like scree, though with a reasonable amount ...

A two hour train ride today, followed by a transfer to a second train. We were quite surprised when, about 20 minutes into the ride, two stewardesses came into the carriage, bearing a small banner and four hats. It appears that, given this particular train route is mostly used by tourists, passengers are encouraged to pose for photos while weari...

Yufuin, June 19 Miles travelled: 81810 We are on the home stretch of the trip. After some hectic travel and fairly intense cultural sightseeing, we are in more relaxed and scenic areas, showing another side of Japan. Yufuin is known for its hot springs resorts, as the area is volcanic. We stayed in a cute (almost sickeningly cute) guesthouse wit...