Kurokawa Onsen

The fast is over!! Happy new year! :)

Since today is a national holiday, Erica, Terumi and I made plans to spend the day at Kurokawa onsen in Kumamoto, where the ryokans (Japanese style hotels) are often booked upward of 6 months (according to one of my teachers).

On our way through the Aso area, the normally lush looking green hills were all black..looked like the aftermath of a war..!

Apparently, burning the ground allows for better harvest the following year.

It was quite a long way to get to Kurokawa, but it was well worth the drive...it's a goregous area , with quaint narrow little streets, surrounded by lots of greenery and has TONS of onsens.


We spent the day dipping in different onsens and just taking it easy..

On our way back to the port, while driving along a narrow road we find ourselves facing a bus coming in the opposite direction...the road was not wide enough to accommodate both the bus and the car, so we had to reverse a good 25-30 meters to a point where the road widens ever slightly to allow the bus to go by.

I wonder if this is the bus' regular route?...

Despite the crazy driving (which I've become more or less accustomed to), it was a very relaxing day, spent in good company!