Trapped In a Bamboo Forest!

Trapped In a Bamboo Forest!

Good morning for my wonderful view. Wandered the streets a little bit yesterday and today I’m going to take a ferry and go climb partway up a volcano. Sakurajima. Unfortunately, I think most of the hike is on a road. Going to be walking up a road to a viewpoint. I think that’s as good as it gets. Anyways, uh about a kilometer and a half walk to the ferry. I’ll uh grab a coffee on the way cuz there’s tons of proper coffee shops and then start checking up the roads. Yesterday there was a literally a coffee shop every other corner. With my luck I won’t find anything all the way to the ferry. All the way to the ferry kilometer and a half and not one coffee shop. [Music] This also happens to be Golden Week in Japan, which is one of Japan’s busiest holidays. A whole week of festivities with four different holidays packed into one week. We have Shawa Day, which is the birthday of Emperor Showa. We have Constitutional Day, which celebrates the promulgation, a word I’ve never heard before, of the Constitution of Japan in 1947. Greenery Day, which is dedicated to the environment. And Children’s Day to celebrate the happiness and well-being of children. Who cares? So, I think I’m lucky that I’m in a more out of the way place for this uh golden week. If I was in a busier city, I think it would be a complete nightmare. So far, I haven’t noticed any uh ill effects, but maybe on the weekend when things will really be kicking off. There is not much on Sakurajima, but there is a Lawson, which is like a convenience store, 7-Eleven type thing. They don’t have cappuccinos, they have lattes, which is basically the same thing. There’s I don’t even know the difference. some mixture with the milk or something. It’s not very good, but it’s all I got. Anyway, I’m heading somewhere up in there right now. Pretty sure that little hut, if you can see it, is where I’m going. Seems to make sense that that would be the lookout [Music] path. So, I took it. It was supposed to get me like a shortcut way to the main road. But then I come to this rock wall. I’m obviously in some kind of a a flood trow. If I’m in a flash flood right now, I’m doomed. But they were nice enough to include this ladder for me to escape and get up and out. So, I’m going to give that a whirl. It’s also spider filled, so I need a spider stick. Sketchy. Yeah. Okay. Okay, at least it’s more interesting than the road as these little mini waterfalls are just high enough that I can’t climb over them. I have to keep trudging through the muddy bush. Huh. Basically trying to get through this bamboo forest. Maps me says 140 m as the crow flies. So all I need to do is find a relatively unimpeded path. [Applause] Well, now this is really bizarre. It’s actually showing me on a road. It’s not even like I’m on an old road. There’s literally nothing here. Never mind. I found it. Maps me. It’s just slightly off on the GPS. So, I got to take the road all the way around here and loop back just up there. It’s like just 100 m up there. I think over a kilometer looping around the road. I can’t believe there’s no trail through there. This is still very much an active volcano. It last erupted in February of 2024. It could blow at any time. [Music] [Applause] with the whole family. Okay, start the 6 kilometers back down the road. Not bushwhacking this time. I don’t know what they’re trying to trap. Been here a long time and I don’t think they’re going to be trapping anything. There’s a foot bath at the end of this trip. That feels good. That was a nice little treat. Little soak for my weary feet at the end. And now it’s a short walk to the ferry and then we’ll head back over. [Music] Still haven’t managed to find a coffee shop. I’m sure I’ll pick something lame and then I’ll find the perfect spot. But in my wanderings, I found the the Gorman Gate. It’s part of the Tsuru Maru Castle ruins. It was rebuilt and it’s the largest gate of its kind in Japan. It was restored in 2020 for the first time in 150 years. Well, let’s go walk through it. [Music] The castle was the main residence of the Shimadzu clan of the Satsuma domain. Okay. I’m at some random place. A 99 yen drink, which is like a dollar. I don’t know what it is. It’s a highball. Can’t be very good, I’m sure. Thank goodness for uh a Google Translate picture because I can read the menu. There’s my eyeball and an appetizer. [Music] Noodles. It’s fine. Now for the drink. Tastes like beer mixed with soda or something. They have this all you can eat drink and food option for 22 bucks. I’ll just do that. And he’s like, you need a