President's Weekend Beppu Onsen Trip

Well, it's early morning, and we're departing Iwakuni -- off on our 5-1/2 hour bus trip to Beppu for a relaxing weekend. Umi is our guide this weekend -- she's up front welcoming us aboard.

















This is our tour bus at a rest area. It's been raining on and off, but not very cold. Last time we took this trip 2 years ago, it was snowing through the mountain passes.

We've stopped at the rest area where the big bridge goes from Honshu Island to Kyushu Island. This is a beautiful rest area & there is always lots of sea activity here.

















Pam & Jake enjoying our stop.

















This sign for Blue Seal was above an ice cream shop at the rest area. At the bottom of the sign it says, "Born in America Since 1948" Huh - I was born in America since 1947!

A giant "good fortune" cat alongside the road as we pass through a town.





















Very detailed instructions to flush the auto-flush potty.
















Although it's common to see extra rolls of TP in the stall, these are green & pink -- very unusual! (hmmm . . . I always have to wonder how long these would last in an American public restroom.)

Margie taking a picture of fresh flowers in this rest stop potty. They are always very large and very clean. They're unheated though, so the heated seats REALLY are nice in winter!

















There were some vendors set up at the rest area. It's just stopped raining, but the ground is very wet.

Farmland along the highway -- some of the young plants are covered with plastic.

















Looking through the front window of the bus, you can see an overhead highway sign, indicating that that it's raining. Each time we drove through an interchange, we had to stop at a tollbooth. The ETC lane is for commuters who have an electronic pass. They only have to slow down & drive through.

We're way up on a hill, and our guide tells us these screens along the tollroad can be raised when the wind is high to help prevent buffeting of vehicles.

















This is our last rest stop before arriving in Beppu. That's it in the distance with the Seto Inland Sea beyond. If we could see far enough, we could see Iwakuni all the way across . . . but we had to drive in a big circle (almost) to get here by land.

Pam & Jake walk from the bus for our lunch break -- our last break before we arrive in Beppu. Rest stops on the toll-roads here have everything you need, including several choices of restaurants, gift shops, large clean potties, and many even have gas stations. If you exit the toll-road to go to the nearest town, you have to pay, but the rest stops are exempt & supply everything one needs.


















This is the kaki furai (fried oyster) special, which included miso soup, salad & pickles. It was all yummy and the oysters were fresh & crunchy on the outside & moist on the inside!
















Stan had the other special, which included a small hamburger patty, a couple of small fried chicken pieces and a breaded yellow squash, along with noodles, slaw & rice. His soup was either squash or pumpkin -- it was bright yellow and it was delicious (we traded soups)!

Jigoku Meguri -- Famous Hell Tour

We've arrived in Beppu and our first stop is Hell. Jigoku takes its meaning "burning hell" from the ancient Buddhist sutras of the East. It is reminiscent of the hellish dipictions portrayed in Dante's poem. This tour is a very famous tourist attraction. We're entering Umi Jigoku -- Sea Hell. Hmmm -- Hell is a lot more appealing than we imagined . ..

Lucky coin toss in this hot pool.

Why, Jake backs up to the hot steam like a Southerner . . .

Jake & Pam

Who's that appearing out of the steam?

Oh, it's Margie & Stan!

A blooming plum tree.




















This whole area has been carefully landscaped to make it safe for people to get very close to the hot steam -- unlike Yellowstone where it's still very fragile and natural. The pole holds a basket of eggs that are cooked in the hot water & sold in the gift shop. Since the steam in this pool smells like sulphur, we're told the eggs taste the same . . .

Umi Jigoku is called Sea Hell because it looks like the sea. Our guide reminded us that the water here is too hot for bathing -- it's just to look at.















The palm trees are a little scorched from the hot steam.

You can see the red torii gates behind this beautiful steaming pool. It reminds us of Morninglory pool at Yellowstone Park.
















Flowers do bloom in Hell.

What does this sign say?



















Oh, "Hot Spring of a Leg" -- OK.
















It points to this hot foot bath where you can warm your legs.
















Oranges floating to scent the hot water.

Early azaleas & late camellias love this warm, steamy environment.















We've now crossed into Oniishi Bozu-Jigoku -- Shaven Head Hell, so called because the large and small bubbles of hot gray mud that boil up, are reminiscent of the shaven heads of monks.

Margie's hair is steamed flat, but I've enjoyed the facial. Bloop, bloop.

Stan is fascinated with the bubbling mud. Bloop, bloop, bloop, bloop . . .


















I liked this pot stand in the park.

Hot steam in this area that reminds us both of Yellowstone Park in the US.
















This man is pulling up weeds one at a time.

Bloop, bloop . . .
















A little bridge in the middle of this mud pot. Bloop . . .
















BLOOP!

A beautiful man-made stream.