A stroll through Hell

The air was heavy with the rotten egg stench of sulfur. The steam from the bubbling cracks in the ground shrouded the area in an eerie, ghostly white. An occasional gurgle also escaped from the yellow earth, almost in a vain attempt to beg forgiveness and a respite from this desolate place.

The path wound through cracked and jagged terrain. With each gust of wind I was assaulted with more of the old, rubbery egg stench. Yellow stained rocks comprised the walkway through these "hells". After I rounded a bend I saw a sign naming one particular hell for a woman who murdered her husband and was later executed. The spring apparently erupted shortly afterwards.

The area was laden with pine trees, bending and twisting like the souls of the condemned. which secluded the area even more, giving it an even more of a dark and scary hell-like quality. I certainly felt an uncomfortable sensation of dread and the lack of desire to spend much time there.

Approaching the top of a hill I could begin to hear a horrid, high pitched yell. A churning, choking, gasping sound that gave the area an even more awful character. That particular hell was aptly named the "Screaming Hell". A violent torrent of steam shoots from a vent in the earth causing a very convincing screaming sound. Perhaps those fated to hell did in fact reside here. Again the ambiance of this place was very dark. A scream of a crow briefly cut through the howling of the damned and another gust of foul air hit me.

As I walked through the hot spring hell I could feel a sense of isolation even though this place was in the midst of a small town. The place was hot and was drenched in the terrible odor of sulfur. The white, sharp, jagged rocks and the turmoil of the steaming water lent itself perfectly to the image of hell and it is certainly a place I would not want to be condemned to for eternity.

This area, although being called Hell, and definitely deserving of the name, is actually a hot springs resort near Nagasaki city. They are so named "Hell" because of the stark and forbidding landscape and of the intensity of the hot springs themselves. It is harsh and forbidding, a perfect picture of the stereotypical Hell.

After a about thirty minutes, my stomach could take no more of the heat and stench. I turned back towards the area I had come from and plunged into the white plumes of steam, returning again to the land of the living.

Kaisho no mori

Never listen to weather reports without observing the weather yourself. Building your plans around them can be frustrating and potentially disasterous. I found this out in part today.

Yesterday the forcast was for thunderstorms all day today in the Seto area. As such, my fiance and I decided to hunker down and spend the day inside and to not heed our normal bed time. This morning when we woke up at the nice hour of 9, we couldn't help but notice the bright sunshine streaming into our bedroom window.

While eating breakfast we decided to scrap our plans and revert to Plan B. Plan B entailed going on a hike somewhere in our immediate area. We thought about Inuyama or the EXPO park, but we eventually decided on Kaisho no mori, a wooded area rather near to my fiance's mother's house. We hastily packed our bags and set out, on foot, for our destination.

The sun beat down on our necks as we navigated city streets drawing ever closer to Kaisho no mori. We consumed quite a bit of our water before we even set food in the woods. To rectify this we stopped at the last convenience store on our path for some supplies.

Resupplied we continued toward our goal.

It was surprising how suddenly and completely the transition from city to backwoods happened. One minute we were in the middle of a nice suburban community and with the turn of a corner we were in a deep, rather dark forest. This area was pretty nice. It was originally a small farming village until the early 20th century when its residents began to head to the city for work and a new lifestyle. Now it is a protected forest and leisure hiking site for local people.

I thought it looked like a setting for a horror movie. All it lacked were scary residents, staring you down. There were times that if felt eerily like someone or something was about to reveal itself to us and then hunt us down and eat us. The fiance, more than a couple times, wimpered and muttered that the area looked as if ghosts should populate it. I didn't disagree.

Other than its supernatural aura, it was a great hike. The scenery was great and offered itself to the imagination. At one point the air was thick with the scent of cedar. It was truly a nice hike.

It wasn't hard like Gozaisho was either. There were a few inclines and some uneven parts, but most people could handle it. However, there were times that the path was less than ambiguous and it really looked like we were about be kidnapped to be part of some mountain person's dinner. Also, you must be a little adventurous and very observant. Most places have signs indicating where to go, but some do not. The path for pond (one of the main attractions of this area) is not marked well at all. In fact, if someone had not written on a "Fires Prohibited" sign and indicated the way, we would have missed it altogether.

I did the hike in shorts, but there were some areas that pants would have been preferable. Tall grasses and weeds often line the path and my legs are full of red marks from those obstacles. As with most forest paths, hiking boots are recommended. Kaisho no mori can be done in shoes, but as mentioned above, some places are a bit tricky and the added support and traction of boots came in handy.

Overall it was a great hike and it was a great way to get out of the house and enjoy some sunshine. If you do choose this place, please be aware that Japanese adders call this place home, so exercise caution.

Mt. Gozaisho

I like hiking. I've been doing it since I was a kid. I love being outdoors and being in touch with nature. It's just peaceful and calming.