reservation. Doesn’t say anything on the menu about a reservation. Good morning from Kagoshima. On the move again. Get to the ferry for 8:30. That’s going to take me to Yakushima. It’s about a 4-hour ferry ride. Tiny little island. And that’s the furthest south I’ll be on this trip. I’m going to go there for a few days. I’m going to try and rent a car, but it seemed all booked up and it was really complicated to try and figure out the online systems. None of it was working. and I had a hotel call for me and a couple of no answers and then one place didn’t have any cars. I may end up with a scooter or something, but apparently it rains a lot on this island so I could end up getting wet. Hopefully I end up with a car for a couple days and uh can get around the island cuz it’s weak on public transport apparently. It was pricey, but I managed to find not a cappuccino. They don’t have cappuccinos here. Like I said, I think yesterday maybe it’s all lattes. Six bucks. 60 bucks. Got my ticket. It comes with a disclaimer. Apparently, there’s stormy conditions and the boat may have to turn back. So, my whole plan may fall apart. Let’s cross our fingers. They say it could take 8 hours if we turn back, but it’s 4 hours to get there. We’ll just wait and see and hope for the best. Oh, there’s even a theater. Wonder if we’ll get a show on board. If not, maybe I can put one on. [Music] All right, we’ve uh made it to Yakushima. A little rough, but not really bad at all. Anyways, I’ll exit and try a few car places. I’m not going to waste all afternoon mcking about. So, if I can get a scooter, I’ll do that. And if it rains, oh well, I’ll get wet. I’ve got the possibility of a car at the information center. They made some phone calls and I’m looking for Testino. It’s getting windy and cloudy and looks like unpleasant weather, which is what they say. It rains here quite a lot. So, I’d prefer some wheels rather than a scooter. Hopefully, I can make it to Destino before I get soaked. Thank you. Here is my wheels. All right. Really going to have to focus on the road and driving cuz when you drive on the wrong side, you can’t lapse for a second or you just drift over. I’m driving in Japan. I made it just in time to get the car and everything cuz now it is absolutely pouring. Okay. Okay. Hi. plan on it. I forgot to bring the camera, but the owner of this establishment was hilarious cuz he speaks no English, but is constantly talking to the phone and the translations are a bit iffy, but you get the gist of it. So, quite funny. We got this whole yurt to myself. He said it was going to rain heavily tonight, but uh the weather right now looks okay for tomorrow, but it could be mucky. Anyway, uh going to get myself settled and then maybe grab some grub a waterfall and get soaked in the process. This is the San Peronotaki waterfall. Monkeys now. 7:00. Back in my little yurt. I just did a little uh recon mission. Super uh annoying. That’s where I saw the monkeys and the deer. The hike I want to do tomorrow, you can only get there by a shuttle bus. There’s nowhere to park up by the trail. And the shuttle bus is 20 bucks. It only leaves between 5 and 6:00 in the morning and comes back between 4 and 5 in the afternoon. So, I’m kind of hooped. I have to get up super early. And if I finish early, then I’m kind of screwed. I’ll be stuck waiting around doing nothing, picking my nose. Going to look at some maps and see if there’s another option for something else that I want to do. But uh otherwise I’ll be up super early and getting ripped off on this $20 shuttle bus. Other than that, I’m going to uh have a little sushi snack before bed and then just crash. It’s pouring out and not much else to do. So, see you guys in the morning.

I explore Kagoshima and head over to Sakurajima volcano where I get trapped in a bamboo forest. I get a ferry to Yakushima Island where I get stuck in a downpour and prepare for a big hiking day.

Please like and subscribe
https://www.instagram.com/p/CLKCPFTD8…
Donate: https://wildlifeact.com/donate/
Music by https://www.free-stock-music.com
https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free…

#Road tripping adventures
#Adventure camping
#tenere700
#Motorcycle adventures
#Dual sport
#japan
#japanese
#Nepal
#Everest
#Everest Base Camp
#Pixabay music content:
Music by Bill Shortridge from Pixabay
Music by Vlad Krotov from Pixabay
Music by Back_Drop from Pixabay
Music by Retrositive from Pixabay
Music by FASSounds from Pixabay
Music by Alex Cristoforetti from Pixabay
Music by 9JackJack8 from Pixabay
Music by prowellonxpranay 2p from Pixabay
Music by 9JackJack8 from Pixabay