Fukuoka Ladies and Kagoshima Gentlemen

It is now my turn to attempt to write a blog post from aboard the Shinkansen or the bullet train and let me tell you- it is fast!! We are currently cruising along at 250mph through mountains; pine trees keep rushing past as we dart in and out of the tunnels. It feels like being part of an episode of the Jetsons. Our first stop was a town called Fukuoka (cue giggling at the funny name).  There wasn't that much ‘to do’ there, we mainly wandered around the streets, Matt enjoyed ogling the 'worlds most beautiful women' (they were very pretty) and we visited Japans biggest wooden Buddha (it was very big, and made of wood). Our hotel was located right next to a bar, shopping and restaurant complex called Canal City which was a nice place to just relax and walk along the canal. 

It was then time to jump back on the Shinkansen to our next destination Kagoshima. You can tell that Matt planned this part of the trip as when I opened the guide book on our way there the first thing written about it was the very much living volcano which causes residents to raise their umbrellas against the mountains recurrent ablutions. Sounds relaxing!

I wonder what is hiding behind that rather large boat?

That would be an actual live volcano! Not sure what Matt is up to though. 

Turns out Kagoshima is a very beautiful city, cosmopolitan with lots of shops and high rise buildings but then always as the backdrop the beautiful volcano. On our first day we did another first –a sightseeing bus. It was actually a great way to get around and we were able to get closer to the volcano (close enough for me, maybe not for Matt). We also stumbled upon an anti nuclear protest, which had a great atmosphere. We enjoyed talking to some of the people and listening to some live music.

Coffee stop!

Night time Kagoshima

Band warming up.

The next day Matt had arranged a train trip that sounded great for a lazy Sunday afternoon, for actual details about it checkout this link and here. I assumed it would be an old train that would take us up a mountain and through some beautiful scenery.

We boarded the train and even for a non-train-geek it was a pretty train, with wooden seating and floors it felt very grand. Adjacent to our seats a group of 5, shall we say, older gentlemen with glints in their eyes had already settled in and had the beer flowing. As Matt stood up to put away our luggage he was Konnichiwaed and asked his name, the men were overjoyed that we had decided to join them on the trip and proceeded to hand us a glass of beer. Not bad for Sunday morning.

Our new friends

They then continued to banter with us as the train started to leave the station, giving Matt a suspiciously official looking hat to wear, that we later discovered they had stolen from the attendant. One of the men then offered us a large sandwich, we explained that we were vegetarian but we were reassured that it was a potato and vegetable sandwich, so we gratefully accepted it (I’m sure my mom once mentioned something about not accepting food from drunken people on trains, but I digress).

Cant take him anywhere. 

The sandwich actually contained everything but potato and vegetables, but was nice all the same. The hatless attendant then presented us with two bottles of beer, courtesy of the men behind us, who were by now very, very merry and enjoying quite loudly their train trip, along with Matt! I wondered if their wives knew this is how they spent every Sunday? So our sophisticated train journey had turned into a booze cruise- insert comment about how you can take the girl out of Birmingham….

The ladies in pink are giving out free food. Just because. 

I look out the window and this is what I see...

Ringing the bell for true happiness. As you do. 

By now we were 10 minutes into our journey, I had a beer drinking Matt complete with conductors hat sitting to my left just as the men’s dinner arrived, they had ordered bento boxes and a vegetarian one for us, I could not believe their kindness and hospitality. The bento box was made of bamboo and full of unidentifiable but delicious foods that had clearly been expertly prepared and yes they did appear to be vegetarian! Half an hour into the journey we were full and onto our 3rd beer. The men had all fallen asleep, missing the beautiful scenery going past outside. It reminded me of Christmas day after the Queen’s speech. It was after all an amazing way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Parties over!

That hat was pretty nice!