When I returned to Japan 10 days ago, my buddy Patrick almost immediately sent me an invite to climb a mountain with him and our friend Paul. I was a bit jet lagged still and didn't really want to go, but the promise of hanging out with two of my good friends changed my mind.

The mountain in mind was Gozaisho in the Suzuka Range. It sits basically on the border of Mie and Shiga prefectures. The best way to get there is by car, but it is also on the Kintetsu Yunoyama line. Yunoyama station is the terminus for the line and the closest station the the mountain.

My fiance packed me a nice lunch (full of energy promoting goodness) and I packed my bag. I was up early the next morning (partially in thanks to the jet lag) and was actually 15 minutes or so early. Patrick grabbed Paul and I at the 7-11 in Komaki city and we were off.

The initial parts of the mountain were pretty easy. Things started off in a nice little forest and the weather was dry and cool. Very quickly, however, it became much more challenging. The path began going up steep embankments and would at times disappear entirely. Still the weather was on our side and it was enjoyable talking with my friends.

The path continued with it's unpredictability. We would be on somewhat level terrain and suddenly the path would veer right and we'd be climbing a steep wall of rock or muddy forest. Sometimes we needed the small trees that lined the path to help pull us up. It was pretty fun actually.

Though the weather was cool we still took frequent water breaks and other rest breaks (I'm not in the best of shape right now). This was probably the hardest mountain I've climbed to date. Fuji was taller, but the terrain was not as crazy and the slope was more moderate. Ibukiyama was tough, but due to the uneven terrain of Gozaisho, it wins the hardest mountain award.

It was funny seeing the people at the top of the mountain who took the cable car. They gave us odd stares as we came stumbling up the path all dirty and sweaty. We gave them the stares of "you didn't earn this". I definitely felt accomplished after reaching the top, pushing myself through areas I didn't think I'd make it and then seeing everyone else who cheated. I felt like I had done something worthwhile. I climbed a mountain.

Though the mountain is tough, you don't need much in the terms of equipment. We had no ropes or crampons and didn't need them. Basically all you need is a pair of good hiking boots and a pack. I did not have a camelback, but I highly recommend one. They are a great item to have while hiking. Another item which I found invaluable was bug spray. That stuff was a life saver. The mosquitoes were pretty bad on the mountain and could really ruin an otherwise great day. Another essential item is head gear. I actually forgot my cap in the States, but had my backup bandana ready. Just one thing, make sure the bandana is color fast. Mine was supposed to be, but after a couple hours of hiking my forehead was blue.

If you choose to climb Gozaisho, make sure you are prepared. And don't give up. It seems tough, but as Paul said "The easisest way down a mountain is getting to the top".

JAL

So I'm back in Japan. This time I'm visiting my soon to be in laws and the soon to be missus. So far it's been a pretty nice trip. This post is mostly about my initial journey to the country.

As is often the case with traveling to Japan (or other East Asian countries) I left in the early morning hours from Nashville. My first layover was in Chicago. I've been to Chicago's airport a couple times before. In the past, I always felt that it was confusing and overly huge. This time I felt a bit different. I didn't need to take a tram to my departure area and the signs and staff were very helpful in finding my gate. However, make sure you double check where you are departing from because I and a couple others were told by the gate agent to leave the security area and to go to a completely different terminal. I, thinking that I had heard something different on the plane to Chicago, decided to ask a security agent. Good thing I did. Turns out that international flights used to leave from a different terminal. Now, however, they leave from the same terminal (depends on destination and carrier).

After finding my gate, something I always do before doing anything else, I went about finding some food. I ended up at the greasy chopstick in the food court. I learned a long time ago that it's always best to have something in your stomach before boarding your interenational flight just in case their in flight meal doesn't sit well with you. Unfortunately I had passed all the nice places a while back and did not want to wander too far from my gate.

This was the first time for me to fly JAL (Japan Air Lines) from the States to Japan. I must say this experience was awesome! From the moment I checked in to the moment I stepped off the plane in Nagoya, everything was great.

The first bit of sunshine was when I checked in. The gate agent informed me that I had an inner seat (something that I already requested against) and asked if I wanted an aisle. I did. He also said that he could give me a special seating assignment. I could have a business seat, but with economy service. Cool I thought, big seat.

The seat was the greatest I had ever seen. I was huge. I had left over room when I sat down. Also, you could recline the seat back to a laying down position. It was awesome! So comfortable and I was able to relax quite a bit. I still wasn't able to sleep much, but was comfortable nonetheless.

Arriving in Narita was nothing special, however, my experience there has emphasized my dislike for that airport. Everytime I go through Narita I have a different and irritating experience. It also seems that the airport changes configuration each time I go. It looked really different from only a year ago. Nothing really looked the same as when I came back from the Philippines last year. Another frustrating thing was that everyone was telling me a different place to go.

