Off to NOBEOKA
Got away from Brisbane (Jetstar again) and had the first of many delays – about half an hour late taking off – no reason given. But we caught our flight in Sydney ok and then waited on the ground for another 45 minute delay due to a battery malfunction - but better on the ground than in the air – and we arrived in Osaka (KIX) at 9 pm only 30 minutes behind time.
Yasuko had researched our connections very well and we took the local (private) railway to Namba in the south of Osaka passing through Hagoromo where we lived for a while when we were building ships in Sakai (near Osaka) (about 35 years ago). A bit of nostalgia, but we didn’t stop the train. We took the subway to our hotel near Shin-Osaka station on the shinkansen (bullet train) line, ready for an early start in the morning for the 7 hour trip to Nobeoka.
It’s pleasant and comfortable riding the trains in Japan especially the shinkensen, where they deliver food and drinks to your seat. But we hadn’t remembered how many tunnels there are. There are lots of mountains in Japan and they just go right on through them plus under the water across the strait to Kyushu. Still, the countryside is pretty and the villages are interesting as you speed along – better than flying.
Arrived in the afternoon and visited the family – some of them anyway – and had some yakitori and sake to get in the mood. Next day there was a Matsuri (festival) in the street just across from our hotel, so we spent a few hours soaking up the culture and had some more yakitori and beer and sake.
It’s Ayu (river fish) season and we had some wriggling-fresh from the river which runs by the back door of the family house. The fat females with the roes cooked inside them are the specialty of the local restaurant.
Spent the next couple of daze visiting all the old friends and relatives , then it’s off to BEPPU hot springs for some a R & R.
