Anna! Anna Look! It's a Real Smoking Volcano!
Trip Start
Dec 01, 1999
1
55
103
Trip End
Aug 31, 2000
Kagoshima,
Kyushu-Okinawa,
Japan
Saturday, February 26, 2000
Knock Knock Knock!
There it was again.
Stupid Japanese YHA daytime curfews!
We tried to ignore it but he kept returning and returning and returning.
Soon we found ourselves back in the streets of Ibusuki. We really wanted to stay for another few days but Anna had already organsed to meet people on the Okinawa Islands and I figured I'd go see her off on the ferry and check out Kagoshima city for a day or two before moving on and waiting for Anna's email to let me know when she had returned from the islands.
So we happily trained it the rest of the way to Kagoshima.
What happened next is something I hope to always remember.
After leaving the train station we found a little Information Booth and began asking questions about Anna's ferry. I heard some beeping and turned around to see what was happening and what I saw I didn't register for a few seconds. There I stood half turned and frozen. I soon began tapping Anna on the shoulder and dumbly repeating her name over and over whilst still frozen and half turned.
She asked what the matter was and I some how said 'It's a volcano, it's a volcano and it's alive!'
I had never seen a volcano before and right there across the bay was a real live smoking volcano. I was stunned and just stood there. Anna stopped her questions and we both stood in silence for a short time. She then began saying that she didn't want to go to the islands anymore and wanted to come with me and stay on the volcano island.
Sadly she had already made plans that involved others so after a very late lunch we found ourselves sadly waving good bye to each other as her ferry left its doc.
BUGGER!
I spent the next few hours walking around the city and in the late afternoon I boarded a ferry and soon stepped upon my first volcanic island (which really is attached to the mainland by a land bridge created along time ago during a volcanic eruption). The day was fading and I really had no idea where the YHA was so stupidly I didn't crab a cab and decided to find it on foot.
Great idea in the fast becoming darkness!
In the end I found it and had a well earned beer and sat talking to the few Japanese tourists that were there who were leaving the following day. Later in the evening I ventured down stairs and lay and relaxed in the hot spring bath for about an hour or so before joining the guys back in the lounge for more beer and chat.
The Hot Spring bath was beautiful and a hell of a lot more comfortable than the Sand Bath the night before!
Beers N Cheers toya...shane
Accommodation: &nbs p; Sakurajima Youth Hostel
Hakama - goshi
SAKURAJIMA - cho JAPAN
Ph: 0992 932 150
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The soundtrack to this entry was by the beautiful Nora Jones
The album was 'Come Away With Me'
