Golden Week - Day Four - Kagoshima

Sunday morning, I was up at 7:00 and on the Tsubame Super Express bound for Shin Yasuhiro to transfer to the connecting Kyushu Shinkansen to Kagoshima-Chuo. The Tsubame trains are super nice, with nice wood paneling inside, and cushy seats. It was a short ride though, 35 minutes from Kumamoto to Shin Yasuhiro, and 30 minutes to Kagoshima.

Once I left the station, I went down the escalator and saw...

Abraham Lincoln? Or is that Louis Poole in a Halloween costume?

On the ferry to Sakura Jima, the active volcano, the koinobori (carp flags) were blowing in the wind. Unfortunately, it looked like a massive storm was brewing, and the wind picked up a lot.

Sakura Jima

On Sakura Jima island.

Oudoor foot onsen

It was a little hot, and turned my legs pink, but it was super relaxing. I could get used to this. I'm making a note to visit an onsen back in Kobe. I can't believe I still haven't done that yet.

Traveling alone can be very fun, because I can be completely selfish and I don't have to consider what anyone else wants to do or eat or see. However, it can be pretty lonely, too.

Riding a bike and taking photos at the same time. I'm such a multi-tasker.

DINOSAUR PARK! I was so happy.

ROAR I WILL EAT YOUR BABY

... AND YOUR OLD PEOPLE!

Me being a dinosaur. I had to put my camera in the basket of the bike I rented to take this photo.

Like I said before, I rented a bike. Dinosaur Park was up an INSANE hill, like, four switchbacks. I was breathing pretty hard when I finally reached the top. The bike itself was fine, but the brakes were SQUEAKY. It sounded like the Craken as I was riding down the ungodly switch-back slope from Dino Park.

After I took the ferry back to Kagoshima, I got on the wrong tram, and I asked a girl which one went to the station. She spoke great English and walked with me to the next stop for transfers. Kyushu really does have some super nice people.

The hostel was clean and safe, but if the other hostels were like Nordstrom's and Bloomingdale's, this one was like.... Wal-Mart. But hey cheap hostel right?