Kyushu 九州 Trip - Best of the rest

eeny meeny miny mo

 100 Yen loop bus taking you around the city centre of Fukuoka

Special guide dog toilet - not sure if the signs are for the guide dogs or the blind people?!

Surely Yadoya is the name of the hotel......

The warmest outside temperature was 27C.

Cobble path in Nonohana (野の花)

The extended sakura season - shortly after a drizzle.

Sakura in the morning

Onsen bath attached to the room (露天風呂付き部屋) in Nonohana (野の花)

Onsen Egg, the natural way

Onsen Pass in Kurokawa (黒川)

Thought our parking lot is tight!! Kurokawa (黒川)

One of the many feral cats in Kurokawa (黒川)

Look out for cows and horses. En route to Mount Aso (阿蘇山)

Taking a break on top of Mount Aso (阿蘇山)

Japanese Giant Hornet (オオスズメバチ) - kills about 40 people on average in Japan every year. Of course, mum had no idea when dad urged her to take a closer look at the beast!!

Luck and fortune are literally in your hand.

Guys need to throw it into small puddle of water at the back of the rock turtle using their left hands and girls do it with their right hands. Mum got one in. Yahoo!!

The taxi rank outside JR Hakata station

Driving in Kyushu 九州 - Scenic Shots

Colder than usual spring gave a longer sakura season this year. Sakura blossoms were still everywhere towards the end of April. En route from Yufuin(湯布院) to Beppu(別府).

Kokonoe Dream Suspension Bridge (九重夢大吊り橋)

Kokonoe Dream Suspension Bridge (九重夢大吊り橋)

Kokonoe Dream Suspension Bridge (九重夢大吊り橋)

Hot spring water streaming down in Kurokawa (黒川)

Kurokawa (黒川)

En route to Mount Aso (阿蘇山)

Mount Aso (阿蘇山)

Sunasenri (砂千里), literally a thousand mile of sand. Certainly looked like it in this picture.

Komezuka (米塚)

Takachiho (高千穂) - a romantic row down the narrow gorge

Takachiho (高千穂) - the waterfall splashes over your head

Monster wash-board in Aoshima (青島 鬼の洗濯板)

Saikai bridge (西海橋) between Sasebo City (佐世保市) and Saikai City (西海市)

Shin Saikai bridge (新西海橋) left and Saikai bridge (西海橋)

Shin Saikai bridge (新西海橋)

Night view in Nagasaki (長崎の夜景)

Kyushu 九州 Trip - Can't Stop Dreaming about the Food!!

The slab of Kumamoto (熊本) beef served to all the diners in Nonohana (野の花) in Kurokawa(黒川) that evening.

Shabu shabu in Zen(禅), Miyazaki(宮崎)
宮崎県宮崎市中央通1番19号

Teppanyaki in Imari (伊万里), Imari Beef on the right

Shabu shabu in Saga (佐賀)

Looks like beef, taste almost like beef but they are Kumamoto specialties, Horse sashimi (馬刺).

Superb value Sushi lunch at Hyoutan Sushi (ひょうたん寿司)
福岡県福岡市中央区天神2-10-20
The abalone (アワビ) is so fresh that it crawls away from the rice ball!!

Finest quality fatty tuna belly (極上大トロ)
 Hyoutan Sushi (ひょうたん寿司)
福岡県福岡市中央区天神2-10-20

Too hungry to worry about taking pictures. The chicken was heavenly though!!
 Yakitori in Ichiro(一郎), Miyazaki(宮崎)
宮崎県宮崎市中央通2-13

Black curry croquette in Kurokawa (黒川). The white one was good but the black one was really special.

Onsen egg. If you can get a constant 65C hot water bath going, you can also get something like this. Sous vide cooking.

Lobster Miso soup (伊勢エビみそ汁) from along the coast of Aoshima (青島)

Wiggling legs of the lobster, probably not for the faint-hearted

Uni picked up along the coastline of Aoshima (青島)