Last hurrah...same as the first hurrah

Well friends, the donkey has had his (possibly) last hiking adventure in Japan for the time being. Last weekend I took the lovely Hanae off to the mountains of Kirishima for a day of hiking and seeing some absolutely stunning scenery. Coincidentally, this was the exact same treck that I first made in Japan, albeit with a different cast of characters. The first time was with a Japanese English teacher and his family. This time was a little more private, and definitely more enjoyable!

We climbed up to Naka-dake with the heat of Kagoshima at our backs, but when we arrived at the top, it was like a beautiful crisp Autumn day. It was such great weather. And we were as high as the clouds, as you can see here!



Here is a view of Takachiho, which is a fitting place for me to end my Japanese journey, since it is the legendary mountain where the gods came down from the heavens and deposited the hapless Japanese race on these beautiful islands. The clouds are casting shadows on the mountain in these pictures.


And here is a view of Sakurajima off in the distance. This is a great place to get a view of the surrounding areas of Kagoshima prefecture. You can see all the way to the East China Sea to the west, and to the Pacific Ocean to the east. On a very clear day, you can sometimes see Yakushima far to the south as well!



All in all, this was the perfect way to spend my last day out hiking in Japan! Afterwards, while driving back we got some absolutely fantastic sunset shots, like this one...