I left customs and was pointed to the left in order to make my connecting flight. Then when I was stopped by airport police the first time for a passport check I was told to go upstairs. Then when I was stopped a second time for a passport check, I was told yet another place. Finally someone pointed me to the "correct" area. However, I had to recheck my bags... Most other airports merely have you load up your bags right after customs. Not in Narita. You have to go to another ticket counter and recheck your stuff. Finally with under an hour left I made it to my gate.

Though I had a few irritations in Tokyo, my trip was great. I also want to say that I was not mad or irritated at getting my passport checked twice. It was just that they took several minutes each time and I was worried about missing my flight. I know the cops were just doing their jobs. So if it happens to you, just go with the flow and cooperate. Use Japanese if you can and be nice.

Dry Spell

Recently I haven't gone anywhere. I've made the trip to Nashville and back a few times, but other than that no adventures or other travel. It's okay. I've been planning and scheming. I go to Japan in about 3 weeks. I'm pretty stoked about that. Not sure how much traveling in country I'll do, but hopefully I'll get to see something new or exciting.

I'm really focusing my thoughts to my grand road trip for next year. I'm going to be taking my wife on her first American road trip. We're going to see 12 states and as much as we can in each. We're mostly going to hit up National Parks, beer breweries and famous restaurants. It should be great fun. If anyone has any thoughts, please let me know.

Here's what I have planned thus far:
Garden of the Gods - Colorado
Pike's Peak - Colorado
Kansas City BBQ - Kansas
New Belgium Brewery - Colorado
Coors Brewery - Colorado
Salt Lake City - Utah
Salt Lake - Utah
San Francisco - California
Yosemite - California
Devil's Post Pile - California
Death Valley - California
Grand Canyon - Arizona

Shiloh

One hundred and forty-nine years ago the bloodiest battle in American history took place in a little area in south Tennessee called Shiloh. This battle saw high casualties on both sides and greatly affected the war.

Today, however, it is a very nice National Park with several hiking trails wandering about. The trails usually lead to significant battle sites or other noteworthy events. There are many different types of trail to choose from. This time we chose the compass course. It's about 10 miles and you do the majority of it using a compass at each site marker in order to find the next one. A pitfall I encountered was that there are trails leading away from many sites, but that does not mean that is the correct way to go. More than once my party got lost because we did not follow the compass, but went the way of the trail. Other instances saw a start of a path which would disappear forcing you to take multiple readings on your compass. As trying as this sounds it's actually very fun and a good skill to practice.

One thing you need to be aware of is the presence of ticks. These little creatures are all over Shiloh. One member of my group found 15 on him. So check throughout the day and once home or at camp, check again. Remember, ticks like warmer areas so check arm pits, waist bands, behind the knees and nether regions.

One unique aspect of this trip was the ongoing re-enactments being held that weekend. Actually it was the filming of a new visitor center film (the current one was filmed in the 50s). We got to witness some of the cannons firing and a few maneuvers of troops. It was interesting and very fun.

For those who are not interested in hiking long distances, Shiloh is full of shorter, less strenuous hikes. These wind around the park and visit many of the battle's sites. It's definitely worth the time to see this part of American history.

Washington DC Day: 5

This was to be my last day going into Washington DC. I still had a few things on my list to see. I wanted to kill time at the American History Museum, but that got scrapped on the fly.

I was walking about trying to decide what to do when I realized that I was in DC and hadn't gone into the Capitol Building yet. So I changed course and headed to the hill.

It's very much like going through airport security. You had to take everything metallic off and run it through an x-ray machine. Once in, you could feel the tightness of security. I was directed to the tour desk and quickly got a spot on the next tour. It's pretty neat. You get a head set which allows you to easily hear the tour guide.

The tour was pretty short, I think only about 30 or 45 minutes. We got to see the rotunda and the old area where the House used to sit. The amount of art was amazing. Apparently each state is allowed to send one sculpture of a famous resident. There were many I knew and many I did not.

After Congress I headed back to the American Portrait Museum. It was actually still closed when I got there so I wandered Chinatown looking for lunch. I settled at a small place which had an odd odor. I ordered some chicken and rice and was feeling a bit uneasy about it. But then more customers showed up and allowed me to relax a bit.

The Portrait Museum was awesome. There are portraits of all sorts of people. The Hall of Presidents was the one I knew most about. I spent the most time there. There was so much to see there that I ended up only seeing about half.

I still had some time before I had to meet my friend, so I went to Ford's Theatre. The actual theatre was closed, but I went to the museum. It was interesting but honestly I was a bit museumed out by that time.

I had one more drink at the Hawk n' Dove and headed back to Virginia.

Washington DC has so much to offer and I feel that people tend to over look it. I wish that I had gone years ago as a child. When I have kids I will definitely take them to this gem of a city.