Yufu-dake, monkeys & drunken samurai-wanna-bees

The last weekend that my cousin Derek & my buddy Jerry were here, we all went with some friends to hike up Yufu-dake in nearby Oita-ken, which borders the Pacific Ocean on the other side of Kyushu.

Here's the group (minus Katsume, who took the photo).
Back row: (L to R) Jerry, Derek & Me
Front Row: (L to R) Keiko, Ryisuko, Misako & the giggly one is Serenity.

The trail was beautiful, first going through green forests & ferns.

Near the very top, the trees were gone and the trail wound through pink azaleas. You can see the crater (it's an old volcano) to the left, and there were two peaks to climb. The clouds/steam made a wall of white so it was hard to see into the crater.

Derek & me up on the rock, Katsume below at the summit of the easier of the two peaks.

The other peak was steeper and more challenging.

Katsume scaling up the steep walls.

Serenity had no problems.

And Derek was just showing off.


At the top, the clouds moved in.

Katsume at the edge of the world.

Serenity & I at the summit.

Derek doing his best Rocky Balboa impression at the top.


That night we all rented a big house in the town of Yufuin which sat at the bottom of the mountain.

Everyone enjoying BBQ & beer after a long hike.

Misako tending the BBQ - Japanese style. Small, thin pieces of meat and vegetables are cooked and everyone kind of picks them off and eats as they are cooked.

I think Katsume's making fun of my traditional Japanese style housecoat.


Remember what I wrote earlier about Jerry spitting up while in Japan?

Pretty sure this was taken right before he did...on the tatami mat. And his Japanese housecoat. And his bathrobe. No more sake for Jerry.


The next morning, slightly hungover, we headed out.

No, wait...that's not us. But we felt similar. Especially Jerry.


We visited a nearby mountain where wild monkeys still inhabit part of Japan.

Well, I say wild, but they are fed now by keepers. There was a problem with monkeys attacking people for food, so they've kind of cordoned off the area. But there are no cages, and these guys just run wild between your legs.

And being in Japan, of course you are subjected to second-hand smoke...even if you are a monkey.

Derek & Jerry on the opposite side of the Pacific Ocean from where they normally reside. This is about the same latitude as San Diego.


Last we visited a natural hot spring, where the extremely hot mineral water has turned the pool red. This is not for bathing - just looking.

Serenity & me in front of "Blood red Hell," as it was called.

How romantic.