March 2, 2024
We arrived in sight of Japan this morning.around 5:45 at the harbor in Miami Kyushu City.
When we took the slow drive climbing to Chiran-Cho and the Samurai Houses. Each house is a different size and style. Some had thatched roofs while others had clay tile roofs of differing colors and styles.
We saw a dry garden with the ground covered in white gravel and large large rocks placed in just the right place. There were many neatly trimmed trees. The streets were lined with topiary trees and concrete drainage troughs ran fast and deep at the edge of the streets filled with clear water and koi fish. Birds were chirping in the tall cedar trees growing up straight as arrows reaching for the sky.
There were several houses to see here. The size is measured by how many tatami mats cover the floors. The weather couldn’t have been better.
The volcano in the distance is steaming and reminding us of the possibilities coming in the future. There is a long white plum of smoke being pushed away from us by the winds high off in the distance.
We had lunch today of pork and veggies, shabu shabu style. That is the process of cooking your own food in a small pot of boiling water in front of you, just in case you were not aware of what it is.
We then drove out to the light house at Cape Sata Observatory at Kirishima-Kinkowan National Park. We walked some distance with the sea on both sides of us. White caps could be seen off in the distance. Beautiful landscapes of cedar trees and tea plants were all around us. The smoke from the volcano rising in the distance. We are standing on the edge of “The Ring of Fire.”
What was that out in the water? Did you see it?
There is a legend here of a creature much like the one from Loch Ness in Scotland.
In this case, the mare Isshi, lived near Lake Ikeda, located o Kyushu Island in Kagoshima Prefecture, with her foal. When the latter was kidnapped by a samurai, Issie looked everywhere without finding him. She was so desperate that she threw herself into Lake Ikeda and her sadness turned her into a sea monster who sometimes surfaces looking for her missing offspring.
As usual, the guide was very knowledgeable and interesting.
__________ ___________ ____________
The video of my may 6th on stage true storytelling event is on Facebook and Instagram along with many photos and videos from my trips.