largest crater in the world!
Two days ago, I began a journey. After 5 hours, 4 trains, and God knows how many chapters in my book I arrived in Aso-san, a volcanic caldera stretching 25km in diameter in the centre of Kyushu. This picture perfect landscape was my three night stop over on the way to Beppu on the east coast and is of particular interest because the crater contains five volcanic cones, one of which called Naka-dake is still active, having last erupted back in 1993.
I have been staying in a B+B while I'm here, just for a change from all the hostels. It is called Pension Angelica (I'm pretty sure it has a website if anyone wants to google it) and is located on the south side of the caldera where unfortunately the JR trains do not run. This was my first experience of a private railroad in Japan and apart from having to pay (in a process exactly the same as the buses actually) it was a pleasant and somewhat entertaining experience.
The transit system in the area is fairly basic so I needed to rely rather heavily on the private rail system to go to and from the pension (JR still runs from a station in the west at the end of the private line and goes around the north of the crater so its not too bad). I arrived late in the afternoon and was picked up from the Takamori Station by the son that works at the pension along with his Mother and Father (his brother as it turns out is the guy who runs the Khaosan in Fukuoka where I stayed). After washing up and sorting things out I went downstairs to the bar and met a German couple, who I had actually met previously in Nagasaki. Again, small world!
The next day we all set out early to Naka-dake, driven by the father in the mini-van, which saved us paying for the private line, grabbing the JR line and then paying for a bus to get there. Unfortunately, although the rain from the previous day had cleared and it was lovely and sunny, the wind was blowing in the wrong direction and the crater observation point was closed because of the poisonous sulphuric gases. They're a bit strict about it since three people died up on the crater once.
So instead we went to another volcanic cone and after a brief tour of the volcano museum, hiked up to the top for some decent views of the other peaks.
And that was the first full day at Aso-san. We went back to the pension and relaxed in the onsen, then spent the evening in the bar with the owners (we were the only three guests then).
The next day, just as the others were setting off for Sakurajima brought the news that Zones A, B, and C were open at the crater. I rushed to get my things together and caught the ride to the JR in Tateno with them where we said goodbye and went opposite ways on the train line. Arriving at Naka-dake 2 hours after getting to Tateno station - don't ask - I was half expecting it to already be closed again but it wasn't and I caught the ropeway up to the crater.
It felt hyped after all I'd been through to see it, but was still a spectacular sight. I don't think the photos really do it justice but there's one of me in there since a police official was kind enough to offer to take one for me.
So there you have it, I've finally made it to the crater. The internet going slow, so I'm going to cut the one short now. To sum up I found a beautiful river, a lovely Japanese lady with two kids offered me a lift to the station in her car, and I had to walk an hour to the pension from the station at Takamori because in the rush that morning I forgot the piece of paper with their telephone number on it so I couldn't call them to pick me up. I wasn't too bad anyway, and I enjoyed the look through town.
I have been staying in a B+B while I'm here, just for a change from all the hostels. It is called Pension Angelica (I'm pretty sure it has a website if anyone wants to google it) and is located on the south side of the caldera where unfortunately the JR trains do not run. This was my first experience of a private railroad in Japan and apart from having to pay (in a process exactly the same as the buses actually) it was a pleasant and somewhat entertaining experience.
The transit system in the area is fairly basic so I needed to rely rather heavily on the private rail system to go to and from the pension (JR still runs from a station in the west at the end of the private line and goes around the north of the crater so its not too bad). I arrived late in the afternoon and was picked up from the Takamori Station by the son that works at the pension along with his Mother and Father (his brother as it turns out is the guy who runs the Khaosan in Fukuoka where I stayed). After washing up and sorting things out I went downstairs to the bar and met a German couple, who I had actually met previously in Nagasaki. Again, small world!
The next day we all set out early to Naka-dake, driven by the father in the mini-van, which saved us paying for the private line, grabbing the JR line and then paying for a bus to get there. Unfortunately, although the rain from the previous day had cleared and it was lovely and sunny, the wind was blowing in the wrong direction and the crater observation point was closed because of the poisonous sulphuric gases. They're a bit strict about it since three people died up on the crater once.
So instead we went to another volcanic cone and after a brief tour of the volcano museum, hiked up to the top for some decent views of the other peaks.
That's me, posing, with Naka-dake in the background. And these are the guy's I was out with.
We walked our way back to the crater to see if it was open yet since they open and close the observation point depending on the winds direct and the concentration of gases in what they class as zones A, B, C, and D.
It was still closed. We waited to see if it would change, and since we had to wait an hour for the next bus, it wasn't like there was much else to do. Back down in Aso-town we grab the train back around and got off a few stops early to have a look for some water springs that had been recommended. A great little trek through a sleepy village/'collection of relatively close houses and farms' got us to two wonderfully peaceful and picturesque streams.
We walked our way back to the crater to see if it was open yet since they open and close the observation point depending on the winds direct and the concentration of gases in what they class as zones A, B, C, and D.It was still closed. We waited to see if it would change, and since we had to wait an hour for the next bus, it wasn't like there was much else to do. Back down in Aso-town we grab the train back around and got off a few stops early to have a look for some water springs that had been recommended. A great little trek through a sleepy village/'collection of relatively close houses and farms' got us to two wonderfully peaceful and picturesque streams.
And that was the first full day at Aso-san. We went back to the pension and relaxed in the onsen, then spent the evening in the bar with the owners (we were the only three guests then).
The next day, just as the others were setting off for Sakurajima brought the news that Zones A, B, and C were open at the crater. I rushed to get my things together and caught the ride to the JR in Tateno with them where we said goodbye and went opposite ways on the train line. Arriving at Naka-dake 2 hours after getting to Tateno station - don't ask - I was half expecting it to already be closed again but it wasn't and I caught the ropeway up to the crater.
It felt hyped after all I'd been through to see it, but was still a spectacular sight. I don't think the photos really do it justice but there's one of me in there since a police official was kind enough to offer to take one for me.
So there you have it, I've finally made it to the crater. The internet going slow, so I'm going to cut the one short now. To sum up I found a beautiful river, a lovely Japanese lady with two kids offered me a lift to the station in her car, and I had to walk an hour to the pension from the station at Takamori because in the rush that morning I forgot the piece of paper with their telephone number on it so I couldn't call them to pick me up. I wasn't too bad anyway, and I enjoyed the look through town.
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Those pictures are brilliant wish i was there, you could of used the back drop for one of your pictures for the gazette? just a thought. How's the japanese coming on? do you need it more where you are? bob