Week 80 - August 11-17, 2014



Monday started with a 5 K jog with our jinan/second oldest son.  Pictured is our son and Elder Koberstein jogging together.  We Skype some of our family and then headed to Beppu to take curtains to the new shimi apartment.

We enjoyed lunch in the city of Aso on the way to Oita at Hotto Motto which is a Japanese fast food restaurant chain. 

We wanted to show our son the beautiful country side in this part of Kyushu.  The Japanese make cement wall as shown in this picture along cut roadsides.  I wonder if they prevent falling rocks and mud slides. 

When we arrived in Oita we visited Takasakiyama Natural Zoo/monkey mountain and the Aquarium Umitamago.

Tuesday started by finding the Iwayaji Stone Buddas in Oita.  It looked like it was in the process of restoration. 

The next stop was the Kokonoe "yume" Otsurihashi/suspension foot bridge over the Kyushi Ravine.

 The bridge offers pedestrians the beautiful view of two waterfalls (Shindo and Me-daki Falls).

Wednesday found us doing a morning hike up Mt. Kinpo.  Kinpo is the large mountain we see from our patio balcony.  This was a very fast hike to the top and down before we head to the International Center where we have a Japanese class and teach Eikaiwa.  We also taught an evening Eikaiwa at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Obiyama.

Thursday we drove to Aso volcano.  For our third visit to Aso the volcano was giving off lots of white steam and gases which were blowing away from the observation point.

As we drove from Aso to the Tsujunkyo (bridge) we notices a sign for the head waters of the Shirakawa (river).  We decided to take a look.  It is a fascinating place where the ground water from Aso runs out of the rocks in many place in large volume.  The Shirakawa is the big river that runs through down town Kumamoto.  Water in Kyushu is very good as it is from Aso mountains many artesian wells.  We are blessed to be able to enjoy such good water.

The next stop was the Tsujunkyo (bridge/aqueduct).  This picture is of Elder Koberstein and our son on top of the bridge.  Yes, it was raining.

We hike to the Gorogataki Falls which is where the river drops into a hollow lava tube. 

This time the bridge though the narrow lava tube was ready for visitors use.

It opened up into a meadow with a wonder picnic area.  It would have been a dry place for a picnic and on a busy day at the bridge we found ourselves alone to enjoy this spot.

A picture from the backside of the bridge.  The flowers were beautiful as well as the rice patties.

Friday was summer yukata day.  We rented them for the day.  There were four women getting dressed at the same time and we all four met at the Kumamoto Jo (castle) where this picture was taken.  If you are wearing a yukata/kimono the castle visit is free of charge (a pleasant surprise for us).  We had a very enjoyable day all dressed up.  People at the castle enjoyed our dress too.

Our group at the castle with a staff person also in period dress.

Saturday was a hike in Kikuchi Glen.  It was nothing like I expected but very beautiful and many waterfalls to look at. 

There was so much mist in the air my pictures are not clear.

We then visited the Yumaga Tourou Museum/lantern museum.  We had the opportunity to get our picture taken with one of the paper lanterns in the museum like the dancers wore in the preformance. 

Dinner was a choose your own from the street vender's set up for the lantern festival.

This is the closing song at the festival.  What an enjoyable end to a very busy week with our son.

Sunday morning was time for goodbyes which are always hard.  Thank you for a wonderful visit.  We love you.

Scripture of the Week

Psalms 127:3-5

Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord; and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.
Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them....